word

definition

found in mythology

academic:

1 a: a school usually above the elementary level; especially : a private high school b: a high school or college in which special subjects or skills are taught c: higher education

2: a society of learned persons organized to advance art, science, or literature

3: a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field

from a man named Academus who lived in Athens, Greece. The great teacher Plato chose Academus's garden to be the place of his lectures. Because they met there, Plato's students were called "the academic group," and Plato's school was called "the Academy."

academy:

1: a member of an institution of learning

2: a person who is academic in background, outlook, or methods

3plural: academic subjects <has no interest in academics>

same as above

achilles heel

a vulnerable point

from the great warrior Achilles who fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Greeks. When he was born, his mother discovered that his fate was to die in combat. She tried to make him impervious to weapons by dipping him in the sacred river Styx. In order to do that, she had to hold him by one heel, and that part didn't get wet. During combat on the fields of Troy, Paris, prince of Troy, shot an arrow at Achilles. The god Apollo guided it into the one place where Achilles could be hurt, his heel. He died.

adonis:

a very handsome young man

from Adonis, a handsome youth loved by Aphrodite, goddess of love

aegis:

shield or protection; auspices; sponsorship

from aegis, the protective shield of Zeus

amazons:

tall, strong, woman

from the Amazons, a mythological race of women warriors

ambrosial:

exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; extremely delicious

from ambrosia, food of the gods

atlas:

a collection or book of maps

from Atlas, a giant who supported the heavens on his shoulders. Atlas was a Titan, a deity of great strength and power. According to the stories, the Titans, led by Cronus, ruled the universe. The son of Cronus, Zeus, overthrew his father in a terrible battle and condemned all the Titans to bitter punishments. The punishment for Atlas was one of the worst. He had to hold the world on his shoulders. The earth was very heavy, and he had to carry the burden alone.

(Atlas only had one visitor: Hercules. Hercules had to find the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. Since Atlas was the father of the Hesperides, Hercules asked him for help. Atlas said he would get the apples if Hercules would hold the earth while he was gone. Hercules agreed. When Atlas returned with the apples, he said Hercules could just keep on holding the earth and that Atlas would deliver the apples. Hercules had to think fast, because he knew Atlas wasn't coming back. He asked Atlas to hold up the earth again for just a moment while Hercules put a pad on his shoulders. Atlas did, and Hercules took the apples and left.)

 aurora:

auroral:

dawn; a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions and is caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated along the planet's magnetic field lines

pertaining to or resembling the dawn; rosy

from Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn

 bacchanalia:

jovial or wild drunken party

from Bacchus, the god of wine

 calypso

We call music from the Caribbean islands calypso music to remember the beautiful nymph and her island. Calypso music comes originally from the Caribbean Islands.

from the nymph, Calypso. The great Greek hero Odysseus spent many years wandering the Mediterranean Sea after helping win the Trojan War. Eventually he lost all his ships and all his crew. He was trapped on an island with the nymph, Calypso, who loved him and wanted him to stay with her. She did everything she could to make his stay on her island a happy one. Odysseus, however, still wanted to return to his wife, Penelope; his son, Telemachus; and his kingdom, Ithaca. Finally Athena persuaded most of the Olympian gods that he should be allowed to return home. Zeus sent Hermes, his messenger, to tell Calypso that she had to let Odysseus leave her island.

Calypso was angry and hurt. She had to obey, Zeus, though, and five days later Odysseus set sail on a strong raft.

 chaos

1 a: a state of utter confusion <the blackout caused chaos throughout the city> b: a confused mass or mixture <a chaos of television antennas>

2 a:often capitalized : a state of things in which chance is supreme; especially : the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms — compare cosmos b: the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system (as the atmosphere, boiling water, or the beating heart)

from Khaos. Chaos is or was "nothingness." Though some ancient writers thought it was the primary source of all things, other writers tell of Gaia (Earth) being born from Chaos without a mate. Then from Gaia came Uranus (Heaven or Sky) which gave us Heaven and Earth. Chaos has been described as the great void of emptiness within the universe from which Eros came and it was he who gave divine order and also perfected all things.

