Atlas, the mighty titan from Greek Mythology.
Bearer of the heavens and symbol of undying endurance.
The image of Atlas supporting the weight of the globe on his shoulders remains as powerful
and evocative today as it always was, a representation of commitment and fortitude to inspire people
young and old.
But who was Atlas, and why did he have to hold up the heavens all by himself?
Let’s find out together, right now.
Atlas was a second-generation titan, the son of the Titan Iapetus and in most versions
his wife Clymene, an Oceanid.
However, some accounts suggest his mother was in fact the sea nymph Asia.
He was brother to Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.
Atlas, as a titan was want to do, had multiple wives and many children including the goddess
nymph Calypso.
The existence of this mighty titan would swiftly change however, when he took the fateful decision
to side with his titan siblings against Zeus in a great war for dominion over the universe.
A war known as the Titanomachy.
The rule of the Titans would come to an end when Zeus led an uprising against his father,
Cronos.
Two armies assembled, with Zeus and his allies upon Mount Olympus, and Cronos and the Titans
on Mount Othrys.
Due to his immense strength, Atlas was given the role of battlefield leader amongst the
Titans.
Atlas would be joined in the Titan force by his father Iapetus, and brother Menoetius,
but his other brothers, Prometheus and Epimetheus, declined to fight, as Prometheus had foreseen
the outcome of the war and its victors.
The result of the war was inevitable, for despite the immense strength of Atlas, eventually
the Titans were overrun by the superior power of Zeus and the Olympian gods.
After the war, Zeus punished those who fought against him with the majority of Titans incarcerated
in the prison of Tartarus, but Zeus reserved a special punishment for Atlas.
During the Titanomachy, Ouranos, the heavens, had been shaken and could no longer hold himself
aloft.
So, Atlas was bound to hold up the celestial globe, or heavens, unable to move and sentenced
for all eternity to his fate.
It is said that Atlas did this from the western edge of the world, leading to him later being
frequently identified with the Atlas mountains in northwest Africa.
A common misconception today is that he was bound to hold the world itself upon his shoulders,
and many images depict him with the globe shaped earth held aloft.
This however is not the case and it was infact the heavens or celestial globe that he bears.
Some sources suggest that the sky was placed directly on his shoulders.
Others, however, are more merciful, claiming that Atlas actually holds the two pillars
which keep the earth and the sky apart.
From this point forward, Atlas appears only twice in the tales of Greek mythology.
Once, when he is tricked by Heracles, who temporarily offers to take over his burden
in exchange for help with one of his labours, only to be fooled into taking the heavens
straight back.
You can hear the full story of Heracles and his 12 labours in the dedicated video linked
below.
Secondly, some accounts suggest a meeting with Perseus.
Perseus was on the return leg to Seriphos with the head of Medusa safely in his possession.
Perseus decided to rest by Atlas, but the Titan was in a far from hospitable mood.
An angry Perseus therefore removed the head of Medusa from its satchel and the gaze of
the Gorgon turned Atlas to stone, or indeed the Atlas Mountain range of today.
As is often the case in Greek mythology however, this story contradicts the timelines of other
tales and so is often discard from the story of Atlas.
Atlas is often associated with astronomy in general, given his connection to the celestial
globe, and remains well known today for his cultural influence on cartography, or map
making, where his name is interchangeable with the word used to describe a collection
of maps.
A striking image then, a great titan bearing the weight of the heavens, and one of my favourites
from Greek mythology.
Atlas condemned himself to his own fate but in doing so, became a symbol of undying endurance
that continues to inspire generation after generation.