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The Farnese Atlas, the oldest surviving depiction of the celestial spheres. In Greek mythology, Atlas ( / ˈætləs /; Greek: Ἄτλας, Átlas) is a Titan condemned to hold up the heavens or sky for eternity after the Titanomachy. Atlas also plays a role in the myths of two of the greatest Greek heroes: Heracles ( Hercules in Roman mythology ...
- Atlas
Frontispiece of the 1595 Atlas of Mercator. An atlas is a...
- Hyades
Family. The Hyades were daughters of Atlas (by either...
- Menoetius
Menoetius or Menoetes (/ m ə ˈ n iː ʃ i ə s /; Greek:...
- Celestial Spheres
Early ideas of spheres and circles. In Greek antiquity the...
- Iapetus
In Greek mythology, Iapetus (/ aɪ ˈ æ p ɪ t ə s /;...
- Titanomachy
In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy (/ ˌ t aɪ t ə ˈ n ɒ m ə...
- Hyas
Hyas was the son of the Titan Atlas and either of the...
- Atlas
Atlas. Statue in Paphos, Cyprus, depicting Atlas bearing the celestial globe. Atlas, in Greek mythology, son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene (or Asia) and brother of Prometheus (creator of humankind). In Homer’s Odyssey, Book I, Atlas seems to have been a marine creature who supported the pillars that held heaven and earth apart.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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- Name and Portrayal
- Family
- The Titanomachy and Atlas’ Punishment
- Meetings with Heroes
- Atlas Sources
Atlas’ name is of unsure – probably pre-Greek – origin, but the Ancient Greeks and Romans seem to have thought it had been derived from a similar-sounding Greek root with the meaning of “very enduring.” This fully coincides with Atlas’ portrayal as an enormous, bearded man, always slightly bent and in pain under the weight of the heavens, usually r...
According to Hesiod, Atlas was the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene. However, some – disagreeing with him – say that his mother was another sea nymph named Asia. Either way, he had three brothers (Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius) and possibly as many wives. By Pleione, he had eight daughters: the goddess-nymph Calypso and the ...
Iapetus’ sons took the opposing sides during the Titanomachy: while Prometheus and Epimetheus decided to help Zeus, Atlas and his brother Menoetius sided with the Titans. In time, Atlas even managed to become the leader of the rebellion, but that didn’t end up too well for him in the long run, since it got him the most severe punishment after the d...
Since, obviously, Atlas wasn’t allowed to move one bit – and not many people knew where his dwelling place was – the only myths he’s in include two of Greek’s greatest heroesreaching him at the end of the earth.
There are few verses in Hesiod’s “Theogony” recounting the stories of Atlas and his brothers. Heracles’ encounter with Atlas is retold in the fifth chapter of the second book of Apollodorus’ “Library,” while his transformation into a mountain range is narrated by Ovid in the fourth book of his “Metamorphoses.” See Also: Twelve Labours of Heracles, ...
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. 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. Just as Kratos was the personification of ...
The story of Atlas. Atlas was one of the older gods of Greece, known as the Titans. They had come to dominate the world and the cosmos after Cronos had usurped his father's throne as King of the Gods. The myth of Atlas is widely believed to have originated before the Hellenes or Greek made their home in Greece.
Atlas is a Titan in Greek mythology. He is the son of Iapetus. He has seven daughters with the Oceanid Pleione. They are called the Pleiades . After the war between the Olympians and the Titans, Atlas was punished. Zeus forced him to hold the heaven on the western edge of the world. Later, the story about him changed and it was said that he ...
Mar 11, 2023 · The son of Iapetus and Clymene, Atlas was a Titan famed for his prodigious strength and intelligence. Having been defeated by the Olympians in the Titanomachy, Atlas was condemned to bear the weight of the celestial sphere for all eternity. He was a popular figure in Greek mythology, and appeared in the stories of heroes such as Heracles and ...