The Roman writer Ovid gave Chaos its modern meaning; that of an unordered and formless primordial mass.

 chimerical:

fantastic; unreal; impossible; absurd

from the chimera, a fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail

 draconian:

cruel; harsh; severe

from Dracon an Athenian lawmaker who drew up a harsh code of laws

elysian:

delightful; blissful; heavenly

from Elysium, the mythological paradise where the brave and good live after death

erotic

1 : of, devoted to, or tending to arouse sexual love or desire <erotic art>

2 : strongly marked or affected by sexual desire

from Eros, also known as Cupid in Roman mythology. Eros was the son of the goddess of love, Aphrodite and Hermes, the messenger god or in some stories, the son of Ares, the god of War. There are many stories of Eros. See the story of Psyche below as an example. As Aphrodite's son, Eros loses a bit of his power and prestige and becomes more of a companion (or accomplice) to the goddess of love and desire. This could be one possible explanation for why Eros, over the centuries, is transformed in myth and art from a handsome young man to a chubby mischievous child.

floral

of, relating to, or depicting flowers

from Flora the Roman goddess of Spring and Spring flowers. During her festival, the Floralia, people brought offerings of honey, fruit and flowers to her temple. The festival lasted five days in late April and early May. The celebration of May Day (May 1) can be compared to the Floralia.

hector:

bully; intimidate with threats; bluster

from Hector, bravest of the Trojans who yelled at and insulted the Greeks from atop his walls

herculean:

very difficult; requiring the strength of Hercules

from Hercules, hero of superhuman strength. The son of Zeus and a mortal woman, he killed a pair of snakes while he was still an infant. Everyone knew then that he was no ordinary child. As an adult, he married and had children whom he killed them in a fit. When he came to his senses and realized what he had done and was going to kill himself. However, the Theban ruler Theseus reached out and grasped Hercules' bloodstained hands. According to the Greek tradition, this made Theseus guilty, too.

This act of friendship saved Hercules' life. Theseus convinced Hercules to come to Athens. While he was there, Hercules consulted the oracle of Apollo. The oracle told him to go to take on tasks as penance. If he completed them, he would be purified from his guilt. "The Twelve Labors of Hercules" were all but impossible tasks. Hercules undertook them willingly in order to atone for his crimes. He completed the tasks and when he died, Hercules was taken to Mount Olympus to spend eternity with the gods and goddesses.

hermetic:

airtight Example: Coffee is hermetically sealed to preserve freshness.

from Hermes, who was messenger fro the gods and also god of magic

hygiene

1: a science of the establishment and maintenance of health

2: conditions or practices (as of cleanliness) conducive to health

from Hygieia (Salus the Roman goddess) the goddess of health and prosperity became more a protector of personal health. Her attribute was a snake or a bowl and her festival was celebrated on March 30.

iridescent:

having colors like the rainbow

from Iris, goddess of the rainbow

jovial:

jolly; merry; good-humored

from Jove or Jupiter. The planet Jupiter was believed to make persons born under its influence cheerful or jovial.

labyrinthine:

full of confusing passageways; maze-like; intricate

from the Labyrinth, a maze in a Crete mountain that housed the Minotaur

laconic:

using words sparingly; terse; concise; like a stereotypical New Englander

from Lakonikos, meaning "Spartan." The Spartans were known for their terseness. This is not really a mythic allusion because the Spartans were real and not fabled.

lethargic:

unnaturally drowsy; sluggish; dull

from the river Lethe in Hades whose waters, when drunk, caused forgetfulness. It was called the river of forgetfulness or oblivion. It was one of five rivers separating the Greek underworld from the land of the living. Souls often became drowsy as they listened to the river's murmuring. Those who drank water from the river Lethe forgot everything they had seen while they were in the Underworld. Then they could return to Earth to be reincarnated (born in a new form).

lethal:

deadly

from the river Lethe in Hades whose waters, when drunk, caused forgetfulness of the living

martial:

pertaining to war; warlike

from Mars, god of war

mentor:

a trustworthy, wise counselor or advisor who gives good advice and sets a good example for someone younger.

from Mentor, to whom Odysseus entrusted the education of his son. Mentor was the man the Greek hero Odysseus trusted more than anyone else in his kingdom of Ithaca. In The Odyssey, Athena disguises herself as Mentor and advises Telemachus, Odysseus' son, to try to find information about his father. Mentor guides the young man to the people who will help him.

mercurial:

quick; vivacious; active; lively

from Mercury, the speedy messenger of the gods

Midas touch

an uncanny ability for making money in every venture—every business venture makes a lot of money.

