Where are the Pillars of Hercules located? Where are the Pillars of Hercules
pillars of Hercules- the name used in Antiquity to designate the heights framing the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.
The northern rock (from the side of Europe) is the Rock of Gibraltar (located in the possession of Great Britain Gibraltar), and the southern pillar (from the side of North Africa) is either Mount Jebel Musa in Morocco, or a mountain) located next to Ceuta.
Name
Greek myths, later borrowed by the Romans, tell of the 12 exploits of Hercules, one of which was the abduction of cows by the giant Gerion.
According to Strabo, who quoted Pindar, it follows that in the course of his journey to the west, Hercules marked the farthest point of his route.
This point served as a border for navigators in the ancient era, therefore, in a figurative sense, the “Pillars of Hercules” is the end of the world, the limit of the world, and the expression “to reach the Pillars of Hercules” means “to reach the limit”.
Some Roman sources claim that when the Atlas Mountains got in the way of Hercules, he did not climb them, but made his way through, thus paving the Strait of Gibraltar and connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.
Two mountains, formed along the shores of the strait, began to be named after the hero.
Diodorus Siculus, on the contrary, argued that Hercules did not break through the isthmus, but, on the contrary, narrowed the already existing channel so that monsters from the ocean could not enter the Mediterranean Sea.
Pillars as columns
According to Plato, on the rock of Gibraltar and the rock of Abil, two statues were installed on high columns, representing a kind of gate from mediterranean sea to the Atlantic.
In 711, an Arab commander who, at the head of a large army, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, ordered “for the glory of Allah” to destroy the statues along with the columns.
The dollar sign ($) is said to be a stylized image of the Pillars of Hercules entwined with the mythical serpent Python.
There are two columns on the coat of arms of Spain, where they moved from the emblem of Emperor Charles V.
Mention among the Phoenicians
Beyond the Strait of Gibraltar, the Phoenicians founded several large colonies on the territory of modern Morocco. So arose trading cities Lixus, Chella and Mogador.
The ancient historian Strabo describes the westernmost Tyrian temple of Melqart, located near modern Cadiz, calling it the temple of Hercules of Tire.
The Phoenicians called Gibraltar the Pillars of Melqart, which is probably where its Greek name came from.
Strabo notes that people who visited this temple claimed that the two bronze columns in the temple are the real columns of Hercules.
However, according to the historian, this was a hoax.
Mentions in works of culture
- In the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri mentions Odysseus' journey to the Pillars of Hercules.
- Alexander Gorodnitsky has a song called "Pillars of Hercules", which, in particular, was included in the repertoire and was performed by Arkady Severny.
Pillars of Hercules, or
Esoteric meaning
two columns Jachin and Boaz,
How
the personification of guides
printer
Hercules New
Even at the dawn of civilization, the entrance to the sacred and mysterious places guarded by two columns. In art and architecture, the two columns are an archetypal symbol representing an important portal or passage into the unknown. Among the "stonemasons" - the pillars are named Jachin and Boaz and are one of the most easily recognizable symbols of the community, widely known in "custom" art, documents and buildings.
Consider the origin of this eternal symbol.
The concept of two pillars at the gates of holy places can be attributed to the ancient civilizations of antiquity, including from Atlantis, the lost source of hermetic knowledge [N.B../: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism- this is the doctrine of the higher laws of nature, subject to both the principle of causality and the principle of analogy].
The symbolic meaning of the columns since time immemorial is to guard the gates to holy places and mysterious kingdoms. They mark a transition to the unknown and to another world.
Many people confuse the Pillars of Hercules (Pillars of Hercules) with the Pillars of Hercules. The fact is that this mythological concept has a completely different meaning than the geographical object, which will be discussed further.
Pillars of Hercules(lat.), Pillars of Hercules (Greek), Pillars of Melkart (Phoenician), ancient name water surface of the Strait of Gibraltar. IN Greek mythology pillars erected by Heracles cm. HERCULES) at the edge of the world in memory of his wanderings [http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/es/73560].
PILLARS OF HERCULES(lat. Columnae Herculis) is the name used in Antiquity to designate the heights framing the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars of Hercules].
