Atlas

Atlas

Atlas (Gr: Ἄτλας) is the titan of strength, endurance, heavy burdens, astronomy and the bearer of the sky. He prevents the collision of the skies and the earth.

Parents

Iapetos and Klymene-Asie

Spouse & Lovers

Pleione (wife), Hesperis (lover), Aithra (lover)

Children

• Dione
• Kalypso (unknown mother)
• Maira (unknown mother)
• Hyas

The Pleiades

• Alkyone (with Pleione)
• Elektra (with Pleione)
• Kelaino (with Pleione)
• Taygeta (with Pleione)
• Maia (with Pleione)
• Sterope (or Asterope) (with Pleione)
• Merope (with Pleione)
The Hesperides

• Aigle
• Erytheia
• Hesperia

The Hyades

• Phaesyla
• Koronis
• Kleeia
• Polyxo
• Eudora

Siblings

Prometheus
Epimetheus
Menoitios
Ankhiale

Myth

Titanomachy

During the Titanomachy with the titans and Gods fighting against each other, Atlas sided with the titans and became the general of the titans. Because of this, after the Gods beat the titans, they were all given a punishment (other than Prometheus and Epimetheus who sided with the Gods). Most of the titans were locked in Tartarus but because Atlas was the general of the titans he was given the duty to hold the sky from the Earth. Zeus placed him to the most western point on Earth and left him there to handle his punishment.

Heracles

One day the hero Heracles came to finish his eleventh labor. The labor was to pick a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides. He passed Atlas, and offered to take the sky for a few moments so that Atlas could travel to the Hesperides, who were his daughters, and return to Heracles with a golden apple. Atlas agreed, and gave the weight of the sky to Heracles. He held it while Atlas stretched and walked off. He came back, holding a golden apple, and said he would take it and do Herakles's job and take the glory for himself. He was stopped, and Herakles asked if Atlas would take the sky for a moment so he could put a covering on his shoulders to lighten the burden. Atlas set the apple down and took the weight of the sky back from Heracles. Heracles then took the apple and left Atlas to endure his burden.

Trivia

• A misconception, is that he holds the earth. Classical art shows him with a celestial sphere, on the earth.
• Atlantis and Atlantic Ocean were most likely named after Atlas.
• Often He is Shown with Four Arms
• While he is the Strongest of Titans, other than Epimetheus Atlas is stupidest of them. A good example is when Herakles who was known not for brains but for his strength and skill at killing monsters was able to trick Atlas into taking back the burden of the sky when Herakles was completing his eleventh labor.

Gallery

Atlas Statue

Atlas

Sculpture of Atlas, Praza do Toural, Santiago de Compostela.

Atlas the Titan

Atlas