Atlas/Talk

Wouldn't the term Atlantic be derived from the Atlas (person) not the architectural feature? -rmhermen

Question: Did Atlas hold the earth on his shoulders? Original sources indicate he stood on the earth and held up the heavens. Is holding the earth as well a modern retelling or does it have classical roots?

- The earth version dates at least from Rennaissance? times, if not before. Could the change have been due to 'artistic license'? (Easier to draw someone holding the Earth than the sky.) Or just a mistranslation?

Reference:

"Atlas"

Encyclopedia Mythica

http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/a/atlas.html

[Page accessed on April 7, 2001]

Holding up the earth doesn't seem to be classical, at any rate - none of the authors know anything about it.

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Should there be mention of Hercules temporarily holding the earth for Atlas during one of his labors?

Sure, but I realize now it's irrelevant to the Flat Earth thing, although we might wonder what Hercules and Atlas were standing on while holding that burden. I think I messed up by mentioning Atlas; I was just looking for a segue from X to Russell so the article wouldn't be all Russell. Does anyone have a bit more documentation of any pre-1600s belief in Flat Earth? Ed Poor

He was standing on the Atlas Mountains, which some people thought were reasonably high and therefore a logical place. The Pillars of Hercules are over that way, too. Check out the Russell Book and you'll find out why there isn't going to be much. --MichaelTinkler