Hercules was tasked with retrieving the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides as his eleventh labor. The apples were guarded by Ladon, a hundred-headed dragon. Hercules sought information from the sea god Nereus, who he had to defeat. Nereus told Hercules the apples were located in the Atlas Mountains of Africa. There, Hercules killed Ladon and found the giant Atlas, who agreed to pick the apples if Hercules took the weight of the world on his shoulders temporarily. When Atlas had the apples, he tried to trick Hercules but Hercules outwitted him instead. Hercules returned the apples to Eurystheus,