Pillars of Hercules

The Pillars of Hercules is one of the names of the Stone of Destiny. ("Rock of Ages")

Real World Background

The Pillars of Hercules is an old name for the Strait of Gibraltar, the passage from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean (and vice versa). In the classical world, this passage was believed to be the limits of the world, beyond which one should not venture. The Pillars were so called because, according to Greek myth, the demi-god Heracles (Romanized "Hercules") set up these pillars during his tenth of the twelve great labors.

The northern pillar is identified with the Rock of Gibraltar (another of the Stone of Destiny's names) on the southern coast of Europe, while the southern pillar has been in dispute for at least two thousand years. [1] Candidates include Monte Hacho and Jebel Musa, both on the northern coast of Africa.

See Also

• Pillars of Hercules at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia