Panchaea

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Panchaea (Greek: παγχαΐα) is a fictional island, first mentioned by ancient Greek philosopher Euhemerus in the late 4th century BC. Euhemerus describes the island and his trip there in his major work Sacred History, only fragments of which survive.

Fragments preserved by followers such as the later Greek historian Diodorus Siculus and 4th century AD Christian writer Eusebius of Caesarea describe Panchaea as a rational island paradise located in the Indian Ocean. Euhemerus came there by traveling through the Red Sea and around the Arabian Peninsula; in the island's temple of Zeus Triphylius he discovered a register of the births and deaths of the gods, proving they were merely historical figures. It is unlikely Panchaea was a real place, but rather a literary device invented by the author. In many parts its description is similar to Plato's Atlantis.

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