When Zeus punished the Titans, which did he single out for special punishment of bearing on his back forever the weight of the world?

• A. Prometheus
• B. Atlas
• C. Cronus
• D. Hyperion

Answer: (B)

In Greek myth, the punishment of a defeated Titan often serves as a vivid symbol of the burden of keeping the world in order. After the Titans lose the war, Zeus condemns different Titans to different fates, and Atlas is singled out to bear the weight of the heavens on his shoulders for all time. The idea of carrying the heavens—sometimes described as the weight of the world—creates a striking image of an eternal, physical burden that marks Atlas as the figure responsible for upholding the sky and, by extension, the order of the cosmos.

This distinguishes him from Prometheus, who is punished in a different way—chained to a rock with daily torment for giving fire to humanity—while Cronus, the former ruler, and Hyperion, a Titan associated with the sun, meet other fates or roles rather than bearing the heavens. So the name that fits best is Atlas, the Titan whose enduring burden became a lasting symbol of steadfast, unending responsibility.