In
Greek Mythology, son of the
Titan Iapetus and the nymph
? Clymene
?, and brother of
Prometheus. Father of the Hesperides
?, Hyades
?, and Pleiades
?. When he fought in the war between the Titans and the gods of
Mount Olympus,
Zeus decreed that, as punishment, he should forever bear the burden of carrying the heavens and the
Earth upon his shoulders. Atlas was turned to stone by
Perseus using Medusa
?'s head in the place where the [Atlas mountains]
? (see below) now stand. Also known as the king of
Atlantis.
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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