Pillars of Hercules meaning and origin of phraseological units. Reach the Pillars of Hercules
Ancient Greek myths tell of the 12 labors of Hercules, or Hercules, as the Romans called him. One of these feats was the abduction of the cows of the giant Gerion, who lived on small island in the ocean in the very west of the world known to the Greeks. During the journey to Gerion, Hercules erected two stelae, one on the south, the other on the north coast of the strait separating Europe from Africa. In another version of this myth, Hercules parted the mountains that closed the exit to the ocean, creating strait of Gibraltar, on the different banks of which he later erected steles. There is another version of this myth, which claims that Hercules only discovered some columns on the border between the worlds known and unknown to man. Be that as it may, in memory of Hercules, the steles on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar were called the Pillars of Hercules, or Hercules. The Romans believed that Hercules wrote "Nec plus ultra" on the pillars, which means "Nowhere else." This is the meaning of this phraseological unit.
Pillars of Heracles (Hercules)
Currently, there are no pillars or steles on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, so some scientists doubt whether they existed at all. Someone, on the contrary, argues that the Pillars of Hercules should be looked for in completely different places. For example, they are placed on the banks of the strait connecting the Black Sea with the Marmara and dividing Europe and Asia. Once the Bosphorus was for the Greeks the eastern border of the world known to them, they even called the Black Sea Pontus Aksinsky, or the inhospitable sea. Wanting to appease the sea gods, the Greeks soon renamed the Black Sea into Pontus Euxinus, or the hospitable sea, and quickly mastered its shores. Some researchers are trying to look for traces of the Pillars of Heracles even in Greenland. An explanation that reconciles myth and reality calls the Pillars of Hercules mountains framing the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar: the Rock of Gibraltar on the northern (European) coast and Mount Jebel Musa on the southern (African). In ancient times, the Pillars of Hercules were called the border known to people, which could not be crossed by a mere mortal. Odysseus (or Ulysses), famous for resourcefulness and curiosity, violated this prohibition, for which the gods, as the Italian poet Dante writes in The Divine Comedy, sent the Greek hero to Hell.
Two columns, symbolizing the Pillars of Hercules, are depicted on the coat of arms modern Spain. The columns are wrapped around a ribbon with the Latin inscription “Plus ultra”, which can be translated into Russian as “More further” The inscription indicates numerous journeys Spanish sailors to the shores of the New World, which pushed the boundaries of the world unknown to people.
Reach the Pillars of Hercules Ustar. Reach the limit highest point anything. Raisky promised himself to explain, at the first opportunity, the final 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 it already reached its pillars of Hercules?(Goncharov. Break).
Phraseological dictionary of the 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 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- see the 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, The folk path will not overgrow to it, He ascended higher as the head of the recalcitrant Pillar of Alexandria (Pushkin) 2) outdated. High watch tower, the upper room of which ... ... Dictionary of many expressions
Pillars of Hercules- (lat.), Pillars of Hercules (Greek), Pillars of Melkart (Phoenician), ancient name Strait of Gibraltar. IN Greek mythology 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
The Pillars of Hercules is one of the main natural attractions of Morocco, located 18 km from a major port city Tangier. The Pillars of Hercules are two big rocks between which the Strait of Gibraltar passes. One of the rocks, located on the side European continent, belongs to Great Britain, and the second, from the side of the African continent, the rock of Jebel Musa belongs to the state of Morocco.
Scientists are still completely unknown accurate history origin of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Pillars of Hercules. According to Greek mythology, the creator of this natural monument was the legendary Hercules (Hercules), who performed many heroic deeds. In the course of his wanderings, Hercules outlined the limiting point of his travels, marking the end of the earth, which in ancient times became the main reference point for all sea travelers. Using the power given by the gods, he broke through the mountain, through which water gushed, and the Strait of Gibraltar was formed. And the two rocks remaining on its banks were called the Pillars of Hercules. According to Plato, it was behind the Pillars of Hercules that the mysterious Atlantis was located.
Both rocks are framed deep caves, the creator of which, according to legend, was also the brave Hercules. During the Middle Ages, wealthy Europeans used to visit these caves for picnics. Nowadays, they are actively used by souvenir merchants, because every day a huge number of tourists come to look at this magnificent miracle of nature. During high tides, all caves are completely filled. sea water.
In these caves, which have been preserved since the Neolithic period, archaeological excavations during which many interesting exhibits, including primitive tools.
From the caves opens great view to the Mediterranean.
