Many modern

words and phrases

make reference to people or events in Greek

mythology

Make a “Herculean effort”

Modern definition: requiring an enormous amount of work, strength or courage

Example: Climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest is a Herculean effort.

Herculean effort: mythology connection

• Heracles (Hercules)= son of Zeus • Had immense strength and courage• Ordered to complete 12 labors (very

difficult tasks) to be forgiven for the murder of his wife and children

• Completed them all• A “Herculean effort” become

something require great strength and courage.

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titanic

• Modern definition: An adjective meaning enormous strength, size, or power; gigantic

Example: The titanic achievements of the computer industry is a benefit to the entire world.

titanic mythology connection

• The elder group of gigantic gods and goddess

• Parents to the Olympian gods

To have an “Achilles’ heel”

• Modern definition: a weakness that can lead to your downfall

• Example: His love for fast food will someday prove to be his Achilles’ heel.”

Achilles’ heel mythology connection

• Achilles = Greek Warrior• Hero of the Trojan War• It was prophesized he

would die young, so his Mother Thetis dipped him into the River Styx to make him immortal

• She held him by the heel, so that became a weak area.

• He died by a poisoned arrow to the heel

Narcissistic

• Nar-si-sis-tick• Modern definition: vanity,

fascination with yourself, self-centered

• Narcissus: white flower in the daffodil family

Example: The narcissistic princess did not think any prince in the kingdom was good enough to marry.

Narcissisticmythology connection

• Narcissus was the son of a river god and nymph

• Very beautiful• Told he would live a long

life if he never looked at himself

• Rejected the love of Echo, angered gods

• Fell in love with himself, and gazed at himself until he pined way (died)

• Flower that grew on that spot is called a narcissus

To have the “Midas Touch”

• Modern definition: refers to someone who makes money easily or has a lot of luck

• Example: Justin Beiber seems to have the Midas touch in the music industry.

Midas touchmythology connection

• Satyr Silenus - friend of Dionysus went missing

• King Midas, found him and returned him

• Dionysus offered to grant Midas one wish.

• Wished that anything he touched should turn into gold.

• It was a curse: it turned even his food and his daughter to gold

• Begged Dionysus to lift it• He did

tantalize

• Modern definition: a verb, to torment or tease someone with the sight or promise of something unobtainable.

• Example: The smell of the cookies from the bakery would tantalize even the strictest dieter.

Tantalizemythology connection

• Tantalus stole ambrosia and nectar from the gods, boiled his own son as a sacrifice to the gods.

• Condemned to an eternity of hunger and thirst

• Forced to stand in a pool, and when he tried to drink, it would drain away

• Over his head was fruit, but if he tried to pick it, it would move away from his reach.

To open Pandora’s Box

• Modern definition: to do something that may have unforeseen and unpleasant consequences

• Example: Having my grades on the portal opens up a huge Pandora’s box every time I have a test.

Pandora’s Boxmythology connection

• Pandora= Zeus’ daughter, created to punish mankind because Prometheus gave man the gift of fire.

• Given a locked box, told never to open it

• Curiosity got the best of her and she opened the box

• Evil, hate, envy, crime, sickness, and disease escaped into the world.

• Hope was also hiding in the box.

Wait, there’s more!

• Morphine: from Morpheus, god of sleep• Europe: from Europa, the maiden carried

off by Zeus• Atlas: (maps) Titan who held up the earth • Aphrodisiac: from Aphrodite, goddess of

love• Phobia: from Phobos, god of fear• Panic: from Pan, (satyr) who liked to

frighten humans