Some 9,000 years earlier, according to the legend, there was an island metropolis. It was dominated by hills and surrounded by two concentric rings of land, linked by bridges and roads. The water separating the rings formed extensive harbors connected. The Atlanteans lived securely and comfortably in their island paradise – until, suddenly, disaster struck. According to Plato : "Through violent earthquakes and floods, in a single day and night of misfortune [the whole race] was swallowed up by the Earth and the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea.