# Atlas — The Columbiad character guide

> Atlas in The Columbiad by Joel Barlow.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0004-book-i

## Who they are

The Titan who holds up the sky, used as a mythological reference in the poem.

## Relationships

### [Hesper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_columbiad_se/characters/hesper)

_family_

Atlas is the father of Hesper in classical mythology, representing the titan who holds up the heavens and his daughter the West.

## In the story

### [Book VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_columbiad_se/chapters/book-viii)

Guardian Genius of Africa who denounces the slavery of Africans to Hesper.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_columbiad_se/chapters/endnotes)

Titan king of Mauritania turned into a mountain supporting the heavens; considered the guardian genius of Africa in the poem.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_columbiad_se/characters/atlas
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_columbiad_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_columbiad_se/characters