Atlas

Atlas, in Greek mythology, was one of the Titans that ruled during the Golden Age. Legend holds that Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the western edge of the earth and hold up the heavens on his shoulders, to prevent the two from resuming their primordial embrace. When Lee Lawrie designed a bronze statue of Atlas to adorn the Rockefeller Center in New York City, he conceived that the image of Atlas holding a globe would represent the celestial sphere of ancient astronomy. This meaning has evolved in pop culture best described by a common phrase used: "he held the weight of the world on his shoulders."