| Term | Definition |
|---|
| open a Pandora’s box | Zeus gave Pandora, the first woman, a box with specific directions not to open it. At one point her curiosity got the best of her so she decided to open the box. Inside the box contained all the evils and miseries of the world. Once she opened the box all of which was contained in the box flew out and afflicted humankind. |
| Achilles heel | When Achilles was born his mother, named Thetis, tried to make him immortal by immerging him in the Styx river. She dunked him and held him by one heel. Thetis forgot to dunk her son a second time to cover the heel. Achilles heel stayed mortal and vulnerable while the rest of his body was immortal. While Achilles was fighting against the Trojans, Paris shot him with an arrow from behind and killed him. |
| Midas touch | One day the king of Phrygia’s farmhands found a satyr sleeping in the vineyards. When the farmhands brought it to the king he recognized the satyr to be Silenus. Immediately he told his farmhands to let the satyr go. Silenus told the king why he was there and how grateful he was. This made Dionysus very happy and decided to let the king wish for anything he wanted. The king of Phrygia wished for the power to transform anything he touched into gold. |
| beware of Greeks bearing gifts | The Greeks built a big Trojan horse as a gift for the Trojans to say that they surrendered and this was a gift for their gods. The Trojans believed them and let the horse into their city. When night fell all the Greek troops that were in the horse let the others in. The Greek troops then destroyed the city of Troy. In this was the gift that the Greeks had given the Trojans destroyed them. |
| rise from the ashes of Phoenix | A Phoenix is a female mythology bird that represents life after death and immorality. This bird is the most perfect example of rebirth. The Phoenix rises from the ashes of her own funeral Phyr and begins a new life. When the bird feels it’s life is ending it builds a nest at the top of a palm tree. When her life ends and the flames begin, then the flames die down, from the ashes a new life comes. A new Phoenix. |
| the sword of Damocles | There was a very powerful and rich king named Dionysius. He was so cruel to the people that he earned the name tyrant. Everyone hated the king and every second he was dreading that someone might take his life. One day Damocles, Dionysius’ friend, mentioned to the king how happy he must be, for he has everything a man could wish for. The king’s reply was asking Damocles if he wanted to trade places. Damocles said no but maybe just for a day. Therefore, the next day Dionysius and Damocles switched places. Damocles enjoyed being waited on and sitting on nice soft cushions. He then decided to look towards the ceiling and he was a sharp point that of a sword dangling above and very close to his head that could break any moment. Damocles was very scared and Dionysius asked him what was wrong. Damocles told him and Dionysius said why should that trouble you I live with a sword over my head everyday. It was then that Damocles found he was mistaken and that all rich, powerful men aren’t happy. |
| a Cassandra | Cassandra was a mortal woman who Apollo was trying to win her affections. She received the gift to foretell the future from Apollo who taught her the art of prophecy in order to win her. Cassandra allowed Apollo to be her instructor but nothing more. This mad Apollo angry and he turned Cassandra gift into a curse. Anything she tried to warn her companions about they didn’t believe her instead thought all the information was lies. She predicted many disasters but no one would listen to her so they just happened. |
| Caught between Scylla and Charybdis | On the way home Odysseus has to navigate through a narrow strait in which Scylla and Charybdis are on each side. Scylla is a monster with six heads who will eat any sailor it can reach. Charybdis is a whirlpool monster who will suck in any ship to the seas. Odysseus knows that either way he goes he must lose something. He has to figure out which way will be the least costly. In the end Odysseus decides to go towards Scylla because he will lose some of his men but not all. |
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