The Changing Role Of Atlas In Greek Mythology

1275 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Greek titans mythology in modern culture

Atlas
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. Atlas was given this task in retribution for him leading the Titans into battle, or TITANOMACHY, against the Olympian Gods for control of the heavens.
Atlas was the son of the Titans Iapetus and Clymene, and his siblings were Epimetheus, Menoetius and Prometheus. Atlas also fathered the nymph CALYPSO and Maia who was one of the Pleiades and mother of the messenger God HERMES.
Atlas 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. However, Atlas had a different fate, and Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the Western edge of Gaia (the …show more content…

Hercules was commanded by King Eurystheus to steal the golden apples from the fabled gardens of the Hesperides. These gardens were sacred to Hera and guarded by the deadly hundred-headed dragon Ladon. On the advice of PROMETHEUS Hercules asked Atlas to retrieve the apples for him, while Hercules, aided by Athena would take the burden of the heavens on his shoulders giving Atlas a respite from his duty and also the freedom to steal the apples. Upon returning with the apples, Atlas was reluctant to resume his responsibility and attempted to leave HERCULES with the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. Hercules managed to trick the Titan into swapping places temporarily under the guise of acquiring cushions to put on his shoulders to aid in the weight bearing. As soon as the switch was made, with Atlas once again carrying the heavens Hercules took the golden apples and ran back to Mycenae. In some versions of the story, Hercules instead built the Pillars of Hercules to hold the sky away from the earth, liberating Atlas from his

Show More
Related

  • 12 Modern Labors of Hercules

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    Have you ever considered what labors Eurystheus would have assigned Hercules if he lived in the modern world? Back then the labors Eurystheus assigned to Hercules was based on feats so difficult that they seemed impossible such as defeating the Nemean lion, defeating the hydra, and more. But what labors could Eurystheus assign Hercules if he lived in the modern world? In my opinion I think that Eurystheus would give Hercules these labors if he lived in the modern world.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Lessons

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    Then the sand was thrown. If the bags of winds were to open all the winds would get out, and Odysseus would get turned back even further away from Ithaca. & nbsp ; & nbsp ; & nbsp ; & nbsp ; & nbs Odysseus learned many lessons during his journey home to Ithaca. One of his lessons was that he got some wisdom. While on his journey he learned how to get around things the hard way. Instead of going through on land and on a pathway he went through the water, and which the water gods would try to kill him.

    Read More

  • Vengence In the Odyssey

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    of his home but then it is ripped away from him due to his own men and their greed. Poseidon

    Read More

  • The Role Of Zeus In The Odyssey

    649 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hermes is also known for his many love affairs with numerous mortals, goddesses, and nymphs. In the Odyssey he serves as a messenger and is sent to Kalypso to tell her that she must let Odysseus off her island. The next person, Helios, is actually not a god, but rather a titan. He is the son of Hyperion and Thea and represents the sun, and his sisters Serena and Eos represent the night and the dawn. An easy way to remember him is that “Helios” is a root word from Greek for sun.

    Read More

  • Hercules in The Aeneid

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    The conflict between Hercules and Cacus in The Aeneid illustrates their characterizations, contrasting them through their moral stances. The epic’s portrayal of Hercules’ as a moral individual appeals to the audience’s view of him as the hero of the passage. Hercules’ moral character is exhibited when King Evander introduces the story of Hercules and Cacus, stating, “Here . . . was / once a cave which the rays of the sun never reached. This was / the home of the foul-featured, half-human monster by the name of Cacus . . . Long did we pray and in / the end we too were granted the help and the presence of a god” (Virgil 8.193-6, 199-200). Further to Evander’s story, he also illustrates the morality of Hercules’ heroism by stressing the fear of Cacus: “Never before had our / people seen Cacus afraid. Never before had there been terror in / these eyes” (8.222-4). Evander delineates the morality of Hercules by showcasing his heroic element, as well as recognizing his divinity; these attributes, as well as his act of striking fear into Cacus, solidify his morality. Hercules’ virtues appeal to the audience, allowing them to...

