Greek Mythology · deity

Atlas

Ἄτλας
deitythe sky (bore)

Titan condemned to hold up the sky (or the heavens) for eternity; father of the Pleiades.

Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas), Roman copy of Hellenistic original — Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas)
Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas) · Jamie Heath · undated · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 2.0
The account

Who they are

Atlas is a Titan, son of Iapetus, who was punished by Zeus after the Titanomachy for siding with the Titans; he was condemned to hold up the sky (or the heavens) on his shoulders for eternity [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. He is the father (with the oceanid Pleione) of the Pleiades, a group of sisters who were turned into stars [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. He is also the father of the Hesperides and, in some accounts, of the Gorgons' mother Ceto. The 'holding up the sky' image is a later (post-Homeric) development; the earliest Atlas is a great Titan of strength [S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Worth knowing
  • Condemned to hold up the sky after the Titanomachy [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
  • Father of the Pleiades (with Pleione) [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
  • The 'holding up the sky' image is later than the earliest accounts [S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Uncertainties & variants
  • The 'holding up the sky' punishment is a later development; we date it [S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Relationships (1)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFMaia — Atlas is the parent of Maia.[S1] [S4]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world

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GREEK · 41variantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥AegisHelmet of HadesCaduceus of Her…Trident of Pose…Thunderbolt of …Alcmenamortalthe mortal mother of Heracles1 relationsAndromedamortalthe rescued princess2 relationsAphroditedeitylove7 relationsAtlasdeitythe sky (bore)1 relationsChaosprimordialorigin2 relationsDanaemortalthe mortal mother of Perseus1 relationsDemeterdeityharvest6 relationsEchidnamonsterthe monster-mother2 relationsGaiadeityearth6 relationsHadesdeitythe dead7 relationsHeradeitymarriage8 relationsHestiadeityhearth1 relationsLetodeitymotherhood (as mother of Apollo/Artemis)2 relationsMedusamonsterthe Gorgon3 relationsMetisdeitycounsel2 relationsOceanusdeitythe great world-river1 relationsOdysseusherocunning2 relationsPenelopemortalthe faithful wife of Odysseus2 relationsPoseidondeitythe sea6 relationsRheadeitymotherhood2 relationsSemelemortalthe mortal mother of Dionysus1 relationsTethysdeitythe primordial sea1 relationsTyphonmonsterthe great monster7 relationsCerberusmonsterthe guardian of the underworld3 relationsErosdeitylove2 relationsHebedeityyouth2 relationsHephaestusdeityfire6 relationsMaiadeitythe nymph2 relationsUranusprimordialsky6 relationsPersephonedeitythe underworld2 relationsTelemachusmortalthe son of Odysseus2 relationsCronusdeitytime (later association)9 relationsZeusdeitysky29 relationsApollodeitysun (later)4 relationsAresdeitywar (violence, bloodshed)3 relationsArtemisdeitythe hunt3 relationsAthenadeitywisdom4 relationsDionysusdeitywine3 relationsHeraclesherostrength7 relationsHermesdeitymessengers5 relationsPerseusheroheroism8 relations
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Artworks

Depictions

Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas), Roman copy of Hellenistic original — Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas)
Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas) · Jamie Heath · undated · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Atlas with celestial sphere (Farnese Atlas) · undated
Atlas (Farnese Globe), Naples — Atlas (Farnese Globe)
Atlas (Farnese Globe) · Gabriel Seah · undated · Naples National Archaeological Museum · CC BY-SA 3.0
Atlas (Farnese Globe) · undated
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