Cool Words from Mythology and History 2526

mnemonic

a learning technique that aids in information retention; Mneymosyne, goddess of memory

chaos

complete disorder and confusion; primordial god from which everything comes ("the great void")

cereal

a grain used for food; Ceres was Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture

plutocratic

related to or characterized by the government by the wealthy; plutos "wealth"; Pluto, god of the underworld, where gems and precious metals are found.

Achilles heel

a weakness of vulnerable point (NB: Achilles and Thetis story)

Argus-eyed

someone or something that is watchful or vigilant; Argus - was a guard/monster with 100s of eyes all over his body; he was special to Juno; when killed Juno put his eyes on the peacock

Jovial

good-humored cheerfulness and friendliness; pertaining to Jupiter and his planet

palace

the official residence of a person of royalty or high ranking; the Palatine Hill in Rome was the home of very wealthy senators and the emperor himself

bacchanalian

riotously drunken revelry; Bacchus, the god of wine and vegetation

titanic

gigantic or colossal; a titan was a member of a mythological race of giants who preceded the Olympians

Sisyphean task

a task requiring continual and often ineffective effort. Sisyphus was punished for evading death (i.e., tricking Pluto) and punished to forever push a boulder up a hill only for it to fall back down

ambrosia

food of the gods, gives them immortality; NB: nectar was their drink

aegis

the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization; the name of the shield held by Athena; related to aix (goat) goatskin covering shields

mercurial

subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; related to the speedy god Mercury

narcissistic

personality disorder in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. Narcissus was a beautiful youth in mythology who fell in love with his own reflection in a spring and was turned to the flower narcissus.

labyrinthine

relating to a labyrinth, complex, complicated; related to the minotaur

money

a medium of exchange often in the form of coins or paper notes. Moneta was a surname of Juno who had a temple in Rome in which money was minted

lycanthrope

werewolf; Deriving from the Greek - lykos “wolf” and  -anthrope “man”

thespian

an actor; Thespis was the first actor in Greek drama who created a one man show

Pyrrhic victory

a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat (i.e., a very costly victory that was not worth the price; Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans in the battle of Asculum, but suffered such losses that it ended his campaign

mentor

A wise guild who tends to be more intimate; in his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he placed Mentor in charge of his son Telemachus and of Odysseus' palace

nemesis

a long standing rival. Nemesis is a greek goddess of vengeance, personification of divine wrath.

hypnosis

The coming on of sleep; Hypnos was god of sleep

terpsichorean

relating to the muse of dance. Terpsikhore was one of the 9 Greek Muses

morphine

narcotic drug derived from opium, used to treat severe pain. Morpheus, god of dreams

sycophant

a person who praises those above them for their own gain

Amazon

one of the race of female warriors in Scythia (beyond the Black sea and north of the Caspian) known for their strength and combat skills, often associated with independence and fierce loyalty.

zephyr

A gentle breeze; Zephyros, the west wind in greek mythology

cynic

a person who believes that people are motived by self-interest; cynic comes from the Latin word cynicus which is the Latin equivalent to cynical. The Latin word comes from the Greek word kynikos which means “dog-like”.; a group of greek philosophers founded by Antisthenes took the name “cynics”, from the Greek kynikos, which was used as an insult towards them because of their shameless behavior and rejection of manners.

Draconian

an excessively harsh and severe law; originating from Draco, a 7th-century BC Athenian legislator known for his severe laws.

Elysium

a place or state of ideal happiness; a version of heaven where good people went after they die

Gordian Knot

A intricate, unsolvable problem, solved a difficult problem in a quick, dramatic way. First king of Phrygia (a part of Asia Minor) who said that whoever untied it would be the ruler of Asia, Alexander the Great instead cut the knot, hence the second meaning

lethargic

acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner; Lethe was the river of forgetfulness in the underwolrd

iridescent

exhibiting rainbow-like colors. Iris was the goddess of rainbow and a messenger of the gods.

protean

tending or able to change frequently or easily. Proteus, a sea-god could change his form at will.

ostracize

excludes from society or favor; pottery shards used to vote on exclusion

typhoon

a tropic storm in the region of pacific oceans; Typhon was a huge winged monster, whose head "brushed the stars", human in form above the waist, with snake coils below, and fire flashing

eristic

an argument that aims to successfully dispute another argument, rather than searching for truth; Eris, the goddess of strife and discord

laconic

using very few words; of the region around ancient Sparta; the Spartans, the fiercest warriors in Greece, famously cultivated the skill of saying much in few words

procrustean

enforcing uniformity; Procrustes, a son of Poseidon, was robber and innkeeper who seized travelers, tied them to his bed, and either stretched their limbs or lopped off their legs to make them fit his it

Stygian

a dark or gloomy place; relating to the Styx river

venereal

an outdated word for STD/STI; pertaining to Venus, goddess of love; NB: Venus, Veneris, f.

tantalize

to tease, torment by teasing; Tantalus was punished in the underworld by being denied food and water; he was tied near a pool of water and a tree bearing fruit; every time he bent down to drink the water would recede and every time he would reach for the fruit a wind would blow it out of his reach

panic

sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior; comes from the Greek god Pan, who was known to often cause others to flee his presence in fear (ex. Pan & Syrinx in Ovid’s Metamorphoses).

hermetic

An airtight seal; Etymology: “Hermetic” comes from the religion and philosophy of Hermeticism, which is rooted in the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. According to Hermeticists, Hermes Trismegistus invented a secret method of sealing a glass tube airtight.

spartan

characterized by simplicity, frugality, and avoidance of luxury; derives from the austere lifestyle of the ancient Spartans, known for their discipline and self-denial.

hypocrite

a person who pretends to have virtues or morals that they do not actually possess; the term originates from the Greek word "hypokrites," meaning actor or one who answers.

nectar

a sweet liquid produced by flowers, often associated with the drink of the gods in Greek mythology.

marathon

a long-distance running race of 26.2 miles, named after the legendary run of Pheidippides from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens.

stentorian

describing a loud or powerful voice, named after Stentor, a herald in Greek mythology known for his exceptionally strong voice.

fury

a mythological creature personifying vengeance and retribution, often depicted as fierce winged women in Greek mythology.

Cassandra

a figure in Greek mythology who was given the gift of prophecy but cursed to never be believed, leading to tragic outcomes.

cornucopia

a symbol of abundance and nourishment, often depicted as a large horn overflowing with goods, originating from Greek mythology; in classical Latin cornu copiae "horn of plenty," originally the horn of the goat Amalthea, who nurtured the infant Zeus.

sardonic

characterized by bitterness or scorn, often expressing mocking or cynical humor. The term originates from a plant from Sardinia that supposedly caused a grimace in those who consumed it.