Mythological Allusions

AP English IV, Per. 1

Prometheus 
A Titan who stole fire from
the Gods and presented it to
the primitive mortals out of
pity. Prometheus evoked
Zeus' anger and spent his
days chained to a rock, with
his flesh torn by a great
eagle.

Alludes to people or
occurrences that are highly
creative and bold, often in
defiance of society.

Example: Katy put forth a
Promethean campaign
against the school's
restrictive t-shirt policy.
Pyrrhic Victory


King Pyrrhus of Epirus,
Greece suffered
irreplaceable casualties after
defeating the Romans during
the Pyrrhic War at Heraclea
in 280 B.C.

A victory with great cost to
the victor.

Example: In a Pyrrhic
victory, the doctor was able
to save the life of the soldier
after having removed his
infected leg.
Achilles' Heel

Achilles was made
invulnerable as a baby by
being dipped into the River
Styx. Only his heel—the
place he was held by when
being dipped—was left
unprotected, which led to his
downfall when it was struck
by an arrow.

Refers to a person's
vulnerability or fatal flaw.

Example: He was a shrewd
business man and investor,
but his Achilles heel was
gambling.
Adonis


A beautiful youth slain by a
boar and thus allowed by
Zeus to life four months
with Aphrodite, four with
Persephone, and four in any
manner which he so chose.

Suggests unparalleled
beauty, attractiveness, and
youthfulness, perhaps to the
point of vanity.

Example: The girls all
fawned on the Adonis of the
soccer team.
Cassandra 
Daughter of Priam and
Hecuba, cursed by Apollo so
that her prophecies and her
anticipation of the fall of
Troy, though true, were fated
never to be believed.

Describes those who take the
role of antagonist toward
widespread or institutional
ignorance of the future
consequences of current
actions.

Example: Acting as
Cassandra, environmentalists
warn of global warming and
future disaster.
Sop to Cerberus


Greeks and Romans put a
slice of cake in the hands of
the dead to help pacify
Cerberus on their way to
Hades.

Means to give a gift to a
troublesome person to quiet
them.

Example: The father gently
shoved his son away,
folding a few dollars, his sop
to Cerberus, into the child's
hand.
Narcissus 
Beautiful, but scorned all
male suitors and, through a
curse, fell in love with his
own reflection.

Is used to describe someone
who is "in love" with
themselves and/or is very
vain and conceited, can also
be used archaically to imply
that the vain person will
waste their life being in love
with their good looks.

Example: She hoped the
rumors weren't true, but the
rock star was indeed an
insufferable narcissist.
Pericles


A prominent and influential
statesman, orator, and general
of Athens in the city's Golden
Age. Patron of the arts and
literature and also the first
populist.

Wise and eloquent; or, of an
era in which governance is in
the hands of the people.

Example: The teacher lectured
the class with Periclean
authority.
Damon and Pythias

When the tyrannical ruler of his
city condemned Pythias to death,
Pythias pleaded for time to go
home. Damon agreed to stay and
die in his place if he did not
return in time. Pythias was
delayed, and Damon prepared to
be executed, but Pythias arrived
just in time. The ruler was so
impressed by their friendship that
he let them both live.

Means two youths whose loyalty
to each other symbolizes true
friendship .

Example: My friendship with
Kelsey is as important as Damon
and Pythias’.
Delphic


The oracles of Delphi are
likely the most famous of all
time, predicting many
ancient events, though often
in a cryptic manner.

Used to describe ambiguous,
oracular, or cryptic
statements.

Example: The woman made
a great deal of Delphic
pronouncements.
Diogenes

Greek philosopher who
denied the ridiculous nature
of established social rules,
reflected in his lack of
cleanliness and bathing and
such in public.

Usually alludes to a person's
lack of humility in public.

Example: “My college
professor wears the same
clothes every day and
doesn’t wear shoes, but he’s
a genius. He reminds me of
Diogenes."
Furies

The Roman name for the
Greek Erinyes, vicious
mythological beings that
were the female
personifications of
vengeance who punished
those who broke promises
and laws.

Often used to describe the
intensity of violence or
dislike.

Example: "His guilt over the
murder rent his mind like the
claws of the Furies."
Εϖεν Ηοµερ Νοδσ

Translated from Horace’s “Ars
Poetica” (Roman) is the line
“Homer sometimes nods” or
“even Homer nods”. Homer
being the legendary Greek
Poet and author of The Iliad
and The Odyssey.

Refers to one of the universal
human traits: lethargy. That
people (even the most brilliant
and wise) are subject to a
degree of failure.

Example: No need to beat
yourself up over that one bad
essay remember; even Homer
nods.
 Nimrod

Skilled Biblical hunter and king of
the first empire following the
Flood. His realm included
Babylon, and he is said to have
presided over the construction of
the Tower of Babel.

Could be used to compare an
individual to a mighty huntsman,
but recently it suggests a silly or
foolish person thanks to Elmer
Fudd being called a "poor little
Nimrod" by Bugs Bunny.

Example: “Jim is the Nimrod of
deer hunting.”/“He’s a complete
nimrod; he never has a clue
what’s going on.”
Sword of Damocles

Damocles, a flattering courtier,
was allowed to feast in the place
of Dionysus, but midway
through the meal, he noticed a
sword had been hanging over his
head by a single horsehair.

Describes the constant peril
faced by those in high positions,
a precarious situation, or the
importance of understanding the
experience of another.

Example: “It would be wise to
avoid judging the relative
quality of someone's life lest you
face the Sword of Damocles.”
Xanadu

Mythical location invented
for the setting of Samuel
Coleridge's poem Kubla
Khan in 1798. Xanadu is
described as a pure paradise
with an emphasis on rain
forest beauty and passionate
women.

Describes any sort of lush
paradise, especially tropical.

Example: “When I was
walking with my girlfriend
on the River Trail, I could
have sworn I was in
Xanadu."
FIN