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Atlas in Greek Mythology

Atlas's ancestors

Atlas was a mythical giant, the son of Titan Iapetus and Oceanid Clymene. His brothers were Prometheus, Epimetheus and Menoetius according to Hesiod' Theogony. But Hesiod says that maybe Iapetus and Asia, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, gave birth to Atlas. We also learn from Hesiod that Atlas lived during the golden period that was the first of the five human generations (golden, silver, bronze, heroic and iron). Hesiod lived during the last one. But many ancient writers say different things about the parents of Atlas. Apollodorus says that Atlas's mother was Oceanis Asia and his father was Poseidon. Eginus says his mother is Gaia and his father some god. On the other hand Plinius says (Nat. Hist. VIII203) that his mother was Libie and his father Ether. Plato says that Atlas, who became the central king of Atlantis, was the son of Poseidon and Cleitus. If we look at the myths about Atlas's daughters, Pleiades, there is also confusion about them. The dominated point of view is that Pleiades were the seven daughters of Poseidon to whom he gave birth with Pleione. These were Maia, Elektra, Taigeti, Alcyon, Asterope, Celaeno and Merope. Because of them Poseidon named a constellation after them and its stars after the names of each one of them. Many writers refer to Pleiades as Atlantides or Hesperides or Oceanides, all daughters of Poseidon. But Apollodorus says that Hesperides were Egli, Herethia, Arethousa, Hestia and Hespera, the daughters of Atlas. Hesiod says that they were daughters of Atlas but he gave birth to them with Night or Themis or Cyto. Also Calypso, who wanted Odysseus with her forever, is referred to as the daughter of Atlas. Both Ias and his sisters Hyades are said to be Atlas's children. About his seven daughters, Pleiades, it is said they had mated with great "gods" (read: Chiefs) and they had given birth to gods and leaders. "After joining the greatest heroes and gods they made them kings of humans" Diodorus Siceliotis says about them (III, 60). Maia gave birth to Zeus and Hermes, who was later deified, Elektra and Zeus gave birth to Dardanus, who was the leaders of the Trojans. Plias dreamed Zeus (!) and in nine months she gave birth to Lacedaemon. Their names were given to the mountain Taygetus and the land of Lacedaemon, where was a den, according to a tradition, of Atlas. Celaeno, although she was the mistress of Prometheus, gave birth to Lycus, who was the leader of the Arcadians, with Poseidon. The written documents say that Poseidon send her to give birth to their child secretly in the island of Makaron (or Elysian fields), which were at the other side of the earth, west, near the ocean.

 All this confusion about Atlas's origins that is found in the ancient Greek mythology is due to the fact that there were many heroes, kings and leaders named Atlas. If we study carefully the different events, traditions, legends or stories of these leaders who are considered to be parents of Atlas, we will find that they belong to different centuries. Moreover if we study individually the activities of the same child, we will find they belong to different periods as well. From all these Greek mythical stories (stories according to Stravon) about the personality of Titan Atlas and his daughters the outcome is that these years there were many officers of Atlantis in many places of the earth named Atlas. This is why Atlas is referred to as the son of many parents of different periods and as the father of many daughters of different periods as well. We can make the conclusion that the central leaders of the generation of Atlantians were three. The first was Titan Atlas son of Iapetus and Clymene, who took part and stood out in Titanomachies and Gigantomachies and was punished by Zeus after the defeat of Titans, as Herodotus says. Atlas I became leader of Titans and founder of many offspring names Atlantians after him. According to Herodotus he was a wise astronomer as well. Atlas I with his only wife Oceanis gave birth to seven beautiful daughters, known as Pleiades or Atlantians as mentioned above. These Atlantians are confused with the daughters Of Atlas III, Hesperides. Atlas II was the son of Titan Iapetus and Asia. He did not have the glory or activity of Atlas I but he was identified with him. Atlas III was the son of Poseidon and Cleito. His father after taking the kingdom of the Atlantic Ocean made him the central king of the kings of Atlantis, as he was his first-born. He was a powerful leader and wise astronomer like Atlas I and overshadowed the other two with his action and fame. In the most important ancient cities there were statues of Atlas holding the globe. This symbolizes the power of Atlas as a leader of the world and king as well as his astronomic knowledge. His sentence by Zeus to hold the global does not sound like a punishment at all. This symbolism obviously refers to his son Poseidon. There was probably confusion with Atlas I in Theogony. It also means something else; that people knew from the prehistoric years that the earth was round and the sky a "canopy".

His daughters were probably Hesperides who guarded the golden apples of Hesperides with the dragon. I say probably because there is confusion with Pleiades, daughters of the other Atlas. In the ancient documents they are referred to as Hesperides, who guarded the "garden of Hesperides" the following:

Egli, Hesperethousa or Arethousa (a mermaid), Erechthea (there was an island outside Hercules' columns named after her), Hestia and Hesperia (see Apollodorus Library II114).

But mythology mentions other Atlas of Libya, Arcadia and Aztec-Mayas. These seem to have been local leaders, deputies of Atlantis or later heroes, offspring of Titans-Atlantians. There are many myths about the daughters of Atlas as well saying they mated with "gods" and gave birth to many heroes, leaders, founders and even more "gods". For example Celaeno mated with Poseidon in Arcadia and the time she was going to have Lycus (who is thought to be the leader of the Arcadians) she was sent secretly to the island of the Makaron. The ancients believed in that island which was in the west in the ocean. But which was that island in which the ancients believed and was placed in the west in the ocean? It was Atlantis, which was in the west of Greece in the Atlantic Ocean! In these myths about Atlas that existed among the ancient Greeks we clearly see that the leaders and founders of some ancient Greek cities came from Atlantis.

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copyright © Theodoros Paschos, Greece, August 2000