What, you say? It wasn't the world? In contrast to modern times, the early sculptures of Atlas didn't show him carrying a world globe. It was instead a globe of the heavens.

If it wasn't for the work of Gerardus Mercator, you probably wouldn't even refer to maps of the world as an atlas. His groundbreaking collection of maps was known as an atlas to “honour the Titan, Atlas, King of Mauritania, a learned philosopher, mathematician and astronomer.” And the rest, they say, is history.

No one knows for certain when the celestial globe being held by Atlas changed to the earth, but since the 16th century Atlas has been associated with world globes and vice versa.

Today, you can enjoy the timeless beauty of world globes held aloft by the Titan Atlas. You can even get accent tables that use him holding a globe as the base.

If your tastes gravitate toward world globes sans its bearer, there are plenty of choices on the market today.

One of the most popular styles of world globes is the lapis globe or gemstone globe. Made of semi-precious and precious stone, they are as much a wonder of cartography as they are of artistry. Whether you get a desktop model or a floor model, you'll spend hours marveling over these wonderful world globes.

If you're a connoisseur of the finer things in life, you may enjoy the world globes that contain a bar inside. These stunning pieces are hinged at the equator. Lift the northern hemisphere to reveal everything you need to raise a toast to good old Atlas and thank him for holding up the world for so long. These world globes make an attractive edition to your home office, living room, dining room or game room.

While you can always buy a more traditional modern globe, you may also want to consider world globes that have an antique look to them. You can go two routes with these world globes. The first is to buy an old globe with such great countries as Persia or the U.S.S.R. These make great conversation pieces. Or you can buy a new globe that is a replica of the ancient maps of the earth. These usually include a serpent in the sea and other mythical creatures that were common of maps made in the ancient world.

Finally, you can go out of this world and to another. Today's manufacturers even make world globes showing the constellations and other worlds, such as Mars. Whether your own tastes are closer to home or in the outer reaches of space, chances are good that you'll be able to find world globes that not only meet your thirst for knowledge, but your décor as well.

And while you're at it, you can give Atlas a little break by getting world globes with their own stand. Small wonder why he lost his kingdom of Atlantis. Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders can be quite a distraction.