Atlas
In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan condemned to hold up the celestial 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) and Perseus. According to the ancient Greek poet Hesiod, Atlas stood at the ends of the earth in extreme west. Later, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa and was said to be the first King of Mauretania. Atlas was said to have been skilled in philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy. In antiquity, he was credited with inventing the first celestial sphere. In some texts, he is even credited with the invention of astronomy itself.
Atlas was the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Asia or Clymene. He was a brother of Epimetheus and Prometheus. He had many children, mostly daughters, the Hesperides, the Hyades, the Pleiades, and the nymph Calypso who lived on the island Ogygia.
Atlas Stamp Collection
HERCULES 11th LABOR; STEALING THE APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES . Hercules set off to find Atlas. On the west edge of the world he found Atlas, holding the weight of the world. Hercules told Atlas he would hold the world IF Atlas would go to Hera's garden and gather some golden apples for him. Atlas glad to get the weight of the world of his shoulders gladly agreed. So Hercules took the world from Atlas shoulders. Atlas disappeared and was gone for some time. Eventually he did show back up to Hercules with 3 golden apples in his hand. Atlas not wanting to take the weight of the world back told Hercules he would take the apples back to Eurystheus. Hercules seeing that Atlas had no intention of taking the world back from him thought fast. Hercules tricked Atlas into taking back the world, by telling Atlas he just needed him to have Atlas hold the world for a moment, so he could make a pad for his shoulders. Atlas took the world back from Hercules, and Hercules took off with the golden apples back to King Eurystheus.
Greece 1970 Stealing the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, marble metope from the east end of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, c. 460 BCE; in the Archaeological Museum, Olympia, Greece.
Greece 1906 Atlas brings the Apples of Hesperides to Herakles while Herakles holds the Sky.
Greece 2006 Atlas brings the Apples of Hesperides to Herakles while Herakles holds the Sky. for 100 Years Since the 1906 Interim Olympic Games
Black-figure Lekythos-Herakles 11th Labor:Atlas brings the Apples of Hesperides to Herakles while Herakles holds the Sky-c.480 BC
Greece 1973 The punishment of Atlas and Prometheus, The Titan brothers Atlas and Prometheus undergo their torments. Atlas, hounded by the Hesperian serpent, holds the heaven on his shoulders and Prometheus' liver is eaten by an eagle.
Argentina 1948 The farnese Atlas.
Niger 1973 The farnese Atlas.
The Farnese Atlas is a 2nd century Roman marble copy of a Hellenistic sculpture of Atlas kneeling with the celestial spheres, not a globe, weighing heavily on his shoulders. The sculpture is exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, in Italy.
Dominica 2003 Atlas sculpture
The whole block of Plato
Plato wrote about the lost continent of Atlantis. Plato said that the continent wa cituated in the Atlantic ocean near the straits of Gibraltar. There had been a powerful empire located west of the "pillars of Hercules". The nation has been established by Poseidon. By Plato's account, Poseidon's eldest son Atlas was appointed ruler of this beautiful island domain. Atlas became the personification of the mountains or pillars that held up the sky.
Chile 1999 Atlas for 100 Years AG Chile Insures Association
U.S.A. 2003 Atlas bronze Statue, Rockfeller Center, New York City,
was created by the sculptor Lee Lawrie with the help of Rene Paul Chambellan, and was installed in 1937. The sculpture is in the Art Deco style of Rockefeller Center.