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14-1/2" H x 6" W x 5" D Fiberglass $110 (less Internet discount of $13) = $97 (freight $9) |
Atlas,
in Greek mythology, son of the Titan Lapetus and the nymph Clymene,
and brother of Prometheus. Atlas fought with the Titans in the
war against the Olympic deities. As punishment, he was condemned
to bear forever on his back the earth and the heavens and on
his shoulders the great pillar that separates them. Atlas was the father of the Hesperides, the nymphs who guarded the tree of golden apples, and Hercules sought his help in performing one of his labors. Hercules offered to assume Atlas's burden if Atlas would obtain the golden apples for him. Atlas happily agreed, thinking to rid himself forever of the wearying load. After Atlas returned with the apples, Hercules asked him to take the burden back for a moment while he arranged a pad to ease the pressure on his shoulders. Atlas assumed the load again, and Hercules walked off with the apples. Since the figure of Atlas supporting the earth was often used in the title pages of early map collections, the name has come to be applied to a volume of maps. Atlantes, the plural form of Atlas, is the classical term in architecture for the sculptured figure of a male used as a column to support a superstructure. |
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