Hesperides

See also: Hespérides

English

Cornelis van Haarlem - The Hesperides Filling the Cornucopia, 1622

Etymology

From Latin Hesperides, from Ancient Greek Ἑσπερίδες (Hesperídes).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɛˈspɛɹɪdiːz/

Noun

Hesperides pl (plural only)

1. (Greek mythology) A group of nymphs who tend a blissful garden filled with trees that grew golden apples in a far western corner of the world, located in Libya or the Atlas Mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus; they are said to be the daughters of Hesperus.
2. (Greek mythology) The garden of the Hesperides.
3. (figuratively) A paradisaical land of plenty, especially one in the far West.
   • 1669, John Nievhoff, translated by John Ogilby, An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China‎^[1], London: John Macock, →OCLC, page 2:

     Inclinations no leſs vigorous have of late been obſerved in Europe, but with more ſucceſs; who not being bounded by Herculean Bars, paſt ſo far through (till then) the unmeaſured Atlantick, that they lighted upon a new World, a flouriſhing Heſperides, Regions whoſe Sands were Gold, Earth Plate, and Rivers Silver, a Paradice extended to the Arctick and Antarctick Circles, with ſeveral other Countries and Iſlands that reach almoſt the utmoſt latitude of either Poles, out-ſhining all the Fables of Antiquity, and boldeſt Tales of their Poetick Dreams; […]

Related terms

• Hesperid

Translations

a group of nymphs

• Armenian: Հեսպերիդներ pl (Hesperidner)
• Esperanto: Hesperidoj pl
• French: Hespérides (fr) f pl
• German: Hesperiden (de) f pl
• Greek: Εσπερίδες (el) f pl (Esperídes)

  Ancient: Ἑσπερίδες f pl (Hesperídes)

• Italian: Esperidi f pl
• Latin: Hesperides f pl
• Russian: Геспери́ды f pl (Gesperídy)
• Spanish: Hespérides f pl