In Greek myth, the Hesperides are nymphs who spend their time tending to a wonderful garden that sits in the far western corner of the world, near the Atlas mountains in Tanger Morocco. According to Sicilian Greek poet Stesichorus, the location is south of the Iberian peninsula. By Roman times the garden had lost its place in history and was only loosely written about in poems.

Ordinarily the Hesperides were a triplet. They were symbols of gifts, and were shallow beings who lacked the personality for drama. They are sometimes called the 'Western Maidens', and were portrayed as being the daughters of evening. They were also named the 'sunset goddesses', and were linked to a location in the distant west. The Hesperides were known to be very gifted at singing, and loved to spend their days tuning the world to their songs.

The are often portrayed as being the evening daughters of night and darkness. Sometimes they are even listed down as being the daughters of Atlas, or of Zeus, and also Hesperius, Themis, Phorcys, or Ceto.

Erytheia is one of the Hesperides, and is also known as being called 'the red one.' The name was given due to the fact that she was close to the southern coast of Hispania, which was the spot which can a colony named Gades resided. Records state the following about the Gades island; 'On the side that looks at Spain, there is another long island around 100 paces distant; it is called Erythia by the Natives on the isle of Juno'. The island was the seat of Geryon, and was eventually conquered by Heracles.

Myth about The Garden of the Hesperides:

The garden of the Hesperides is actually known as being Hera's orchard in the west. It is where a single tree of a single grove of golden apples once grew. These apples gave the eater immortality. The apples were planted from the fruited branches that Gaia once gave to Hera as a wedding present when she wed Zeus. The Hesperides were given the task of farming the grove, to ensure the apples grew strong. However one of the Hesperides plucked one in order to eat. As a result Hera placed in the garden a never-sleeping hundred-headed dragon named Ladon as an additional safeguard to keep her apples safe.

The Eleventh Labour of Heracles;

After Heracles finished his first ten labours, Eurystheus gave him two more because he had accepted payment for one of his tasks, and had incompleted another. The eleventh labour was for Heracles to steal apples from the garden of Hesperides.

Heracles first caught Nereus, which was a shape-shifting sea god, in order to be taught where the garden was. He then meets Antaeus, who was an invisible person for as long as his fingers lay on his mother Gaia. Heracles then killed Antaeus by crushing him in a bear hug. Heracles then stops in Egypt where King Busiris then decides to make him a sacrifice, however Heracles busts out from his chains and moves on.

He finally reaches the Garden of the Hesperides, and then tricked Atlas into retrieving some golden apples for him, after he had been able to lift him up to heaven. Atlas did the task, and then wanted to deliver the apples himself after realising that he did not want to be the one be taken back heaven. Heracles told Atlas to relieve him so that he could make his cloak more comfortable. Atlas agreed, but Heracles walked away with the apples in hand. Some state that Heracles actually slew Landon, and was able to get the apples, and head back home. Whatever the case, he performed his duty in retrieving the golden apples.

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