The Origin of the Word “Atlas”
Have you ever wondered why we refer to a collection of maps as an atlas? Where does this intriguing term come from? Moreover, what links atlases with the Atlantic Ocean and the majestic Atlas Mountains? To uncover the origins of the word atlas, we must journey back to ancient Greece, over two millennia ago, to a time when Greek civilization was at its peak. Central to our exploration is a remarkable figure from their mythology: the giant known as Atlas.
Atlas was one of the Titans, a race of giants in Greek mythology. He was often considered the son of Uranus, which solidified his status as a Titan, since the offspring of Uranus were granted that title. The Titans once held dominion over the world until they were overthrown by the Olympians, a group led by the formidable Zeus. This shift in power sparked a monumental conflict between the Titans and the Olympians, with Atlas fighting valiantly for his fellow Titans, ultimately leading their army.
After the Titans suffered defeat, Zeus took it upon himself to decide Atlas’s fate. As punishment for his role in the conflict, Zeus condemned Atlas to an eternal burden: he was to hold up the sky or heavens for all of eternity. This punishment was designed to last forever, but Atlas’s fate would take an unexpected turn when the heroic Perseus came into the picture. After Atlas rudely denied him hospitality, Perseus, incensed by this discourteous act, brandished the severed head of Medusa. Anyone who gazed upon Medusa was doomed to turn to stone, and thus, Atlas was transformed into a colossal rock formation.
The rocks that now form the magnificent Atlas Mountains in North Africa were named in tribute to this Titan. But the story does not end there; another significant geographical feature bears Atlas’s name: the Atlantic Ocean. In ancient times, it was referred to as the ‘Sea of Atlas’ or simply ‘the Atlantic Sea’, signifying the ocean located beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Thus, the vast Atlantic Ocean also pays homage to Atlas.
Yet, there is another prominent creation associated with Atlas: the atlas itself, a term used for a book of maps. But how did this term come to represent a collection of maps? What is the historical context behind this naming convention?
Initially, the name Atlas (capitalized in homage to the Titan) referred to someone who supports or carries a great burden—a chief supporter or a mainstay, as noted in the Oxford English Dictionary. The dictionary cites an example from Thomas Nashe in 1589: ‘I dare commend him to all that know him, as … the Atlas of Poetrie.’ This interpretation directly connects to Atlas’s mythological punishment of bearing the weight of the heavens upon his broad shoulders.
Furthermore, Atlas’s name was later assigned to the uppermost cervical vertebra, which supports the skull, again reflecting the theme of support associated with the Titan.
Meanwhile, in the sixteenth century, the illustrious Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator used the name Atlas for his renowned book of maps, published in 1595. One of the early volumes even featured an illustration of Atlas on the cover, depicted as standing with the world at his feet, rather than bearing the heavens above him.
Although many have mistakenly assumed that Atlas struggled to carry the world on his shoulders, this misconception is not directly attributed to Mercator’s work. However, the association between Atlas and the world became firmly established, leading to the enduring tradition of using his name for cartographic collections that map out our globe.