batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5189-l5203
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5189-l5203
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
passage_locator:
label: GANYMEDES. / THE MUSES. / PEGASUS. / THE HESPERIDES.; lines 5189-5203
start: '5189'
end: '5203'
translation: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage describes the Hesperides as daughters of Atlas living on a
far-western island. Hera appoints them to guard a tree with golden apples given
by Gaea at Hera’s marriage to Zeus. After they taste the fruit entrusted to them,
they lose the office, and the dragon Ladon becomes the watchful guardian of the
treasure. Their names are Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperia.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The Hesperides are identified as daughters of Atlas.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The Hesperides dwell on an island in the far west.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Hera appointed the Hesperides to guard a tree bearing golden apples.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The golden-apple tree had been presented to Hera by Gaea on the occasion of
Hera’s marriage with Zeus.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The Hesperides tasted the golden fruit entrusted to their care.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The Hesperides were deprived of their office after tasting the fruit.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The office of guardian was delegated to the dragon Ladon.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: Ladon is described as a terrible dragon and ever-watchful sentinel of the
treasures.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:9
text: The named Hesperides are Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperia.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Hesperides
description: Daughters of Atlas who dwell on a far-western island and were appointed
to guard the golden-apple tree.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Atlas
description: Father of the Hesperides.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Hera
description: Recipient of the golden-apple tree and the one who appointed the Hesperides
as guardians.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Gaea
description: Giver of the golden-apple tree to Hera at Hera’s marriage with Zeus.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Zeus
description: Hera’s marriage partner on the occasion when the golden-apple tree
was presented to Hera.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Ladon
description: Terrible dragon who becomes the ever-watchful sentinel of the golden-apple
treasures.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Aegle
description: One of the named Hesperides.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Arethusa
description: One of the named Hesperides.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Hesperia
description: One of the named Hesperides.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: daughters of Atlas
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage identifies the Hesperides as daughters of Atlas.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: displaced guardians
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: They are appointed to guard the tree but lose the office after tasting the
fruit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: father
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Atlas is named as the father of the Hesperides.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: appointer of guardians
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Hera appoints the Hesperides to guard the tree.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: recipient of marriage gift
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The golden-apple tree is presented to Hera by Gaea at Hera’s marriage with
Zeus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: giver of golden-apple tree
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Gaea presents the tree to Hera.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:7
label: marriage partner
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Zeus is named as Hera’s spouse on the occasion of the gift.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:8
label: dragon guardian
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Ladon receives the guardian office and is called an ever-watchful sentinel.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: far-western island
literal_form: island in the far west
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: golden-apple tree
literal_form: tree bearing golden apples
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: golden apples
literal_form: golden fruit / golden apples
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: dragon guardian
literal_form: terrible dragon Ladon
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: marriage gift
literal_form: tree presented to Hera by Gaea on the occasion of Hera’s marriage
with Zeus
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Hesperides in the far west
summary: The Hesperides, daughters of Atlas, live on a far-western island.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Appointment to guard the golden-apple tree
summary: Hera appoints the Hesperides to guard the tree bearing golden apples, a
gift from Gaea at Hera’s marriage to Zeus.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Loss of guardianship and replacement by Ladon
summary: After the Hesperides taste the golden fruit entrusted to them, they lose
their office, and the dragon Ladon becomes the watchful sentinel of the treasure.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Names of the Hesperides
summary: The Hesperides are named as Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperia.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: guarded sacred tree with precious fruit
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_tree_axis
basis: The passage centers on a tree bearing golden apples that is placed under
appointed guardianship and then guarded by a dragon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents the tree and guardians literally but does not explicitly
describe the tree as an axis or world center.
- id: motif:2
label: forbidden or entrusted fruit tasted by guardians
taxonomy_refs:
- forbidden_knowledge
basis: The Hesperides taste the golden fruit that had been entrusted to their care
and are deprived of their office.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The text frames the fruit as entrusted and tempting, but it does not explicitly
call it forbidden knowledge.
- id: motif:3
label: serpent or dragon guarding treasure
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
basis: The terrible dragon Ladon becomes the ever-watchful sentinel of the golden-apple
treasures.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy includes serpent as a symbol rather than a specific
motif family.
- id: motif:4
label: sacred marriage gift
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_marriage
- sacred_exchange
basis: The golden-apple tree is presented by Gaea to Hera on the occasion of Hera’s
marriage with Zeus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage mentions the marriage occasion and gift, but does not elaborate
ritual or exchange functions.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 5189-5192
quote_or_summary: The Hesperides are described as daughters of Atlas dwelling on
an island in the far west.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 5194-5196
quote_or_summary: Hera appoints the Hesperides as guardians of a tree bearing golden
apples, which Gaea had presented to Hera at Hera’s marriage with Zeus.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5198-5201
quote_or_summary: Because the Hesperides taste the golden fruit entrusted to their
care, they are deprived of their office, and the terrible dragon Ladon becomes
the ever-watchful sentinel of the treasures.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: line 5203
quote_or_summary: The passage names the Hesperides as Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperia.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based directly on the provided passage. Motif labels are candidates
and require review, especially where taxonomy categories are broader than the
passage’s explicit wording. No comparison claims were added because the passage
does not itself support cross-text comparison.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata; no external comparisons added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg__l5189-l5203
passage_sha256=d9b11d5ff6d21c40fd80de63c9a1236508fee779c4c5e926000cd08c15d6f24e