Gates of Hercules

proper noun

The two rocky eminences on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Gates of Hercules pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyThe two rocky eminences on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

    The bold little ships even broke through the Gates of Hercules to the open ocean, coasting then northward to take the gold of Ireland and the tin of Cornwall, as well as southward, around the bulge of Senegal, to remote Yorubaland and the distant marts of ivory, gold, and slaves.

    1968, Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 2nd edition, London: Fontana Press, published 1993, page 14
Cite this entry
APA

Gates of Hercules. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gates%20of%20Hercules

MLA

“Gates of Hercules.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gates%20of%20Hercules. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gates of Hercules,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gates%20of%20Hercules.

Source: Gates of Hercules on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.