The mythological Greek figure Atlas, who was forced to hold up the planet earth and the heavens on his shoulders as punishment from the gods, was commonly featured on old books of maps. Thus, the books with the image of atlas became known as atlases.
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The mythological Greek figure Atlas, who was forced to hold up the planet earth and the heavens on his shoulders as punishment from the gods, was commonly featured on old books of maps. Thus, the books with the image of atlas became known as atlases.