These gardens were sacred to Hera and guarded by the deadly hundred-headed dragon Ladon. Hercules was commanded by King Eurystheus to steal the golden apples from the fabled gardens of the Hesperides. The most famous myth involving Atlas is his role in the Twelve Labours of Hercules. Perseus used the head of the Gorgon Medusa and immediately transformed Atlas into the mountain range in North West Africa, the Atlas Mountains. To prevent this Atlas refused to let anyone visit his home and when Perseus asked for hospitality in his land, Atlas denied him. The earth goddess Gaea gave the tree of golden apples to Hera as a wedding present and placed it in a secret location nevertheless, an oracle told Atlas that a son of Zeus would one day steal the golden apples guarded by his daughters. In this story, Atlas was the father of the Hesperides, nymphs and guardians of the tree of golden apples. Then in later years, Atlas is associated with the Atlas Mountains in, Northwest Africa or modern day Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, where legends say the Titan was transformed from a shepherd into a huge rock mountain by Perseus, using the head of Medusa and her deadly stare. In Hesiod’s Theogony Atlas holds the heavens in the far west, edge of the world land of the Hesperides, female deities known for the beautiful singing. In Homer’s Odyssey Atlas is described as ‘deadly-minded’ and is responsible for holding the pillars which hold the heavens and earth apart. He was Atlas Telamon, or ‘enduring Atlas,’ a name embodying his daily struggle and punishment. However, Atlas had a different fate, and Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the Western edge of Gaia (the Earth) and hold the heavens on his shoulders to prevent the two from resuming their primordial embrace. He also fathered the nymph Calypso and Maia who was one of the Pleiades and mother of the messenger God Hermes.Ītlas and his brother Menoetius sided with the Titans against the Olympians and when the Titans were eventually defeated many of them were confined to Tartarus ( a deep abyss used as a dungeon) including Atlas’ brother. Atlas – Family and RelationshipsĪtlas was the son of the Titans Iapetus and Clymene, and his siblings were Epimetheus, Menoetius and Prometheus. He was given this task in retribution for him leading the Titans into battle, or Titanomachy, against the Olympian Gods for control of the heavens. In Greek Mythology, Atlas was a Titan who was responsible for bearing the weight of the heavens on his shoulders, a punishment bestowed on him by Zeus.
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