Erytheia

Erytheia (also spelled Erythea, Erytheis) was one of the Hesperides in Greek mythology. These nymphs were daughters of Nyx (Night) or Atlas and Hesperis, tasked with guarding the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides, located far to the west, near the edge of the world. Erytheia, along with her sisters Aegle and Hesperethusa, helped protect the apples from being stolen. The garden was sometimes described as being located on an island of the same name, Erytheia. The eleventh labor of Heracles (Hercules) involved retrieving these golden apples. In some accounts, Heracles killed Ladon, the dragon guarding the apples, and obtained them, possibly with the assistance of the Hesperides themselves, although the specific role of Erytheia in this event is not always explicitly mentioned. The name Erytheia translates roughly to "the red one" or "ruddy," potentially alluding to the sunset colors associated with the west or the color of the golden apples themselves. While the stories surrounding the Hesperides often vary, Erytheia remains a significant figure in these tales, representing the exotic and inaccessible nature of the far west and the precious treasures it holds.