What are the Pillars of Hercules, and why are they named after him?
The Pillars of Hercules was the phrase that was applied in Antiquity to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar is the Rock of Gibraltar in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. A corresponding North African peak not being predominant, the identity of the southern Pillar has been disputed through history, with the two most likely candidates being Monte Hacho in Ceuta and Jebel Musa in Morocco. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_hercules#The_naming_of_the_pillars Here is one of the MANY theories on why: The Greek inherited and enriched this legend about Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, and brother of Zeus. Thus, they narrate how in one of his Twelve Labors, Hercules reached the confines of Europe and Libya (i.e., Africa), erecting two pillars, one on Calpe (the Rock of Gibraltar) and the other on Abila (Jebel Musa). These were the Pillars of Hercules, the Gate to Hades.
