English

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

Translations

Related terms

• Heracles
• Herculean
• Hercules beetle

Dutch

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Hercules m

1. (astronomy) Hercules

Latin

Alternative forms

• Hercelēs, Herclēs, Erclēs

Etymology

Via the Etruscan [script needed] ‎(HERCLE), from the Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς ‎(Hēraklês), apparently from Ἥρα ‎(Hḗra, “Hera”) + κλέος ‎(kléos, “glory”).

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

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

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

   Ne Hercules quidem adversus duos.

   Not even Hercules fights against two.

Derived terms

• Columnae Herculis

Declension

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

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
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “Hercŭlēs”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette, page 742/2.
• “Herculēs” on page 791/3 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Latin

Adjective

hercules

1. (New Latin) Hercules (attributive)

Derived terms

• Acronicta hercules
• Aequidens hercules
• Alcedo hercules
• Anaphes hercules
• Astraptes hercules
• Batocera hercules
• Brachypogon hercules
• Ceraphron hercules
• Chromatoiulus hercules
• Cleandrus hercules
• Coprinus hercules
• Coscinocera hercules
• Deropygus hercules
• Dicranophorus hercules
• Diplonevra hercules
• Dwightla hercules
• Dynastes hercules
• Gryon hercules
• Heriades hercules
• Hyalonema hercules
• Hyperaspidius hercules
• Hysterocrates hercules
• Ischnoptera hercules
• Leptops hercules
• Macropsylla hercules
• Masdevallia hercules
• Megaphyllum hercules
• Megema hercules
• Menandrusa hercules
• Molochtus hercules
• Monomorium hercules
• Morpho hercules
• Mymar hercules
• Narathura hercules
• Neoaratus hercules
• Nesopachyiulus hercules
• Noreppa hercules
• Papilio hercules
• Parasola hercules
• Pheidole hercules
• Polygrammodes hercules
• Prusiana hercules
• Pseudophyllus hercules
• Quadricalcarifera hercules
• Rhinochenus hercules
• Scolytoproctus hercules
• Sepia hercules
• Sphaeropoeus hercules
• Spilosoma hercules
• Supersypnoides hercules
• Tanymecus hercules
• Telipogon hercules
• Testudo hercules
• Thelcticopis hercules
• Ufens hercules
• Zephronia hercules

References

• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “hercules”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • Hercules at the cross-roads, between virtue and vice: Hercules in trivio, in bivio, in compitis
    
• hercules in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• hercules in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray