Hesperides
Webster's Dictionary [1]
(1): ( n. pl.) The garden producing the golden apples.
(2): ( n. pl.) The daughters of Hesperus, or Night (brother of Atlas), and fabled possessors of a garden producing golden apples, in Africa, at the western extremity of the known world. To slay the guarding dragon and get some of these apples was one of the labors of Hercules. Called also Atlantides.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [2]
in Greek mythology, were daughters of Atlas and Hesperis, and are mentioned as being from three to seven in number. When Juno married Jupiter, all the gods brought presents. Earth brought forth a tree, on which grew golden apples. Juno commanded the sisters, Hesperides, to guard them. But the latter helped themselves to the apples. She therefore sent a son of Typhon and Echidna, the frightful, never sleeping, hundred-headed dragon Ladon, to the tree, who scared everything away that approached. Hercules was sent there to get three apples out of the garden for Eurystheus. According to Diodorus, the Hesperides were daughters of Atlas, seized by Busiris, and liberated by Hercules, wherefore the latter received the desired Mela (apples) from their father voluntarily.
The Nuttall Encyclopedia [3]
Maidens of high degree appointed to guard the golden apples presented to Hera by Gaia on her marriage with Zeus, assisted in their office by the dragon Ladon; the apples were stolen by Hercules, but were afterwards restored by Athene.