The northern rock/pillar/column (from the side of Europe) is the Rock of Gibraltar (located in the possession of Great Britain Gibraltar), and the southern pillar (from the side of North Africa, in Morocco) is Mount Abila, located next to Ceuta [or Mount Acho, or Mount Jebel Musa in Tangier, Morocco]. The Rock of Gibraltar and the mountains of North Africa are two rocks between which the Strait of Gibraltar flows. According to legend, Hercules (Hercules) broke through the mountains on his way, and the resulting passage filled the Strait of Gibraltar. [http://www.turinfo.ru/attractions/gerkulesovi-stolbi]
Greek myths, later borrowed by the Romans, tell of the 12 exploits of Hercules, one of which was the abduction of cows by the giant Gerion. It is believed that these rocks were erected by Hercules during his tenth feat, on a journey for the cows of Gerion.
According to the myth, Hercules erected two giant statues in this place, placed on high columns. Since then, this point began to serve as the boundary of the other world for ancient sailors. Therefore, until now, the expression to reach the "Pillars of Hercules" means "to reach the edge, to the limit." It is believed that the son of the god Zeus and Alcmene even narrowed the Strait of Gibraltar in order to prevent the monsters living in the "other world" with which he was associated Atlantic Ocean, penetrate the mediterranean sea. A natural creation or a son of God, in any case, strikes with its beauty and mystery even the most sophisticated and experienced travelers. Indeed, here you get the impression that you are at the end of the world. [http://snovadoma.ru/places/interes/hercules/]
According to Plato, on the rock of Gibraltar and the opposite rock of Abil, two statues were erected on high columns, representing a kind of gateway from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. In 711, the Arabs, under the leadership of Tariq ibn Ziyad, who at the head of a large army crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, ‘for the glory of Allah’ destroyed the statues along with the columns.
The Moors were the first to appreciate the strategic importance of the Rock. In 711, having crossed a narrow strait, they invaded Spain and built a castle on the northern, facing Spain, ledge of the rock, which is now called Moorish. They named the fortress after their leader Tariq-ibn-Said - 'Jebel-at-Tariq' (=Mount Tariq). Over time, this name turned into Gibraltar, the city under construction, and later the strait, also began to be called. For the Moors, the fortress ‘Mount Tariqa’ became the first outpost in Europe, from where they made daring raids through the mountains and seas.
One of the Gibraltar legends says: “Every mountain requires worship. If you want to understand Mount Tariq, conquer its summit. And only when the sky above it becomes unnaturally close, the secret of these places will be revealed to you.
However, numerous conquerors rushed to Gibraltar not for a secret. With varying success, the fortress was besieged by the Normans, Castilians, Spaniards ... In 1309, Alonso Perez de Guzman captured the fortress on behalf of the Spanish king Ferdinand IV and turned it into a place of exile for criminals. However, the Moors soon regained it, and only in 1462 the Spaniards recaptured the peninsula.
Not even 100 years have passed since the beginning new siege. This time, Algerian pirates took a close interest in Gibraltar, but the approaches to the fortress were so well fortified that for a long time she was considered unapproachable. The Spaniards held Gibraltar in their hands for 250 years.
IN early XVIII century, due to the intensified struggle of the largest European powers, Gibraltar became the object of their colonial aspirations. In 1704, during the struggle for the "Spanish Succession", English and Dutch privateers landed on Gibraltar. The Spanish garrison resisted for only one day, after which Admiral of the English fleet George Rook raised the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain on the Rock. So the British crown had a new possession, which was formally secured by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
The tenth article of this treaty read:
"The Catholic King, on behalf of his heirs and successors, cedes to the Crown of Great Britain full and undivided possession of the city and castle of Gibraltar, together with the port, fortifications and forts."
But Spain, of course, did not accept the loss of Gibraltar and tried many times to regain it. The most dramatic was the fourteenth siege of the Rock, which lasted 4 years. Since 1779, Gibraltar was besieged by the combined forces of the Spanish and French armies, but repeated assaults did not bring success.
It seemed that the British came to Gibraltar forever, as stated by numerous posters on the walls. ‘Gibraltar will remain British!’ bright postcards. Therefore, it is not surprising that large military forces were concentrated here. The British turned the Rock into a well-equipped fortress.
The favorite symbol of Gibraltar is the image of the keys: the castle is the Rock itself, and the keys are with the one who owns it. And many wanted to own Gibraltar: for centuries various states, far and near, did not get tired of picking up the keys to the cherished castle.