    Read More

  • Odysseus Defines an Epic Hero

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...one of Helios' cattle. Zeus then created a storm that killed all of the remaining men and wrecked his ship, leaving Odysseus stranded.

    Read More

  • Hercules

    3153 Words  | 7 Pages

    3.     The 12 Labors Of Hercules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

    Read More

  • The Struggle between Hercules and Hera

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hercules’ as a young child was watched by the best of the best. His father made sure h...

    Read More

  • Mythology Of Greek Mythology

    2979 Words  | 6 Pages

    ... Old Aegeus sat on a cliff and watched for the return of his son, but when he saw the black sails he jumped into the sea. That stretch of water is now known as the Aegean, which was named after Aegeus (“Theseus Adventures”). Later on in Theseus' life, he loses popularity in Athens and is then exiled. He wanders to Scyrus where he is thrown off a cliff by Lycodemes (Churchill).

    Read More

  • Greek and Roman Mythology

    2303 Words  | 5 Pages

    Jupiter was the ruler of the gods. He is also known as Zeus to the Greeks. The King of Gods in Greek Mythology Zeus was the ruler of the sky, and had the power to create thunderstorms and lightning as well as earthquakes. He was the child of Cronus and Rhea. As the story goes he was their sixth child, and the father to protect him from being overthrown had eaten the five previous children. Zeus was taken to a city called Crete and hidden from his father. As Zeus grew older and learned of what happened he found a potion to make his father regurgitate the other children. Once this happened they all teamed up and killed their father. Zeus then became the ruler of Mount Olympus, and head of the new line of Gods. Jupiter was the predominant power holder of Roman Gods. He was ruler of the sky, the daylight, all the weather, and even the thunder and lightening.(Ruck,Carl and Staples, Danny, pg 19)

    Read More

  • The Story of Poseidon

    1974 Words  | 4 Pages

    Assisted by the Cyclops (they gave Zeus his thunderbolts, Poseidon his trident and Hades his helmet of invisibility) and the Hecatoncheires (the Hundred-handed-ones), the siblings fought a terrible war that lasted ten years. In the end they were victorious, banishing their vanquished foes to the deepest depths of the Underworld, called Tartarus. This dark and woeful place is as far beneath the earth as heaven is above the earth. Around Tartarus runs a fence of bronze with gates of bronze, which Poseidon fixed in such as way as to offer no escape, and there the Titans were forever confined.

    Read More

  • Greek Mythology and the Seven Deadly Sins

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    abducted by two giants and they they trapped him in a bronze jar. Zeus paid little attention to

    Read More

  • How Has Greek Mythology Changed Over Time

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mythology is an essential part of all cultures. Through myth, ancient cultures attempted to explain the world and make sense of their daily lives. Myth helps us to live in the minds and time period of people who lived many centuries ago with no technology, no running water, and a basic education. Greek myth is possibly the most commonly recognized myth simply because it is likely the most developed and best recorded. Modern Greek myth originated around 1000 B.C. in the writings of the famous Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey and the Illiad. Although early Greek myths are often vague and contain many primitive elements regarding their understanding of death, sacrifice, and fate, later myths show Greek culture developed and changed over time.

    Read More

  • Atlas

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Greek Mythology, the Titans were a race of giants. Atlas was the strongest of all the titans. His father was titan Iapetus and his mother was the Sea Nymph Clymene.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Labors Of Hercules

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Labors of Hercules” is a tale written by the Perseus Project. This tale shows that even when bad things happen, good things will come later. However, those good things will only come if you work for them, even when things don’t go your way.  The Disney version of this story, made in 1997, is a tale whose moral is basically the same as the Perseus project.  The two tales start out differently, but are similar in plots. In the story, Hercules ends up becoming a hero after overcoming several setbacks. These setback occur in the beginning of the story, the things that get in Hercules way in the story’s, Hercules becoming a hero all are very similar but alike in ways.

    Read More

More about The Changing Role Of Atlas In Greek Mythology

Open Document