This explains why the Hesperides were also referred to as the Atlantides. The imagined location of the Garden of the Hesperides the western extremity of the known world near the Atlas mountains in North Africa. He was given the mountain of his birth and the surrounding area as part of his kingdom. Legend tells that Atlas, was made rightful king of the the island of Atlantis and the "Sea of Atlas" surrounding it (that was called the Atlantic Ocean in his honor). The Atlantides was another name given to the Hesperides. The Hesperides were also called the Atlantides The ancient Greeks believed that the River Oceanus was a great, fresh-water stream that encircled the entire flat earth. The imagined location of the blissful Garden of Hesperides was believed to be at the western extremity of the known world near the Atlas mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean. The Garden of the Hesperides was given to Hera by the Titan goddess Gaia as a wedding gift when Hera accepted Zeus as her husband. According to ancient Greek mythology eating one of the golden apples made a normal human (mortal) immortal, although they did not possess the powers and gifts of the gods until they tasted ambrosia, the food of the gods.
The Garden of the Hesperides was the sacred garden or orchard of Hera that provided the Olympian Gods with the golden apples of immortality.
The Garden of the Hesperides & the Golden Apples of Immortality Picture of Hesperides: Hespera, Aegle and Erytheis The names of the Hesperides were Hespera, Aegle and Erytheis. They were reputed to be the most fair and beautiful of all the nymphs and young goddesses and the and fabled possessors of a wonderful garden producing golden apples that were guarded by a fierce dragon or serpent. Who were the Hesperides of Ancient Greek mythology? The meaning and definition of Hesperides are as follows: Definition of Hesperides: The Hesperides were minor goddesses and nymphs and according to Greek Mythology were the daughters of Hesperus, a goddess of the evening star and Atlas, the god of endurance who held the weight of the world on his shoulders.