Atlas_2

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How Atlas Cast Off The World

From The Atlas Variations, by Athanasios (121):

For a billion years, Atlas had borne the weight of the world on his back. The old titan was tired of the responsibility and tired of his labor of ages not being appreciated. Why did the mortals not understand that his work was the foundation of all they did?

Finally, he'd had enough. With one swift move, he shrugged off the cosmos. Now they'd see.

But the cosmos went on rolling through infinity, leaving Atlas behind. The mortals went about their business, hardly noticing his absence. He was astonished. Had the world never needed him in the first place? Had all his toil been for nothing? So he turned his back on all mortal matters and instead set himself to discovering the secrets of eternity.

Only after many long years had passed did the cosmos, in its endless cycles, pass by through his domain once more. And only then did Atlas and the mortals realize that they had missed each other, and each was lesser without the other. And so Atlas no longer carried the cosmos; instead he embraced it.