Meaning & use
Hellespont
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproperliterary
The ancient name of the narrow strait in northwestern Turkey, now called the Dardanelles, that joins the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
Grammar: Used with the in older writing: crossing the Hellespont.
Patterns
- cross the Hellespont
- the Hellespont and the Bosphorus
Xerxes ordered a bridge of boats to be built across the Hellespont.
In the myth, Leander swam the Hellespont each night to meet Hero.
Poets have long described the Hellespont as a gateway between Europe and Asia.
proper nounproperfigurative
A symbol in stories and poetry for a dangerous crossing or barrier between two worlds, or for a bold feat of swimming.
Grammar: Figurative use; common in classical references and swimming challenges.
Patterns
- swim the Hellespont
Lord Byron once swam the Hellespont and wrote proudly of it.
For the young poet, leaving home felt like crossing the Hellespont.
Open-water swimmers still dream of swimming the Hellespont.
Common combinations
- cross the Hellespont
- The army crossed the Hellespont before dawn.
- swim the Hellespont
- Leander swam the Hellespont to reach his love.
- bridge the Hellespont
- The king planned to bridge the Hellespont with ships.
- waters of the Hellespont
- The waters of the Hellespont run fast and cold.
- shores of the Hellespont
- Troy lay near the shores of the Hellespont.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Dardanelles
- Dardanelles is the modern name for the same strait, while Hellespont belongs to history and poetry.
- strait
- A strait is any narrow channel of water, so it is a general word whereas Hellespont names one particular strait.
Word family
- Hellespontine adjective
- relating to the Hellespont
- Hellespontian adjective
- belonging to the region of the Hellespont, an older variant
- Dardanelles proper noun
- the modern name for the strait
- Bosphorus proper noun
- the neighboring strait that separates Europe from Asia in Istanbul
Commonly confused: Hellespont or Bosphorus?
Hellespont vs Bosphorus
The Bosphorus is the strait running through Istanbul, linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, while the Hellespont lies to the southwest.
Practice
In Greek legend, the young Leander nightly swam across the ______ to visit Hero.
Choose one answer.
The myth places Leander's swim at the Hellespont. The Bosphorus is a different strait, and the Adriatic and the Danube are not in the story.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Hellespont”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.