- Plato conceived of it a as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations, OR
- it actually was real and there’s zero evidence for it
The story of Atlantis is told by Critias, who heard the story second hand.
You probably think your methodology is "evidence based" though.
plato's account of Atlantis is detialed with specific measurements, descriptions of the layout of the city and its temples, and the organization of the society. This level of detail could be interpreted as an attempt to describe a real place rather than a purely symbolic or allegorical one.
Unlike other Greek myths (or allegories), the story of atlantis is not populated with gods interfering in the affairs of men, mythical creatures, or heroes of divine descent. Plato didnt have a track record of fabricating tales completely, especially since he presents atlantis in a matter-of-fact way within dialogues that are otherwise serious philosophical texts.
Usually when a mythical city is described, the author highlights their mystery, utopian qualities, or moral lessons they impart, rather than providing a blueprint of their layout and structure.
For that matter Tolkien to claims that his world is actually set on our planet just thousands of years ago.
Not at all strange . The opposite, that’s exactly what I would expect from an author designing a sci-fi/fantasy/fictional world. If it was based on some old myth one would expect the complete opposite of that (vague and uncertain descriptions)
> Plato didnt have a track record of fabricating tales completel
Do you believe that’s what all people who write fiction do? Fabricate tales?
> especially since he presents atlantis in a matter-of-fact way within dialogues that are otherwise serious philosophical texts.
Yes, many authors did or still do that.
It's likely that most of stories from oral tradition have never been put down to writing, and most of those who did were probably lost through the filter of time (along with the vast majority or ancient Greek literature).