The Pillars of Hercules are landforms that line the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar, called Calpe Mons, is known today as the Rock of Gibraltar. The southern Pillar, named Abila Mons, has been a subject of debate for many years. Historians believe it could be either Monte Hacho in Ceuta or Jebel Musa in Morocco. The name "Pillars of Hercules" was used in ancient times, as recorded by Pliny the Elder in his book Naturalis historia (Book III:3).
History
In Greek mythology, which the Etruscans and Romans later used, Hercules had to complete twelve labors. One of these, the tenth, was to retrieve the Cattle of Geryon from the far West and bring them to Eurystheus. This task marked the farthest point of Hercules' journey to the west. A lost passage from Pindar, mentioned by Strabo, was the earliest known reference to this: "the pillars which Pindar called the 'gates of Gades,' when he said they were the farthest limits reached by Heracles." Since Herodotus first connected Heracles with Melqart, the "Pillars of Melqart" near Gades (modern Cádiz) have sometimes been considered the true Pillars of Hercules.
Plato described the legendary island of Atlantis as lying beyond the "Pillars of Hercules." During the Renaissance, it was believed the pillars had a warning: "Ne plus ultra" (or "Non plus ultra," meaning "nothing further beyond"), which warned sailors not to go farther.
Some Roman sources say that while traveling to the garden of the Hesperides on the island of Erytheia, Hercules had to cross a mountain once held by Atlas. Instead of climbing, Hercules used his great strength to break through the mountain. This action connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, forming the Strait of Gibraltar. One part of the broken mountain is Gibraltar, and the other is either Monte Hacho or Jebel Musa. These two mountains are now known as the Pillars of Hercules, though other natural features have also been linked to the name.
Diodorus Siculus, however, believed Hercules did not break through an isthmus to create the Strait of Gibraltar. Instead, he said Hercules narrowed an existing strait to stop monsters from the Atlantic Ocean from entering the Mediterranean Sea.
In some stories, Heracles built the two pillars to hold the sky away from Earth, freeing Atlas from his punishment.
Beyond Gades, the Phoenicians established several important colonies in modern-day Morocco, starting with Lixus, then Chellah, and finally Mogador. These colonies were built as the Phoenician merchant fleet traveled through the Pillars of Hercules and set up bases along the Atlantic coast.
Near the eastern shore of Gades (modern Cádiz), Strabo described the westernmost temple of Tyrian Heracles, the god associated with the Phoenician and Punic Melqart by Greek interpretation. Strabo noted that two bronze pillars in the temple, each eight cubits tall, were claimed by many to be the true Pillars of Hercules. However, Strabo doubted this, pointing out that the pillars had no inscriptions about Heracles, only records of the costs the Phoenicians paid to build them. The columns in the Melqart temple at Tyre also held religious importance.
Syriac scholars learned about the Pillars through their translations of Greek scientific works into Syriac and Arabic. A Syriac text called Ktaba d'ellat koll 'ellan (Cause of All Causes) is unusual because it claims there were three pillars, not two.
In art
In Dante Alighieri’s Inferno XXVI, Ulysses is mentioned in the section about the Fraudulent Counsellors. He speaks of his journey beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Ulysses believes it is worth risking his sailors’ lives to learn about the unknown. After five months at sea, Ulysses sees the mountain of Purgatory. However, a whirlwind from the mountain causes his ship and everyone on it to sink. This happens because they tried to reach Purgatory while still alive, using only their own strength and intelligence.
The Pillars of Hercules appear on the engraved title page of Sir Francis Bacon’s Instauratio Magna ("Great Renewal"), published in 1620. This work was not completed, but its second part, Novum Organum, was influential. The motto at the bottom of the image reads, "Multi pertransibunt et augebitur scientia" ("Many will pass through and knowledge will be the greater"). The image was inspired by how the Pillars were used in Spanish and Habsburg propaganda.
The Spanish exclave of Ceuta, located in northern Africa, has a modern statue named "The Pillars of Hercules" (Spanish: Columnas de Hércules). The statue shows two large bronze pillars separated by the figure of Hercules. It was created by the artist Ginés Serrán-Pagán.
On the Spanish coast near Los Barrios, there are twin towers called Torres de Hércules. These buildings were inspired by the Pillars of Hercules. They were the tallest structures in Andalusia until the Cajasol Tower in Seville was completed in 2015.
In the southern wall of the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Central Library, a mural titled Historical Representation of Culture by Juan O’Gorman includes an image of the Pillars of Hercules. This image refers to Mexico’s colonial history and the rule of the House of Charles V.
Coat of arms
The Pillars are symbols supporting the coat of arms of Spain. They originated from the design used by Spain's 16th-century ruler, Charles I, who was also known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The idea came from Italian humanist Luigi Marliano, and the design includes the motto "Plus Ultra," which means "further beyond" in Latin. This motto suggested the Pillars represented a gateway to new lands. The phrase was changed from "Nec plus ultra," meaning "Nothing more beyond," after the discovery of the Americas. This discovery ended the old belief that the Pillars marked the farthest point of the known world.