Until the 8th century, there were no permanent settlements here, although the strait was already known to Roman and Greek geographers as Calpe and Abila. Calpe on the European coast, together with Abila on the African, according to the concepts of the ancients, made up the famous Pillars of Hercules, further than which for a very long time the sailors did not dare to venture. [http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/ugolieok/post337041360/ ]
Pillars of Hercules guarding the passage into the unknown.
Plato believed that the lost kingdom of Atlantis was beyond the Pillars of Hercules, in the realm of the unknown. Renaissance traditions say that the pillars carried a warning -
“Nothing further beyond”, which means
(through the work of translators, of course) -
"Nothing except",
"Nothing but"
although I personally (preserving the Latin pun) would translate it like this:
It is symbolic that “Going beyond the Pillars of Hercules” can mean leaving the illusions of the material world, achieving a higher level of enlightenment.
(I recommend comparing with the meaning of the expression “Cross the Rubicon”, for completeness of the holistic question ...
The answer in Latin is: Alea iacta est.
["hint" - here -])
The title page of Francis Bacon's The New Atlantis depicting the Pillars of Hercules as a gateway to new world. According to the legends of the occult, Atlantis is the civilization in which all hermetic knowledge originated. The rebirth of this lost realm has been a dream of secret teachings for centuries.
“The city of chosen philosophers rises to the highest mountain peak of the Earth, but the wise gods live together in eternal bliss. In the foreground are the symbolic Pillars of Hercules that appear on the title page of Bacon's Novum Organum [ https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Bacon,_Francis ], and between them runs a path that leads upward from the uncertainty of the earth to the ideal the order that is established in the realm of the enlightened.” - Manly P Hall,Lectures on Ancient Philosophy
* Mentions in “Freemasons” *
The specific use of the terms Jachin and Boaz comes from the biblical description of King Solomon's Temple. The architect of the temple was Hiram Abif, he is also the main figure of all Masonic rituals. Verses 6:1-38, as well as chapters 7 and 8 of 1 Kings, describe the size, construction, and dedication of Solomon's temple. One passage describes more specifically the two pillars at the entrance to the temple:
"15. and he made two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high, and an embossed cord twelve cubits hugged [the circumference] of both pillars;
16. And he made two crowns of brass cast to put on the top of the pillars: five cubits high in one crown, and five cubits high in the other crown;
17. nets of woven work and laces embossed like chains for crowns, which were at the top of the pillars: seven on one crown and seven on the other crown.
18. So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates around the grid, to cover the crowns that are on top of the pillars; he did the same for the other crown.
19. And in the porch, the crowns on the top of the pillars are made [like a lily], four cubits,
20. and crowns on both pillars at the top, just above the bulge, which is near the grid; and on the other crown, in rows around, two hundred pomegranate apples.
21. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple; put a pillar on the right side and gave it the name Jachin (Yachin), and put a pillar on the left side and gave it the name Boaz (Boaz) ”(I Kings, chapter 7, cited from the Synodal translation, 1876 [https:/ /www.bibleonline.ru/bible/nrt/11/07/).
Records of Solomon's Temple have great importance in Freemasonry, since every detail of the building carries an important esoteric meaning. The two pillars act as a "portal to the mysterious" and stand on either side of the entrance to the Holy of Holies.
“According to the ancient rabbis, Solomon was initiated into the secret teachings and the temple he built is actually a house of initiations containing accumulated pagan philosophical and phallic emblems. Pomegranates, pillars topped with palm leaves, pillars in front of the door, Babylonian cherubs, and the layout of the halls and drapery, all point to a temple that was modeled after the shrines of Egypt and Atlantis” – Manly P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall,_Manley_Palmer]
Here is Albert Pike's description of the pillars in a text intended for "recruits":
“You are entering our Lodge between two columns. They represent two columns that stood in the porch of the Temple, on each side of the great eastern porch. These columns, of bronze, four fingers wide in thickness, were, according to the most reliable estimates given in the third and fourth books of Kings, as confirmed by Jeremiah, eighteen cubits in height, with a capital of five cubits. The base of each was four cubits in diameter. A cubit is equal to 1.707 feet (52 cm, but in the era of the Second Temple, two values \u200b\u200bof the cubit were used - 40 and 48 cm). This means that the base of each was a little over thirty feet eight inches high, with a capital a little over eight feet six inches high and a base diameter of six feet ten inches. The capitals were lined with bronze garnets, covered with bronze designs, and decorated with bronze wreaths, and, apparently, imitated the shape of a lotus seed or an Egyptian lily, sacred symbol for Hindus and Egyptians. The pillar on the right, or south, was named after the Hebrew word in the Bible translation, Jachin, and the one on the left, Boaz, with some translators saying that the first word means "He must establish", the second - "This is our strength".
