Hercules

See also: hercules, Hércules, and Hèrcules

English

Etymology

From Latin Herculēs, from Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklês), apparently from Ἥρα (Hḗra, “Hera”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhɜːkjəliːz/, /ˈhɜːkjʊliːz/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɝːkjəliːz/, /ˈhɝːkjʊliːz/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Proper noun

Hercules

1. (Roman mythology) The Roman name for the Greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of Jupiter and Alcmene, a celebrated hero who possessed exceptional strength. Most famous for his 12 labours performed to redeem himself after killing his family.
2. (astronomy) A summer constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble the mythical hero. It lies between the constellations Lyra and Corona Borealis.
3. (astronomy) A crater in the first quadrant on the moon.
4. A city in California.

Derived terms

• Herculean
• Herculinian
• Herculis

Related terms

• Heracles
• Herculean
• Hercules beetle

Translations

The Roman name of Heracles — See also translations at Heracles

• Armenian: Հերկուլես (hy) (Herkules)
• Czech: Herkules (cs) m
• Danish: Herkules
• French: Hercule (fr) m
• Galician: Hércules (gl) m
• Georgian: ჰერკულესი (herḳulesi)
• German: Herkules (de) m
• Greenlandic: Herkulesi
• Icelandic: Herkúles (is) m
• Inuktitut: ᐦᐄᕐᑯᓖᔅ (hiirkuliis)

• Italian: Ercole (it)
• Latin: Herculēs
• Marathi: हर्क्यूलीस (harkyūlīsa)
• Polish: Herkules (pl)
• Portuguese: Hércules (pt) m
• Russian: Геркуле́с (ru) m (Gerkulés)
• Slovak: Herkules m
• Spanish: Hércules (es) m
• Swahili: Herkule, Hekyulizi
• Turkish: Herkül
• Ukrainian: Геркуле́с (Herkulés)

constellation

• Czech: Herkules (cs) m, souhvězdí Herkula n
• Finnish: Herkules (fi)
• French: Hercule (fr) m
• Galician: Hércules (gl)
• German: Herkules (de) m
• Greek: Ηρακλής (el) m (Iraklís)

  Ancient: Ἡρακλῆς m (Hēraklês)

• Icelandic: Herkúles (is) m
• Irish: Earcail m

• Italian: Ercole (it) m
• Latin: Hercules, Geniculator, Geniculatus, Ingeniculus, Ingeniculatus, Nixus genu, Nixus in genibus, Nixus
• Persian: رستم‎ (fa) (rostam) ,پهلوان‎ (fa) (pahlevān)
• Polish: Herkules (pl)
• Portuguese: Hércules (pt)
• Russian: Геркулес (ru) (Gerkules)
• Spanish: Hercules
• Turkish: Herkül

Anagrams

• Schueler

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Hercules m

1. (astronomy) Hercules

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Latin

Alternative forms

• Hercelēs, Herclēs, Erclēs

Etymology

Via the Etruscan 𐌇𐌄𐌓𐌂𐌋𐌄 (hercle), from the Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklês), apparently from Ἥρα (Hḗra, “Hera”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈher.ku.leːs/, [ˈhɛr.kʊ.leːs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈer.ku.les/, [ˈɛr.ku.lɛs]

Proper noun

Herculēs m sg (variously declined, genitive Herculeī or Herculī or Herculis); fifth declension, third declension

1. (Greek mythology) Hercules, Heracles, heroic son of Zeus.

   Nē Herculēs quidem adversus duōs.

   Not even Hercules fights against two.

Declension

Fifth- and third declension forms occur;
Greek influence is often apparent in the vocative.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Herculēs
Genitive	Herculeī Herculī Herculis
Dative	Herculeī Herculī
Accusative	Herculem
Ablative	Herculē Hercule
Vocative	Herculēs Hercules Hercule

• The genitive Herculeī appears in Catull's carmina 55 (but depends on the edition as it is also Herculi: "sed/Sed te iam/jam ferre Herculei labos est" or "sed/Sed te iam ferre Herculi labos est").
• The datives Herculeī and Hercoleī appear in inscriptions.
• There is the genitive plural Herculum.

Derived terms

• Columnae Herculis

References

• Hercŭles in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Hercules in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Hercŭlēs in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette, page 742/2
• “Herculēs” on page 791/3 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)