![]() The goddess of discord, Eris, set off a chain reaction that started with a spiteful beauty contest and ended in the destruction of Troy by producing a golden apple ‘for the fairest’ of the Pantheon. Golden apples are a recurring image in Greek mythology. Another possible location is in southwestern Europe, in the Iberian peninsula, this being favoured by the poet Stesichorus and the geographer Strabo. The Atlas mountain range passes through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, so based on the implied proximity in this myth, it seems likely that the Garden of the Hesperides was intended to be somewhere in North Africa. Apparently Athena later returned the apples, which makes the whole endeavour entirely pointless, but that’s divine intervention for you. Of course, after he had collected the prize, Atlas saw no reason to return to his servitude, but Hercules insisted he needed to settle the weight of the sky properly, with a cushion to soften the load, and he absolutely would if Atlas would only take hold of it for a minute…Obviously, as soon as Atlas was back in place, Hercules grabbed the apples and was gone. He offered Atlas an opportunity that he could not resist what wouldn’t Atlas agree to, in order to unload his terrible burden for a short time? Hercules would hold up the sky while Atlas stole the apples. #The hesperides greek mythology how to#When Hercules was assigned his eleventh Labour and told to steal apples from the Garden of the Hesperides, it was only by utilising his semi-divine might to capture and bully the sea god Nereus that he learned how to reach the Garden, and only with the support of the sun god Helios, who lent Hercules his own enormous golden cup in which to sail across the sea, that he actually got there.Īnd once he did get there, Hercules was smart enough not to do his own dirty work. The apples also had the protection of a hundred-headed dragon, clearly Hera knew her family well enough to be prepared, but its best defence was the fact the Garden was so fiendishly difficult to find. ![]() The tree – or, depending on the version, grove – was a wedding gift from the earth goddess Gaia to the queen of the Pantheon, Hera. They were goddesses of the evening, which now that I type it sounds rather like a euphemism, and guardians of the Garden’s arboreal treasure: the golden apples of immortality. The sisters were Aegle, Erythraea and Hespera, all names that reference different stages of sunset. ![]() Contenders include Nyx, goddess of night, and Atlas, the Titan tasked with holding up the sky. As with many lesser gods in mythology, these nymphs are credited with a great many different parents. No one knew what to do with the golden apples at this point so Athena returned them to the garden where it is said they still remain.This month, we’re touring into Greek mythology to visit the Garden of the Hesperides, which was the perfect secluded getaway until the notorious hero Hercules got tasked with raiding the place.īefore we get to the garden, let’s start with the Hesperides themselves. Upon his return with the apples, Atlas refused to take back his duty, but Hercules tricked him by asking him to hold it for a moment while he adjusted his clothing for a more comfortable position. Atlas had no problem agreeing with this task and set out to retrieve three apples of the the Hesperides. Hercules had asked Atlas to get the apples for him and he would hold the world up for him in the meantime. Once he reached the Garden of the Hesperides, he met Atlas who was holding up the world as punishment for waging war against the Gods. ![]() One version of the story states that Heracles wasn't actually the one who stole the golden apples. This was a fascinating article and I thank you for sharing it with us. I do remember though that he had to slay a dragon, but I thought it was a three headed serpent from the sea. I remember studying Greek mythology back in high school but I have to admit that I couldn't remember all twelve of Hercules' labors. ![]()
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