These pillars were imitations made by Hurum of Tyre, large pillars dedicated to wind and fire, at the entrance to the famous Temple of Malkarth, in the city of Tire. It is common in the rite of the lodge of York to see that the celestial globe is located on one side, and Earth- on the other, but this is not justified if the object imitates the original of the two columns of the temple.
We will leave the symbolic meaning of these pillars for the time being inexplicable, only adding that the new disciple holds the work tool in the column of Jachin, and this gives you the etymology and literal meaning of these two names.
The word Jachin, in Hebrew, is probably pronounced I-Kayan, and means, as a verbal noun, OH, which strengthens, and therefore calm, stable, honest. The word Boaz, or Baaz, which means strong, strength, power, might, shelter, source of strength, fortress. The prefix means "with" or "in" and gives the word the meaning of a gerund - "Fortification". The first word also means that he will set up, or put upright, from the verb Kun, he straightened up. It probably means active and life-giving energies and forces, and Boaz, stability, constancy, in a passive sense.” - Albert Pike, Moral_and_Dogma_[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_and_dogma_(book) ]
* Esoteric meaning, or
third "column" *
Like most occult symbols, Masonic pillars carry many levels of meaning, some accessible to the uninitiated and others known to the highest ranks of Masons. However, it is generally accepted that Jachin and Boaz represent the balance of opposing forces.
“These were the names [Yachin and Boaz] of two columns cast of brass and installed on the porch of the temple of King Solomon. They were eighteen cubits high, and beautifully adorned with garlands of chains, ornaments, and pomegranates. At the top of each pillar was a large vessel - now erroneously interpreted as a ball or orb - one of the bowls probably contained fire and the other water. The celestial globe (originally a bowl of fire), crowning the right column (Yakhin), symbolizes a divine person, the globe (a container of water), crowning the left column (Boaz), means an earthly man. These two pillars, respectively, also mean active and passive emanations of Divine energy, the sun and moon, sulfur and salt, good and evil, light and darkness. Between them there is a door leading to the house of God and, being installed at the gates of the sanctuary, they are a reminder that Jehovah appears as an androgynous and anthropomorphic entity. As two parallel columns they represent the zodiac signs Cancer and Capricorn, which were previously placed in the hall of initiation to represent birth and death, the extremes of physical life. They mean respectively summer and winter solstice, as known to Freemasons under the comparatively new name ‘two St. John’s’.” - Albert Pike, Morality and Dogma
Aleph is a man; Beth is a woman
1 - principle, 2 - word,
A - active, B - passive;
Unity - Boaz, Double - Yachin.
In Chinese trigrams - a single line - Yang, double - Yin.
Boaz and Yachin are the names of two symbolic columns that were in front of the main door of the Kabbalistic temple of Solomon. These two columns explain in the Kabbalah all the mysteries of antagonism, whether natural or political or religious; they also explain the productive struggle between a man and a woman, for, according to the law of nature, a woman must resist a man, and he must seduce or subdue her. The "active" principle seeks the "passive" principle, the "fullness" is in love with the "emptiness", the symbolic serpent's throat attracts its tail, and turning it runs away from itself and pursues itself...
