![]() Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. In their watch over the golden apples they were assisted or superintended by the dragon Ladon. 10), or even to the northern extremity of the earth, beyond the wind Boreas, among the Hyperboreans. 742) but the later attempts to fix their abodes, and the geographical position of their gardens, have led poets and geographers to different parts of Libya, as in the neighbourhood of Cyrene, Mount Atlas, or the islands on the western coast of Libya (Plin. 1399.) In the earliest legends, these nymphs are described as living on the river Oceanus, in the extreme west (Hes. init.) The poets describe them as possessed of the power of sweet song. Hespere, Erytheis, and Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperusa or Hesperia (Apollon. 742.) Instead of the four Hesperides mentioned above, some traditions know only of three, viz. 27), and sometimes of Hesperus, or of Zeus and Themis. 1399), sometimes of Atlas and Hesperis, whence their names Atlantides or Hesperides (Diod. init.), sometimes of Phorcys and Ceto (Schol. Their names are Aegle, Erytheia, Hesperia, and Arethusa, but their descent is not the same in the different traditions sometimes they are called the daughters of Night or Erebus (Hes. HESPE′RIDES (Hesperides), the famous guardians of the golden apples which Ge had given to Hera at her marriage with Zeus. EURYTION (Stesichorus Geryoneis Frag S8) ASTEROPE, KHRYSOTHEMIS, LIPARA (Vase Painting N14.1) OFFSPRING OF ERYTHEIA AIGLE, HESPERIE, AERIKA (Hyginus Preface) AIGLE, ERYTHEIS, HESPERE (Apollonius Rhodius 4.1390) AIGLE, ERYTHEIS, HESPERIE, ARETHOUSA (Apollodoros 2.113) AIGLE, ERYTHEIA, HESPERETHOOSA (Hesiod Doubtful Frag 3) PHORKYS & KETO (Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius 4.1399) NAMES ZEUS & THEMIS (Servius on Virgil's Aeneid 4.484) HESPEROS (Scholiast on Euripides Hippolytus) ATLAS (Pherecydes Frag, Hyginus Astronomica 2.3) ATLAS & HESPERIS (Diodorus Sicululs 4.26.2) EREBOS & NYX (Hyginus Pref, Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.17) The three nymphs and their glowing, golden apples were regarded as the source of the golden light of sunset-a phenomena which celebrated the bridal of Zeus and Hera, the king and queen of heaven. Perseus obtained from them the artifacts he needed to slay the Gorgon Medousa (Medusa). The Hesperides were also the keepers of other treasures of the gods. Athena later returned them to the Hesperides. Herakles was sent to fetch the apples as one of his twelve labours and, upon slaying the serpent, stole the precious fruit. They were assisted by a hundred-headed guardian- Drakon (Dragon). The Hesperides were entrusted with the care of the tree of the golden apples which was had been presented to the goddess Hera by Gaia (the Earth) on her wedding day. They were the daughters of either Nyx (Night) or the heaven-bearing Titan Atlas. THE HESPERIDES were the goddess-nymphs of evening and the golden light of sunsets. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.Of the Evening ( hesperos) Hesperid-nymph Lipara, Athenian red-figure hydria C5th B.C., British Museum Sutherland Senior Staff WriterĬopyright © All rights reserved. ![]() However, immortality is only available to the gods and never to ordinary people, even if they are kings and nobles. The Golden Apples of the Hesperides remind us of the Golden Apples we encounter in Norse mythology. The apples protected by Idun grant immortality to the Aesir gods living in Asgard. ![]() Golden Apples – A Popular Motif In Ancient Myths The king did not want the divine apples of immortality he understood they belonged to the gods, especially to the goddess Hera, so eventually, the apples returned to the Garden of Hesperides. Heracles tricked Atlas, walked away with the apples, and could now give them to Eurystheus. He offered to deliver the apples himself, hoping to regain his freedom. After returning with the apples, Atlas surprisingly refused to retake his job as the eternal holder of the heavens. The most popular version of this story is that Herakles asked for Atlas's help obtaining them and even held up the sky while Atlas was retrieving the apples. According to another, he did it with the help of Atlas. According to one version, Heracles stole the apples after killing the dragon Ladon. Usually, myths are remembered in different versions. ![]()
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