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WScJ 3: 212-214, 2010
Atlas: A Unique Vertebra that Takes Its Name from
a Hemitheos in Greek Mythology, Atlas
Tayfun Hakan
Haydarpasa Numune Teaching and Research Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
ABSTRACT
The first vertebra of the spinal column is called Atlas. The name comes from a Hemitheos Atlas that
symbolizes the heavy task of the first cervical bone. When Atlas acted with Titans against Zeus in the war,
Zeus punished him with holding the Heavens on his shoulders forever. Atlas supported the Heavens (the
Earth, sphere) from the ranges now called the Atlas Mountains.
KEY WORDS: Atlas, Cervical vertebra, Greek myth, Medical terms, Spine
A
tlas is the first bone of the spine in the cervical
region (10). Atlas is the supporter of the ‘globe’
of the head, hence its name. It has a unique relation with
the second cervical vertebra, axis, and a unique structure.
It is no true spine indeed.
Atlas has two lateral masses, two arcs, two transverse
processes and two superior and inferior articular facets.
The lateral masses are connected with two arcs, a short
arc in the anterior part and a long arc in the posterior part
(Figure 1). The lateral masses are roughly ellipsoidal and
carry two facets in each of them, the superior articular
facet and inferior articular facet. The superior articular
facet faces occipital condyles bilaterally. The inferior
articular facets articulate with the superior articular facet
of the axis, the second cervical vertebra.
Atlas has two tubercles, an anterior one located in the
medial part of the anterior arc and a posterior tubercle
located in the medial part of the posterior arc. The anterior
tubercle and posterior tubercle are the attachment places
of the anterior longitudinal ligament and ligamentum
nuchae respectively. The longus colli muscles attach to
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the right and left sides of the anterior tubercle on the
anterior arc.
The posterior arc of the atlas makes approximately
two-fifths of the atlantal ring. A wide groove is present
behind each lateral mass on the posterior arc and houses
the vertebral artery and venous plexus. Beside these
vascular structures, the first cervical nerve is also found
here, between the artery and the bone. Ligamentum
flavum ends on the lower margin of the posterior arcs on
each side.
The transverse processes of the atlas on both sides are
the widest of the cervical vertebrae including the seventh.
Atlantal width can be 90 mm in males and 76 mm in
females (10). Many muscles including rectus capitis
lateralis, superior oblique, inferior oblique, slips of levator
scapulae, scalenus medius and splenius cervicis attach to
the transverse processes of atlas.
Atlas takes its name from a hemitheos in Greek
Mythology, Atlas (Ἄτλας) and this name symbolizes the
heavy task of the first cervical bone. Hemitheos means a
person who is mortal and who is able to undertake works
World Spinal Column Journal, Volume 1 / No: 3 / September 2010
T. Hakan
chosen for Atlas (Figure 2) (1,3). Atlas was going to carry
the globe in the end of the world and in the front of the
Hesperides, a blissful garden in a far western corner of
the world, located near the Atlas Mountains in Tanger,
Morocco at the edge of the encircling Oceanus. Atlas
refers to a “bearer” or “endurer” (9).
Figure 1: Atlas bone. Upper side.
that other people can not. Atlas is the son of Titan Iapetos
and Klymene, one of the sea girls. He was the brother
of Epimetheus, Menoetios and Prometheus (1). Pleiades,
Hesperides, Hyades, Calypso and Dione are the daughters
and Hyas and Hesperos the sons of Atlas (1,2,3,4). Hyades
are daughters of Atlas and Aethrea (6). Pleiades are known
as the seven sisters and they are the daughters of Atlas
and Pleinoe. Their names are Taygete, Electra, Alcyone,
Astreope, Kelaeno, Maia and Merope (1,7). It is accepted
that Zeus –King of the Gods- changed them into stars
and they escaped the pursuit of the hunter Orion who
fell in love with all of them. These stars are known as the
Pleiades in astronomy today. In another story, is said that
they became a star for watching their father Atlas (1).
Titans are the children of Uranus and Gaia. Uranus or
Father Sky is personified as the son and husband of Gaia,
Mother Earth, in Greek mythology (8). There are six
male Titans –Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus,
Oceanus- and six female Titans -Mnemosyne, Phoebe,
Rhea, Tethys, Theia, Themis. They lived in the mountain
Othrys. On the other hand, Zeus, the son of Titan Kronos,
lived with his wife Hera, children and siblings on Olympos,
the mountain of the gods. Following the war between
Zeus and the Titans, Zeus was the winner and accused
the Titans. Titans were punished by Zeus to be chained
to the feet of the big volcanoes such as Etna. Menoetios
and Atlas, the sons of Titan Iapetos, acted together with
the Titans against Zeus. Menoetios was sunk in Erebes,
the deep darkness or shadow by Zeus. Supporting the
world (the heavens, sphere) from the ranges now called
the Atlas Mountains on his shoulder was the punishment
World Spinal Column Journal, Volume 1 / No: 3 / September 2010
Laiho and et al (9) speculated that the name of the
first cervical bone should have been Heracles, instead
of Atlas. Heracles is the son of Zeus and Alcmene and is
famous for his strength. Atlas, only once, took a break
from his assignment when Heracles asked him help for
finding golden apples (1). Bringing the golden apples of
Hesperides to King Eurystheos –King of Mykene- is known
as the eleventh labor of Heracles (5). Heracles asked Atlas
what he should do to steal the apples. Atlas told that he
could bring them if he accepts to carry the world until
he came back. Heracles held the heaven on his shoulders
Figure 2: Farnase Atlas, A 2nd century Roman copy of a Hellenistic work.
National Archeology Museum, Napoli. This picture was obtained from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MAN_Atlante_fronte_1040572.JPG)
accessed on July 1, 2010.
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Atlas: A Unique Vertebra that Takes Its Name from a Hemitheos in Greek Mythology, Atlas
and Atlas went to garden of Hesperides to pick up the
apples. When Atlas came back, he did not want to take the
globe on his shoulders again but, Heracles tricked Atlas
by saying he was uncomfortable with his position and the
globe was pressing his shoulders. He requested Atlas to
carry the world for a short time so he could take pillows
for his shoulders. When Atlas took back the world from
Heracles so that he could put pillows on his shoulders,
Heracles picked up the golden apples and disappeared
quickly. Atlas therefore lost the chance of being released
from carrying the Earth forever.
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperides (accessed on July 1,
2010).
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyades_(mythology) (accessed on
June 27, 2010).
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_(Greek_mythology)
(accessed on June 27, 2010).
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus_(mythology) (accessed on
July 1, 2010).
9. Laiho K, Kauppi M, Konttinen YT. Why Atlas, why not Heracles:
reflections on the rheumatoid cervical spine. Semin Arthritis
Rheum 34(4): 637–41, 2005
10. The axial skeleton. In Gray’s anatomy. Eds: Williams PL, Warwick
R, Dyson M, Bannister LH. Eds: 37th edition. London: Churchill
Livingstone 1989; p:317
REFERENCES
1. Can S. Classical Greek Mythology. 8th edition. Istanbul: Inkilap,
1997. [in Turkish]
2. Homer, Odyssey 1.52
Manuscript submitted July 08, 2010.
Accepted July 21, 2010.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_(mythology) (accessed on June
27, 2010).
Address for correspondence and reprints: Tayfun Hakan
Haydarpasa Numune Teaching and Research Hospital, Neurosurgery Clinic
İstanbul – Turkey
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dione_(mythology)
June 27, 2010).
GSM: +90 532 324 32 84
email: [email protected]
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