Atlas is a god worshiped in Greek mythology. He is famous for carrying the dome of the sky on his shoulders. He is one of the powerful titans, such as Oceanus, Creus, Cronos, and others. According to Greek mythology, he is the son of the giant Iaptus and the nymph Clemony[1][2]. Others say that his mother was a nymph named Asia. [2]

Atlas had three brothers, Prometheus[3], Epimetheus[4], and Menoteus[5]. He also had many wives, and eight daughters, Calypso[6] and the Seven Pleiades (Alcyon, Asterope, Electra, Calliano, Tyget, Maia, and Merope). From his wife Billion the mermaid.[7] From the nymph Aethra, he had Hyades[8] and his only male son, Hyas.[9]

Atlas sided with Cronus and the Titans in the war against the Twelve Olympians in what was known as the War of the Titans. As a reward for this, Zeus punished him after the end of the war by condemning him to carry the dome of the sky on his shoulders and not the entire Earth as many believe.

The name Atlas goes back to pre-Greek languages, but the Greeks and Romans believed it was derived from a Greek root of a word meaning "hard-wearing."

It is believed that the lost island of Atlantis took its name from this god. Some believe that the Atlas Mountains are named after a Greek name, given that Atlas is a Greek name. It is stated that Atlas was transformed into the Atlas Mountains according to legend, while some believe outside the context of mythology that Atlas may be a distortion. For the name, as one of the researchers interested in Amazigh mythology, “Hafid Khudairi,” also points out that the word “Atlas” is a pure word related to natural phenomena, and it is a compound word with the Amazigh pronunciation “antel+as,” meaning the graveyard of the sun. In the past, people worshiped the sun and believed that it dates back to Morocco as a homeland called the kingdom. Death, or God's Earth/amur uyakuch.[11]

Dr. Ahmed Al-Hashemi, a professor of toponomia at Ibn Zohr University in Morocco, believes that the origin of atlas is “adlas”, which is combined in the form of “tydlas”, which is achieved in the form of “tilas”, meaning darkness, through the phonetic similarity between the dāl and the lām and their assimilation; The meaning of the formula “Adlas” is dark, and this explains why the ancient Arab geographers called the Atlantic Ocean the Sea of Darkness.[12]

As for naming the mountains that extend from Morocco to Algeria and Tunisia as the Atlas Mountains, according to this interpretation, the reason is that these mountains end sloping toward the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

As for the Greek myths about Atlas, they reflect what was told to them about the wonders of the Berber and Greek countries, including the majestic Atlas Mountains, especially the peaks of the High Atlas that hug the dome of the sky, and were never seen at that time because they were the location of permanent snow and were constantly covered by dense clouds resulting from the density of this snow, and travelers. Those who talk about their inspection of the region confirm what we said, and calling it purely Berber. The Atlantic Ocean is also linked to the name of Atlas, the Atlas Mountains, and the lost island of Atlantis, and the moon Atlas was named after this god who appeared in Greek mythology.

According to Hesiod,[5] Atlas was the grandson of Uranus and Gaia by their son, the giant Iapetus, and his wife, the nymph Cleimoni.[1] Others say that his mother was another nymph named Asia.[2] Atlas had three full brothers, Prometheus[3], Epimetheus[4], and Menoteus.

When Zeus launched a war against his father, Cronus, the uncle of Atlas, in cooperation with his brothers and sisters (Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon), in what was known as the War of the Titans, Atlas sided with his uncle and the Titans, while his brother, Prometheus, and his daughter, Themis, stood with Zeus against the Titans. Atlas, as a leader, had a prominent role in the war. Which lasted ten years until Zeus and the Olympians were victorious. Zeus imprisoned the Titans in Tartarus, appointed Hecatoncheres as guard of the prison, and Atlas was punished by carrying the sky for the rest of his life.

Atlas married the nymph Pleon, and had eight daughters with her: Calypso[6] and Alcion, Asterope, Electra, Caliano, Tyget, Maya, and Merope[7]. Then he married the nymph Aethra and had a female Hyades[8] and his only male son, Hyas.[9]

The mighty Greek god Atlas differs from the Mauritanian Atlas in lineage. The former is the grandson of Uranus and Gaia from their son, the giant Iaptus, and his wife, the nymph Cleimoni[1], while the Mauritanian Atlas is the son of the god Poseidon and a mortal human woman named Cleito (in Latin: Cleito)[14], and Poseidon according to Greek mythology. He was the son of the mighty Cronos and Rhea[15], and the brother of Zeus and Hades.

Atlas the Mauritanian was known for being the first king of the Kingdom of Mauretania[16]. His father, Poseidon, appointed him king of Atlantis[17] which was named after him, as well as the sea surrounding it, which was called the Atlantic Ocean.