I. Atlas, a high mountain in Mauretania, in the northwest part of Libya, on which, acc. to the fable, heaven rested, Plin. 5, 1, 1, § 11 sqq.; Ov. M. 2, 296; 15, 149; id. F. 5, 83; Verg. A. 4, 247; 6, 796; Vitr. 6, 10; 8, 12; Hyg. Fab. 150 (cf. Hom. Od. 1, 52; 4, 385; Hdt. 3, 2; 4, 148; Apollod. 2, 5, 11; Diod. Sic. 3, 5).—
II. In mythology, a king of Mauretania, son of Iapetus and Clymene, a lover of astronomy, Cic. Tusc. 5, 3, 8; Ov. M. 4, 628 sq.; changed by Perseus, with the aid of Medusa's head, into Mount Atlas, because he refused him a hospitable reception as guest, Ov. M. 4, 657 sq. He was the father, by Pleione, of the seven Pleiades, and, by Æthra, of the seven (acc. to Hyg. five) Hyades.—Meton. for a man of colossal height, and iron. for a dwarf, Juv. 8, 32.—
III. Derivv.
A. Ā^tlantĭcus , a, um, adj., of or pertaining to Mount Atlas, as a designation for westAfrican, Libyan: “mare,” the Atlantic Ocean, Cic. Rep. 6, 20, 21: “accola,” dwelling on Atlas, Sil. 10, 185: “munera,” i. e. citrus-wood, Mart. 14, 89; cf. Atlantis, 1.—
B. Ā^tlantĭăcus , a, um, adj., the same: “litus,” Sil. 13, 200: “Olympus,” i. e. the heaven borne by Atlas, Calp. 4, 83: “profundum,” Aus. Mos. 144.—
(α).
Of Mount Atlas, as a designation for west-African, Libyan: “finis,” Hor. C. 1, 34, 11: Oceanus, the Atlantic Ocean, Claud. Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 280; cf. “id. Prob. et Olyb. Cons. 35: gurges,” Stat. Achill. 1, 223.—
(α).
Mercury, the grandson of Atlas by Maia, Ov. M. 2, 704; 2, 834; 8, 627 (cf.: “nepos Atlantis,” Ov. F. 5, 663; Hor. C. 1, 10, 1).—
(β).
Hermaphroditus, greatgrandson of Atlas and son of Mercury, Ov. M. 4, 368.—
E. Ā^tlantĭăs , ădis, f. patr., a female descendant of Atlas: “sorores,” i. e. Pleiades, daughters of Atlas, Sil. 16, 136: “Calypso,” Auct. Priap. 69 (cf. Liv. And. ap. Prisc. p. 685 P.: apud nympham Atlantis filiam Calypsonem).—
1. Adj., of or pertaining to Mount Atlas: “silva,” a citrus forest, Luc. 10, 144; cf. Atlanticus.—Also subst., the name of several islands in the Atlantic Ocean, of which the largest, acc. to Plato, was said to have sunk (some consider this as America), Plin. 2, 90, 92, § 205; 6, 31, 36, § 190.—
2. Adj., of or pertaining to King Atlas; and subst., his female posterity; thus the Pleiades and Hyades, connected as constellations in the heavens, are called Atlantides, Hyg. Fab. 192; id. Astr. 2, 21: Eoae Atlantides, the Pleiades, called Vergiliae, Verg. G. 1, 221 Serv.; Col. 10, 54; cf. Vitr. 6, 10.—In sing., an epithet of Electra, one of the Pleiades, Ov F. 4, 31; and of Calypso, Tib. 4, 1, 77. —
G. Ā^tlantĭus , ii, m., a descendant of Atlas; Hermaphroditus, his great-grandson by Mercury (cf. Atlantiades), Hyg. Fab. 271.—
V. Atlantes = Gigantes, Naev. Bell. Punic. ap. Prisc. p. 679 P.
