HESIONE, he-sr-o-ne (see LAOMEDON). HESPERIA, lies- '-i-a. e. A name applied by the Greeks to ITALY, and by the Romer*s. to SPAIN, from being west of them respectively (from Hesperus, the setting sun or evening,— the West). The Romans also spoke of Spain as ultinza Hesperia, and Italy as Hesperia Magna. 2. A daughter of the Cebrenus. HESPERIDES, hes-pir'-1-des, three (or four or seven) celebrated nymphs, daughters of Hes perus, guarded the golden apples that were the present of Terra to Juno on her marriage with Jupiter, in a garden situated beyond the ocean (or at Hesp6ris, near Mount Atlas, in Africa), where fruits of the most delicious kinds abounded, and a sleepless dragon, Typhon's offspring, with too heads and tao voices, kept watch. To obtain some of the apples formed the eleventh labour of Hercules, who was informed by the nymphs of the Pp that the god Nereus (q. v.) could assist him. The hero seized Nereus when asleep, and made him answer his questions ; but, according to some, the god sent him to obtain the information from Prometheus. Hercules went to Africa,
and demanded three of the apples from Atlas, who went in search of them while Hercules bore on his shoulders the heavens ; and Atlas, on his return, laid the apples on the ground, while he assisted Hercules to change the position of the burden on his shoulders ; but Hercules artfully left the burden and seized the apples. According to others, Hercules killed the dragon, and obtained the apples without Atlas's aid. The Hesperides have been confounded with the Atlantides (q.v.) HESPERUS, her' per-us. r. Son of Japans, was brother of Atlas, and father of the Hesperi des (q. v.) and of Hesparis, who bore the seven Atlantides to Atlas. 2. The planet Venus when the evening star (and called Phosphorus or Lucifer when the morning star), son of Astrmus and Eos (Aurora), or Cephalus and Ens.