I always thought that Atlas was the guy that started a rebellion against the greek gods.Is that true?
2007-11-02 00:49:16 · 7 answers · asked by Del Phwaigo 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Atlas -
Titan, son of Iapetus and Clymene, supposed to uphold the pillars of heaven, which was his punishment for being the war leader of the Titans in the struggle with the Olympian gods. The name means lit. "The Bearer (of the Heavens)," from stem of tlenai "to bear." Mount Atlas, in Mauritania, was important in Gk. cosmology as a support of the heavens.
atlas
"collection of maps in a volume," 1636, first in ref. to the Eng. translation of "Atlas, sive cosmographicae meditationes de fabrica mundi" (1585) by Flemish geographer Gerhardus Mercator (1512-94), who may have been the first to use this word in this way. A picture of the Titan Atlas holding up the world (see Atlas) appeared on the frontispiece.
2007-11-02 02:27:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atlas was a Titan in Greek Mythology who was made to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. The only time the guy got a break was when he did a favor for Hercules, but Hercules was smart enough to avoid being tricked into taking his place permanently. I assume Atlas is used because that is the name of that titan.
2007-11-02 08:08:55 · answer #2 · answered by Top Alpha Wolf 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it was named after the rebel Atlas and for his punishment he had to put the world upon his shoulders and thus a collection of maps of the world is an atlas.
2007-11-02 13:23:12 · answer #3 · answered by Dave aka Spider Monkey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The origin of the term atlas is a common source of misconception, perhaps because two different mythical figures named 'Atlas' are associated with mapmaking.
King Atlas, a mythical King of Mauretania, was, according to legend, a wise philosopher, mathematician and astronomer who supposedly made the first celestial globe. It was this Atlas that Mercator was referring to when he first used the name 'Atlas', and he included a depiction of the King on the title-page
2007-11-02 07:57:35 · answer #4 · answered by dcensy_1st 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
From the depiction of Atlas holding up the world.
2007-11-02 07:52:41 · answer #5 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atlas is the guy in greek methology that held the sky from falling. he carried the weight of the world on his sholders.
2007-11-02 07:54:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atlas bore the HEAVENS on his shoulders,NOT the World!
2007-11-02 08:31:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