The Hesperides in Greek Mythology

Most people think of Greek mythology simply in terms of heroes and Olympian gods. There was though a wider world in which heroes and gods lived, and it was a world inhabited by man, mythical creatures, monsters and other immortal figures. In the stories of Ancient Greece there were said to be thousands of immortals, including the female nymphs, the Hesperides.

Birth of the Hesperides

The genealogy of the Hesperides is one of the most confusing in Greek mythology, and almost every ancient writer who spoke on the matter, told of different parentage.

Hesiod is normally considered to be the first point to look when it comes to the genealogy of the gods, and in the Theogony, Hesiod names Nyx (night) as mother alone to the sisters. Hyginus would add a father, Erebus, alongside Nyx, whilst Virgil would name Zeus and Themis as parents.
Famously, Diodorus of Sicily, would name the Titan Atlas, along with Hesperus (the northern star), as parents to the Hesperides.

As well as confusing parentage, there is no real consensus about how many and who the Hesperides were. There are generally considered to be three Hesperides; three being the common figure amongst groupings of sisters like the Moirai or Graeae. At other times four or seven sisters might be counted.
In one possible ancient source, Hesiod would name the three sisters as Aigle, Erytheis and Hesperethoosa, but other sources would name Arethousa, Hesperie, Aerika, Asterope, Chrysothemis and Lipara as Hesperides.

The Garden of the Hesperides - Ricciardo Meacci (Italy, 1856 - 1900) - PD-art-100

The role of the Hesperides

The Hesperides were said to be goddesses of the evening, and were particularly associated with the sunset.

The Hesperides were given a specific role to play in Greek mythology, because the sisters were the guardians and the tenders of the Garden of Hera, also known as the Garden of the Hesperides. The garden was sacred to the goddess, and the orchard within it, was grown from the apples presented to Zeus and Hera by Gaia on their wedding day. From these original apples grew the ‘Trees of the Golden Apples’, and their fruit were the apples of immortality.

The fruit would be tempting prizes for any thief, and so Hera also placed Ladon, the hundred-headed dragon that never slept, in the garden with the Hesperides. The Garden of Hera was considered so secure that other gods also placed valuable items in the garden, including powerful weapons.

The location of the Garden of the Hesperides

Any potential thief would first have to locate the garden of the Hesperides, and the precise location was a well-guarded secret, known only to the various deities. The general location for the Garden of Hera was thought to be in the Western Mediterranean, in the region of Mount Olympus. This location also allowed other names to be linked to the Hesperides, including the “African Sisters”. There were plenty of other locations given for the Hesperides though, including further out into the realm of Oceanus.

The Hesperides - Albert Herter, 1898 - PD-life-70

Entering the Garden of the Hesperides

Entering the Garden of the Hesperides was no easy task, and there are only three famous tales of those who managed to gain access.

Eris – Eris, the goddess of Discord, was said to have entered and taken a golden apple, an apple that would start an argument amongst the goddesses about who was the most beautiful. This argument would be one of the starting points for the Trojan War. Eris, as a goddess, would know the location of the garden, and no details are given about how she actually took an apple without the guardians stopping her.

Perseus – Another visitor to the Garden of the Hesperides was said to be Perseus, although it is generally said he came not for apples, but for the weapons needed in his quest. Athena and Hermes were aiding his quest, and so it could be assumed that they accompanied the hero into the garden, to give him access to their own property.

Heracles – The Garden of the Hesperides though is most famous for appearing in the adventures of Heracles, and most notably the Eleventh Labour.

Heracles was not being aided by any deity at that time, and so had to find the location for himself; something he did by wrestling with Nereus, or by asking Prometheus for the information.

Knowing the location of the Garden of the Hesperides was only one issue though, entering it was a different problem. The most famous tale tells of how Heracles gained the assistance of Atlas, by holding up the heavens, whilst the Titan went and retrieved the apples. The task was thought to be easier for Atlas, as the Hesperides were his offspring. Atlas of course completed the task for Heracles, although the hero had to trick the god into taking the heavens back on his shoulders.

An alternative version of the story has Heracles himself enter the garden, kill Ladon, and retrieve the apples himself. Ultimately though, the apples would be returned by Athena after the task was completed.

In Greek mythology the apples that the Hesperides were guardians of were more important than the deities themselves.

The God Kronos in Greek Mythology

The mythology of Ancient Greece has survived thousands of years through into the modern day, and the tales and exploits of the Greek gods, and mortal heroes, are still known by millions of readers around the world. 

