"The Pillars of Hercules" - the point where continents of Africa and Europe meets , nearly melting together . Just two points on edges of continents , where the Gibraltar Strait is narrowest . The name derives , of course , from the Greek Mythology . Well known mythical hero , according to ancient Greeks , made a channel between continents by pushing them apart .Or according to another Greek historian Siculus , Hercules narrowed existing strait to keep off sea monsters from Atlantic Ocean .