The final union of reason and faith will be achieved not by their absolute distinction and separation, but by mutual control and fraternal assistance. This is the meaning of the two columns of Solomon's portico, of which one is called Jachin and the other Boaz, one white and the other black. They are different and separate, they are even seemingly opposite; but if a blind force wants to bring them together, the vault of the temple will collapse, since separated they have the same strength, while united they represent two mutually annihilating forces. For the same reason, spiritual power immediately weakens itself as soon as it wants to usurp secular power, and secular power perishes as a victim of its seizures of spiritual power. Gregory VII destroyed the papacy, and the schismatic kings have destroyed and will continue to destroy the monarchy. Human equilibrium needs two legs, worlds gravitate towards two forces, birth requires two sexes. This is the meaning of the mystery of Solomon, depicted by the two pillars of the temple, Jachin and Boaz.”– Eliphas Levi,The doctrine and ritual of higher magic [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliphas_Levi ]
It is believed that the unity of the two columns turns into a third column, in the middle, which esoterically represents man and humanity.
“When two pillars find balance between them, it means the union of Sushumna and Kundalini. This sacred marriage will create "Fire-Fog" to radiate throughout the human body, filling it with the will of the divine Light. This is what humanity will become the third pillar of the Temple of Wisdom. He/she will be a column formed by the union of strength (Yakhin) and beauty (Boaz). This act is the ‘Forgotten Word’ in vibrational
system of the physical incarnation of the soul. - Corinne Heline, Old Testament Bible Interpretations The Bible and the Tarot [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinne_Heline ]
* Kabbalistic meaning *
In Kabbalistic teaching, Jachin and Boaz represent two columns of "spheres of knowledge" in the tree of life.
“In the mysterious Tree of "spheres of knowledge" among the Jews, these two columns symbolize mercy and severity. Standing in front of the gates of the Temple of King Solomon, these columns carried the same symbolic meaning as the obelisks in front of the sanctuaries of Egypt. In Kabbalistic interpretation, the names of the two pillars mean "In strength shall My house be established". In the splendor of mental and spiritual enlightenment, the high priest stood between the columns, like a mute witness to perfect balance - this hypothetical point is equidistant from all extremes. Thus, he personifies the divine nature of man in the midst of his complex creation - the mysterious Pythagorean Monad in the presence of the Duad. On one side stood a huge pillar of intellect, and on the other, an insolent pillar of flesh. Halfway between these two stands the illustrious sage, but he cannot achieve this lofty immobility without first suffering on the cross, made by joining these pillars together. The first Jews sometimes represented two columns, Yachin and Boaz, as the legs of Jehovah, which was read by a modern philosopher as Wisdom and Love - the most sublime feelings that support the entire order of the World Order - both mundane and supermundane.
The right column, which is called Jachin, has its foundation on Hochma, the outpouring of the Wisdom of God; the three balls represented on it are all male abilities.
The column on the left is called Boaz. The three balls on it are female abilities and the ability to perceive, because they are based on mutual understanding, receptivity and the ability to motherhood. Wisdom is seen as radiance and an outpouring of feelings, and understanding as receptivity, or what fills current wisdom. The three pillars ultimately unite into Malchut, in which all power is manifested. higher worlds”. - Eliphas Levi, The doctrine and ritual of higher magic
* In pop culture, architecture and industry: *
Columns are sometimes used in pop culture for reasons other than decorative purposes of gaining esoteric meaning. The action taking place between or passing through the columns, symbolically representing transformations or initiations, can be found in such cases as:
Rapper Keni West, standing in the middle of a pair of columns in his deeply symbolic video 'Power' (K anye West 'Power' full length=04:54 ) – https://my.mail.ru/mail/sania1776/video/_myvideo/14.html ;
There is a parody in the truncated symbolism– https://youtu. be / Td 8 r 3 FHVeKs(Above is an obscenely censored Youtube clip, alas)
Among the many esoteric symbols contained in the film "The Imaginarium of Doctor ParnAssus", 2009, dir. Terry Gilliam, two columns stand on either side of the stage.
https://ok. ru / video /43175184997
Two pillars in front of the IRS building in Kansas (Inland Revenue). Also note the dual black and white 'pattern' and the hands on top, known as the 'Hands of the Mysteries'.
In the Chinese city of Hangzhou, they plan to build unusual skyscraper towers Zhejiang Gate Towers, which will change color depending on the viewing angle. ‘ Zhejiang ’ is a play on the concept of “gate” and/or “portal” in Chinese. The project was presented in June 2016 at the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture architectural bureau, which is known for using only environmentally friendly materials in construction.
The perfection of embodied power.
P.S.1.
My version of the "third column" modding - I will give a little lower in the comments, including my attempts to post a video of adjustment and fitting.
P.S.2.