Most people though, only know of when the Olympian gods were ruling over the world from Mount Olympus, but in Greek mythology there was a time that predates the likes of Zeus, Hades and the other famous gods. This period was known as the “Golden Age”, and was a time when the Titans ruled the world, and the leader of the Titans was Kronos.

Kronos Wields Sickle Against Ouranus - Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) - PD-art-100

Kronos might also be known of as Cronus or Chronos, and as such translation from ancient Greek into modern English has created some confusion about the link of Chronos, the Titan, with Chronus, Father Time. It is of course not uncommon for different characters from Greek mythology to have the same name, but this article focuses on the leader of the Titans.

From the period of primordial deities came forth two who would be supreme rulers of the universe, Ouranos (sky) and Gaia (earth). The couple had various children together, including the three mighty Hecatonchires, and the three Cyclopes. 

Ouranos was worried about his position as supreme deity though, and had the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes imprisoned within Tartarus, in the depths of Gaia. Strangely though a third set of offspring, the 12 Titans, were not imprisoned. 

Gaia, angered by the imprisonment of her offspring, plotted against her husband, and created an adamantine sickle, with which he could be defeated. Of the 12 Titans though, only Kronos was willing to take up the sickle and use it against his father. 

The sickle was used by Kronos to castrate Ouranos; with the resulting blood causing the birth of the Gigantes, Meliae and Erinyes, whilst the fallen penis eventually turned into the goddess Aphrodite. The castrated Ouranos was powerless to prevent Kronos taking over, and so began the rule of the Titans, with Kronos in charge.

The Titans ruled in pairs, Kronos paired with the female Titan Rhea, whilst the other pairs were Oceanus and Tethys; Hyperion and Theia; Coeus and Phoebe; Mnemosyne and Themis; and Crius and Iapetus.

Kronos Imprisons His Child - Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) - PD-art-100

There are various tales about the rule of Kronos; some tell of peace and justice, others tell of a cruel and ruthless rule. The naming of the period as the “Golden Age”, indicates a bountiful period, and yet Cronus decided to keep his siblings the Cyclopes, Gigantes and Hecatonchires imprisoned in Tartarus.

The stories of later Greek mythology tend to display Kronos as a cruel ruler and Zeus as the righteous revengeful son. 

It is at this point that the stories of the Olympian gods commence. 

Kronos was told of a prophecy that foretold that history was to repeat itself, and that Kronos’ own offspring would rise up against him. 

Kronos and Rhea became parents to Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus; but to prevent the prophecy from coming true, Kronos imprisoned each newborn within his own stomach. 

Just as the actions of Ouranos had angered Gaia, so the actions of Kronos angered Rhea.

So once Zeus, the sixth born child, was born, Rhea swapped him with a large stone, which Kronos swallowed in the place of Zeus. 

Zeus was hidden away in the Mount Ida cave on Crete. There he was raised at the hands of either a nymph known as Adamanthea, or a goat called Amalthea. Zeus was hidden away until he matured, and was strong enough to seek his revenge.

Zeus knew he needed allies though so sought the release of his siblings from the stomach of Kronos, and so Kronos was given a poison that made him regurgitate Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia and Poseidon

The prophecy of Kronos’s downfall was to come true as the Titanomachy started. 

The Titanomachy was the fight between the Titans and the forces led by Zeus. Kronos left much of the fighting of the ten-year war to younger Titans, under the leadership of Atlas. 

In general terms, the Titans were the stronger, but Zeus was clever enough to find himself allies.

Zeus released the Cyclopes, Gigantes and Hecatonchires from Tartarus. The Hecatonchires were giants with fifty arms and a hundred eyes who were able to throw whole mountains at the Titans. It was though the Cyclopes who played the major role in the battle, as it was they who forged the weapons for the Olympians. The thunderbolts of Zeus were created, with Arges creating the brightness, Brontes, the thunder and Steropes, the lightning. With the help and the weapons, Zeus and his siblings were ultimately successful in overthrowing the reign of the Titans.

After Zeus came to power there are few tales that tell of what happened to Kronos. 

Some tales tell that he was kept prisoner in Tartarus alongside the majority of other Titans, guarded by his own siblings, the Hecatonchires. Some other tales tell that he was imprisoned alone in the cave of Nyx (night); a few other tales even tell that Kronos was forgiven by Zeus and made the King of the paradise realm of the Elysian Fields.

This redemption is also seen in the fact that Kronos was worshiped on the twelfth of each and every month by the Athenians. This worship came from the association that was made between Kronos and good harvests as seen during the “Golden Age” of his rule. The Romans used Kronos as the model for Saturn, although Saturn has tended to be much more widely worshiped, and perceived as a more forgiving god.

Copyright - Originally Published 21st September 2008