from King Midas whose touch turned everything to gold. Bacchus, the god of wine was so pleased with a deed of Midas’ that he promised Midas he would grant him one wish. Midas greedily wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. That night at dinner Midas could not eat or drink anything because it kept turning to gold in his mouth. He went out to his garden for comfort, but the roses turned to gold when he touched them. His young daughter ran outside and asked her daddy to pick her up. Laughing, she grabbed his legs -- and instantly turned to gold. Horrified, Midas hurried to Bacchus to beg him to take back the gift. Bacchus sent him to bathe in source of the river Pactolus and to sprinkle river water on his daughter. To this day people find gold in the sand from that river.This story helps us remember that some things are more important than wealth.

mnemonic

1: assisting or intended to assist memory; also : of or relating to mnemonics

2: of or relating to memory

from Mnemosyne, we get the root: “men ” meaning “to think . ” This is the root from which we derive “amnesia” (from Greek), “mental” (from Latin), and “mind” (from Germanic). The reconstructed form of “muse” therefore can be something like: “having mental power.”

from Mnemosyne, the mother of the Muses.

myrmidon:

obedient and unquestioning follower

from the Myrmidons, a martial tribe who accompanied Achilles to the Trojan War

nemesis:

a source of harm or failure; an evil opponent, someone who usually wins.

from Nemesis, the goddess or personification of vengeance. Nemesis was not a goddess but the personification of a concept. The name "Nemesis" means "righteous anger." Her domain was retribution or just, fair revenge. Nemesis did not reside on Mount Olympus with the gods but rather on Earth with mortals.

nocturnal

1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the night <a nocturnal journey>

2 : active at night <a nocturnal predator>

According the Greek story of creation, at first there was nothing but Chaos. Chaos was a huge, wild, disorganized void or "nothingness." Chaos had two children: Nyx and Erebus. Nyx and Erebus were not gods to be worshipped; they were personifications of the concepts of night (Nyx) and darkness (Erebus). Nyx laid an egg, and from it came love. When Love was born, beauty and order came, too. The confusion of Chaos began to disappear. Love created Light and Day. In some stories, Nyx rode across the sky in a chariot, bringing night.

The Roman name for Nyx was Nox, and our English words come from Nox.

odyssey:

a long series of wanderings or travels

from Odysseus who wandered for ten years on his way home from the Trojan War. Odysseus, king of Ithaca, is the greatest of the Greek heroes. During the years of the Trojan War, Odysseus proved to be a natural leader. He was also very clever. In fact, he thought of the Trojan Horse, the trick which brought the war to an end. When the Trojan War ended, Odysseus forgot to thank the gods for helping him. This made them angry, and they punished him with a long voyage home. The trip that should have taken about two weeks took 10 years instead. Along the way, Odysseus fought many monsters and misfortunes, was taken prisoner by Circe and Calypso, visited the land of the dead, and eventually lost all of his men. He was able to get home only because Athena changed her mind and helped him. The story of Odysseus' long voyage with its unexpected twists and turns is told in Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. Our English word comes from the title.

paean:

a song or hymn of praise

a paean was a hymn in praise of Apollo, the god of deliverance

palladium:

safeguard or protection

from Palladium, the statue of Pallas Athena, which was thought to protect the city of Troy

Pandora’s box

a prolific source of troubles. It is often said that a certain action “opened a Pandora’s Box” meaning that a great number of terrible and unanticipated problems resulted because of a certain action.

from an event in which Pandora opened a forbidden box that unleashed all ills and evil into the world. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphrodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, "all-gifted". The gods also gave Pandora a box. Into that box each god had put something harmful, and they warned her never to open it.

Prometheus and Epimetheus were brothers during the Golden Age, when no evil existed on the Earth. No one was ever sick or angry or hungry. Everyone spent their days in peace and happiness. Prometheus, whose name means "forethought," was a Titan and was very wise. His brother's name meant "afterthought." and he made a terrible mistake. When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother. When he saw her beauty, Epimetheus forgot his brother's warning never to accept anything from Zeus. He welcomed Pandora into his home and married her. One day Pandora's curiosity got the better of her. She just had to know what was in the box the gods had given her, so she opened it. Immediately all the troubles of the world flew out: disease, anger, hunger, and many others. Terrified, Pandora slammed down the lid, but it was too late. The Golden Age was ruined. Pandora looked down at the box, startled. Did she hear something inside knocking and saying, "Let me out"? Pandora sighed. No matter what was in there, it couldn't be any worse than what she had already let out, so she opened the box. Out flew Hope, the only good thing the gods had included.