The article was written for participation in a competition announced on the 3DToday website by the Imprint company.
Reach the Pillars of Hercules Ustar. Reach the limit, the highest point of something. Raisky promised himself to explain, at the first opportunity, finally the question was not about what Marfinka was: it was too obvious, but what would become of her ... Is she capable of further development or has she already reached her Herculean pillars?(Goncharov. Break).
Phraseological dictionary of Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008 .
See what "Reach the Pillars of Hercules" is in other dictionaries:
reach the Pillars of Hercules- bookstore reach the limit of something, to the extreme point. IN ancient world The Pillars of Hercules were the rocks at the Strait of Gibraltar; according to legend, Hercules erected them as a sign that there is no further way for man ... Phraseology Handbook
reach the pillars of Hercules- cm. pillars of hercules … Dictionary of many expressions
reach the Pillars of Hercules- Reach Hercule / owl pillars (pillars) Reach the extreme limit, the boundaries of which l ... Dictionary of many expressions
Reach the Pillars of Hercules (pillars)- Book. To reach the limit, to the extreme point of something. BTS, 200, 1272; SHZF 2001, 69; F 1, 166. See Pillars of Hercules ... Big Dictionary Russian sayings
pillar- a, m. 1. outdated. Same as pole. Already the pillars of the outpost Are turning white; now, along Tverskaya Vozok, it rushes through potholes. Pushkin, Eugene Onegin. Columns of smoke rushed up the cold sky. Dostoevsky, Weak heart. 2. outdated. and architect. tower or column. I… … Small Academic Dictionary
pillar- A/; m. 1) outdated. = pillar, column. * I erected a monument to myself not made by hands, It will not grow to it folk trail, He ascended higher as the head of the recalcitrant Pillar of Alexandria (Pushkin) 2) outdated. A high watchtower, the upper room of which ... ... Dictionary of many expressions
Pillars of Hercules- (lat.), Pillars of Hercules (Greek), Pillars of Melkart (Phoenician), the ancient name of the Strait of Gibraltar. In Greek mythology, the pillars set by Hercules (see HERCULES) at the edge of the world in memory of his wanderings. IN different time identified... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
herculean- pillars 1) two mountains near the Strait of Gibraltar, on the European and African shores, according to ancient myths, erected by Hercules; according to the ancient Greeks, the pillars of Hercules were "the edge of the world"; 2) * reach the pillars of Hercules - reach ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
pillar- pole, genus. pillar and obsolete pillar, genus. pillar. Stored in values: 1. Column. Pillar of Alexandria. 2. In phraseological terms: Pillars of Hercules. Reach the Pillars of Hercules. 3. Major figure. Pillars of society... Dictionary of pronunciation and stress difficulties in modern Russian
Pillars of Alcides- Pillars of Hercules (Alcides) (inosk.) extreme borders Cf. Praise of each other, predilection and conceit in this circle (Ostrovsky) crossed the boundaries of the Pillars of Hercules. Grigorovich. Liter. remember 12. Wed. Newspapermen vying with each other in front of ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary
Phraseologisms come into the Russian language from various sources, for example, they appear thanks to legends and myths. “Pillars of Hercules” is a speech construction, the meaning of which is unlikely to be understood by a person who is not familiar with ancient Roman mythology. So, where did this steady turn come from, where does the legendary hero Hercules come from? The answers to these questions can be found in the article.
"Pillars of Hercules": the origin of phraseology
It's no secret that Hercules is the name that the ancient Romans gave to the Greek Hercules. The meaning of the speech construction will help to understand its origin. “Pillars of Hercules” is an expression that appeared in Russian thanks to the story of (Hercules).
One of the exploits of the legendary character was the abduction of cows belonging to the mighty giant Geryon. The monster lived on a small island located in the westernmost part of the world, which the ancient Greeks knew about. Heading towards Geryon, Hercules erected two stelae, placing them on the north and southern shores the strait that separated Africa from Europe.
Other versions
There is another version of the legend, thanks to which the phraseologism "Pillars of Hercules" was born. It says that Hercules moved the mountains behind which the exit to the ocean was hiding, as a result of which the Steles were formed, he created on different banks of this strait.
Finally, there is a third version of the myth. He insists that Hercules-Hercules did not personally build the stelae. The legendary hero only found the columns located on the border that separated known to people peace from an unknown land.
"Pillars of Hercules" - the name given to the steles located on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. The ancient Romans were convinced that Hercules not only erected the columns, but also wrote "nowhere else" on them. Latin. Obviously, to go beyond the pillars means to reach the final limit, beyond which there will be nothing.
Meaning, usage
The above tells about where the phraseological phrase “pillars of Hercules” came from. The meaning of this expression is easy to understand. Saying it, people talk about the limit, the border, the extreme. Most often phraseologism is used in an ironic manner. With its help, a person can point out the stupidity of the words and actions of certain people, reproach them.
"Pillars of Hercules" is a phraseological unit that is rarely used in everyday speech these days. However, it is often found in literary works. For example, he resorted to it in his book " Overhaul". One of the heroes expresses joy at the presence on the ship of sane officers who will not reach the pillars of Hercules. It is understood that they will not make a fatal mistake.
The legendary pillars are also mentioned in the Divine Comedy, created by the Italian poet Dante. This work talks about the fact that they represent a border that mere mortals should not cross. The ban was violated only once, this crime was committed by Odysseus, who was famous for his curiosity and courage. Dante claims that the gods punished the daring hero by sending him straight to Hell.
Are there pillars
Today, there are no pillars on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, which are mentioned in the famous legend. Many researchers are convinced that they never existed. However, there are scientists who hold a different opinion. They believe that the columns must be looked for in a completely different place. Some believe that they are on the banks of the Bosphorus, this strait connects with the Black.
There is also another assumption. The Pillars of Hercules, if you rely on this version, are the mountains that frame the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Coat of arms of Spain
Famous pillars exist not only in myths and legends. You can also see them on the coat of arms, which is used in modern Spain. It depicts columns entwined with ribbon. An inscription is applied to the tape, which is translated into Russian as “farther and farther”.
This inscription is intended to remind the world that the Spaniards are proud of their fellow sailors. Their travels to the shores of the New World allowed people to learn more about the planet on which they live, to get acquainted with a previously unknown world.
Many people are interested in how to pronounce the phraseological phrase correctly. "Pillars of Hercules" or "Pillars of Hercules" - which version is considered correct? Linguists insist that both options are correct. "Pillar" is just an obsolete form of the word "pillar".
"Pillars of Hercules" - this option is also allowed, as well as "pillars of Hercules." As already mentioned, Hercules and Hercules - different names the same legendary hero.
One of the myths about the exploits of Hercules (a giant from Greek mythology, who, under the name Hercules migrated to the Etruscans and Romans) tells that during his journey to the west, Hercules-Hercules marked the end point of his route as a point of (non) return, that is, a place beyond which one cannot go. The Greeks, who colonized the entire Mediterranean, of course, reached the Strait of Gibraltar, and, most likely, even poked themselves into the Atlantic Ocean. Convinced that it was impossible to sail further on their ships, they marked the Strait of Gibraltar as the edge of the world known to them.
According to one version, the name comes from the name of the rocks on both sides of the strait, which was named after Hercules who discovered it.
According to another version, stone columns were built along the banks of the strait, called Pillars of Hercules.
Another version suggests that the pillars meant lighthouses that stood along the banks of the strait and symbolized the gate, beyond which it was pointless to sail.
According to Plato, two statues were erected on the banks of the strait on high columns, representing a kind of gate from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean, which were destroyed by the Arab conquerors in the eighth century.
There is also an interesting version related to Pillars of Hercules. According to her, the $ sign, which actually has not one, but two vertical stripes, is a stylized symbol of the pillars of Hercules entwined with the mythical serpent Python.
Be that as it may, the expression pillars of Hercules means the end of the world, the limit of the world, to reach the pillars of Hercules means to reach the limit.
Other interesting expressions from Russian speech:
newspaper duck this is deliberately false information published in the newspaper. Simply put, lies, fiction, falsehood. Goals newspaper ducks can be quite
Fortune telling on coffee grounds arose almost simultaneously with the advent of coffee as a drink. Did you know that Ethiopia, a country in the northeast, is the birthplace of coffee?
"It was under King Peas” they say, meaning “in ancient times”, a long time ago. But what is this king pea why peas and not radishes, for example?
More interesting expressions
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