Final answer:
The story of Atlantis originates from Plato's dialogues and is not directly linked to Thera; however, the destruction of Akrotiri on Thera due to volcanic eruption could be seen as an event that may have inspired the myth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The legend of Atlantis began with the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. In his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, Plato offers a detailed description of a utopian island civilization, which he called Atlantis, that supposedly existed 9,000 years before his own time and disappeared into the sea as a result of a cataclysm.
Plato's account is the earliest known written record of Atlantis, and no substantial evidence exists outside his works to confirm the historical reality of such a place. As for Thera, the connection between its eruption and the story of Atlantis is a modern hypothesis.
The eruption was a significant event that destroyed the Minoan city of Akrotiri and has been speculated by some to have inspired the Atlantis myth due to the island civilization it wiped out.