Today Hope is often the only thing that sustains people during bad times.

panic:

unreasoning, sudden fright that grips a multitude

from Pan, a god believed to cause fear

philippic:

a bitter denunciation; a long, harsh verbal attack

from the Philippics, speeches made by Demosthenes denouncing King Philip of Macedonia. This is not considered a mythic allusion because Demosthenes actually existed.

plutocracy:

a society ruled by the wealthy

from Pluto, Roman god of wealth

procrustean:

cruel or inflexible in enforcing conformity. Example: In Alice in Wonderland, the Red Queen's procrustean order was "Off with their heads!" to every offense.

from Procrustes, a robber who made his victims fit the length of his bed, either stretching them if they were too short, or cutting off their legs if they were too tall

protean:

readily changing into different shapes or styles. Example: Kevin Spacey acting ability is protean. Every time I see him in a film he seems to have a completely different personality.

from Proteus, a sea god who could readily change his shape to elude capture

psyche

psychology

a: soul, personality b: mind

1: the science of mind and behavior

2 a: the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group b: the study of mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity

3: a theory or system of psychology <Freudian psychology> <the psychology of Jung >

Psyche (pronounced "SAI-kee") was a beautiful young woman. Men came from many lands to admire her, but no one wanted to marry her. Her father was concerned, so he consulted an oracle. The priestess of Apollo said Psyche was fated to marry a winged monster who was even stronger than the gods. She said Psyche must be dressed in deepest mourning and left alone on the top of a hill. Her husband would take her away. Everyone was upset by this news, but Psyche faced it bravely. When it grew dark, a soft, gentle wind lifted Psyche up and carried her to a peaceful meadow. She slept. She woke up next to a beautiful mansion overlooking a lovely river. She went to the door and heard voices telling her to enter, that the house was hers and they were her servants. They brought her delicious food to eat, and gentle music filled the house. She was alone, but somehow she knew that her husband would come in the evening. And she knew he would not be a monster. Psyche was right. Her husband was everything she could have hoped for, except for one thing: she never saw him. He left before dawn and only returned to his home after dark. He warned Psyche never to try to see him.

Psyche decided she had to see him. One night she waited until he was sleeping quietly and lit an oil lamp. She was astonished at how handsome he was. She began to tremble, and some of the oil spilled out of the lamp onto his shoulder. He woke up, realized that she had broken her promise, and left. She ran after him into the night, but he said, "Love cannot live where there is no trust." That's when Psyche realized that her husband was Eros (the Roman god, Cupid), the god of love. No wonder the oracle had said she would marry a winged monster stronger than the gods! How many times had Eros shot one of his arrows into a god or goddess to make them fall in love with a mortal. Psyche scolded herself for not keeping her promise.

Determined to win him back, Psyche decided to go to Aphrodite (the Roman goddess, Venus), the goddess of love and Eros’ mother. She would offer herself as a servant to try to win Aphrodite's favor. But Aphrodite was angry and gave Psyche a series three of tasks which she managed to accomplish with the help of others in very unusual ways. After the final task, Eros found her by the side of the road. He awakened her and sent her on to Aphrodite. Then he flew up to Mt. Olympus. Zeus himself blessed the marriage and gave Psyche ambrosia to eat, making her immortal. Once Psyche became an immortal, Aphrodite no longer objected to the marriage, and Eros (the god of love) and Psyche (whose name means "soul") were always together after that.

The names of some sciences are based on Psyche's name.

pyrrhic:

ruinous; gained at too great a cost. Example: Model Ingrid Svenson was a Pyrrhic success at thirteen, because the damage she did to her body to achieve her figure ruined her health and she died at nineteen.

from Pyrrhus, who suffered enormous losses in a victory over the Romans

salutary

salute

1: producing a beneficial effect : remedial <salutary influences>

2: promoting health : curative

1 a: to address with expressions of kind wishes, courtesy, or honor b: to give a sign of respect, courtesy, or goodwill to : greet

2: to become apparent to (one of the senses)

3 a: to honor (as a person, nation, or event) by a conventional military or naval ceremony b: to show respect and recognition to (a military superior) by assuming a prescribed position c: to express commendation of : praise

for Salus the Roman goddess of health and prosperity (Hygieia is the Greek goddess), became more a protector of personal health. Her attribute was a snake or a bowl and her festival was celebrated on March 30.

Our English words salute, salutation, salutatory, and salutatorian are all derived from the name Salus, suggesting a greeting that includes wishes for good health.

saturnine:

heavy; dull; gloomy; morose; sad; solemn

from Saturn, father of Jupiter, whose name is associated ay alchemists with lead

siren:

a dangerous, attractive woman or a woman who sings sweetly

from the Sirens, Sirens had the heads of beautiful women and the bodies of birds. They lived on a rocky island in the sea. Their voices were enchanting, and everyone who heard them sing was drawn to them. Sailors would sail their ships onto the rocks and drown, trying to hear more of their lovely singing. Most people who heard them sing died.

(There are only two stories of survivors. On their famous adventure Jason and the Argonauts heard the Sirens. They fought the sound but eventually were overcome and began to sail their ship toward the rocky coast. Fortunately Orpheus was on board. Orpheus was a musician and singer of such skill that he broke the spell of the Sirens, and the sailors brought their ship, the Argo, back on course.

Odysseus, hero of The Odyssey, had been warned in advance about the Sirens. He plugged the ears of his crew with beeswax, so they couldn't hear the captivating sound. But Odysseus himself wanted to hear the singing, so he had his men tie him to the mast. When the ship drew near the island, he was enchanted by the singing. Moving his head, he gestured to his men to untie him and let him swim to the island. Instead, they tied him even tighter. He begged, he pleaded, and as they sailed beyond the island, he wept. As they sailed further away, he returned to his senses.)

solon:

a legislator; a wise law giver

from Solon, a noted Athenian lawgiver. This is not considered a mythic allusion because Solon actually existed.

stentorian:

very loud. Example: Mr. Trevenen's lessons are stentorian.

from Stentor, a legendary herald whose voice was as loud as fifty voices

stygian:

infernal; dark; gloomy; hellishly dark

from Styx, a river of the lower world leading into Hades

tantalize:

to excite a hope but prevent its fulfillment; tease; tempting someone with something he or she can't have. Something tantalizing is very interesting or desirable.

from Tantalus, who was kept hungry and thirsty in the lower world with food and water very near but just beyond his reach. Tantalus was the son of Zeus and a mortal mother. The gods and goddesses liked Tantalus. He offended the gods at a banquet when he killed his son, cooked him, and served him on a platter. The gods were very angry and they devised a unique and terrible punishment for Tantalus.

Tantalus was chained in a pool in the underworld. Around the pool were fruit trees heavy with ripe fruit. Whenever he was hungry and reached for something to eat, a breeze blew the branches out of his reach. When he was thirsty and tried to drink, the water drained into the ground. When he stood up, it was there again. He was condemned to spend eternity hungry and thirsty even though he was surrounded by food and water.

terpsichorean:

pertaining to dancing

from Terpsichore (pronounced "terp-SICK-ur-ee"), the muse of dancing. Her name comes from two Greek words meaning "to delight in dancing."

thespian:

pertaining to the drama or acting

from Thespis, reputed father of Greek drama. This is not considered a mythic allusion because Thespis actually existed.

titanic:

of enormous strength or size or power

from the Titans, lawless, powerful giants defeated by Zeus. The Titans were a race of gods who lived before Zeus and the other Olympians. They were very big and very strong. Some of the most famous Titans were Cronus, Rhea, Ocean, Hyperion, Atlas, Epimetheus, and Prometheus, who gave fire to humans.

Cronus and Rhea were the parents of Zeus and other Olympian gods and goddesses. Cronus knew that one of his children was destined to overthrow him. As each child was born, he swallowed it. When Zeus was born, though, Rhea wrapped a stone in a baby blanket and gave that to Cronus instead. She hid Zeus on an island. When he became an adult, he forced Cronus to disgorge the stone and his five brothers and sisters: Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, and Demeter. Then he waged a terrible war against Cronus and the Titans. After he won, he sentenced them to cruel punishments.

volcano

1: a vent in the crust of the earth or another planet or a moon from which usually molten or hot rock and steam issue; also : a hill or mountain composed wholly or in part of the ejected material

2: something of explosively violent potential

Vulcan was the Roman god of fire and the forge. As the Olympian blacksmith, he made furnishings, dwellings, and armor for the gods and goddesses. Some poets said Vulcan's forge was under volcanoes and caused smoke and fire to come from them during an eruption. Vulcan was liked and respected both by the gods and by people. He supported those who worked with their hands in trades and manufacturing.

zeal:

eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something : fervor, passion

from Zelos, the god of zeal or great enthusiasm. He was the brother of Nike, the winged goddess of victory, and it seems appropriate that they go together. After all, how can you win at something if you don't give it your enthusiasm?

zephyr

1 a: a breeze from the west b: a gentle breeze

2: any of various lightweight fabrics and articles of clothing

from Zephyr (pronounced "ZEF-er"), the Greek name for the West Wind. and Zephuros, the god of the west wind, one of the four directional Anemoi (Wind-Gods).