Chapters 16 and 17 Flashcards
augeo-augere-auctum
enlarge;increase
auctor, auctoris
one who increases
drama (greek)
doing
historia (greek)
inquiry
hymnos (greek)
song in praise of deity
litera, litterae
letter;literature
paean (greek)
song of thanksgiving to Apollo
comos (greek)
revel; merry-making
comoedia (greek)
revel-song; comedy
catharsis (greek)
cleansing; pruification
choreuo (greek)
dance in a circle
character (greek)
mark, stamp;special type
clamo-clamare-calamatum
shout, call out
criticon (greek)
able to judge
hypocrites (greek)
actor
crisis (greek)
decision; trial; dispute
histrio, histrionis
actor
mimesis (greek)
representation; imitation
orchestra (greek)
place where the chorus danced
plaudo-plaudere-plausum
clap, strike
-plodo, -plodere, -plosum
clap, strike
protagonis (greek)
leading actor
scene (greek)
tent;stage wall;stage backdrop
theaomai (greek)
look at, see
theatron (greek)
theater
tragoedia (greek)
literally, goat-song;tragedy
musice (greek)
belonging to the Muses
sono-sonare-sonitum
sound
melodia (greek)
song
canot-cantare-cantatum
sing
organon (greek)
instrument
stringo-stringere-strictum
draw tight, bind; cut off
percutio-percutere-percussum
strike
cornu, cornus
horn
cymbalon (greek)
cymbal
tympanon (greek)
drum
cithara (greek)
lyre, lute
tuba, tubae
trumpet
agon (greek)
contest
arena, arenae
san; arena, place for contests
athlos (greek)
contest
discos (greek)
plate, disc
dromos (greek)
running
gladius, gladii
sword
gymnazo (greek)
exercise naked; train
peto-petere-petitum
seek, ask; strive for
prestigiae, prestigiarum
delusion, deception
pugno-pugnare-pugnatum
fight
stadion (greek)
race course
sthenos (greek)
strength
testor-testari-testatum
show; prove; witness
ambitio, ambitionis
going around; canvassing for votes; desire for office
cado-cadere-casum
fall
-cido, -cidere, -cisum
fall
panis, panis
bread
votum, voti
vow, oath
effervesco-effervescere
being to boil, foam, bubble
adolesco-adolescere-adultum
grow up
coalesco-coalescere-coalitum
grow together, become one
obsolesco-obsolescere-obsoletum
wear out, decay; go out of use
Zeus
ruler of god and mortals
Jupiter (Jove)
ruler of god and mortals
Hera
wife and consort of Zeus (Jove); patron of marriage and the family
Juno
wife and consort of Zeus (Jove); patron of marriage and the family
Poseidon
ruler of the sea
Neptune
ruler of the sea
Demeter
goddess of grain and fertility
Ceres
goddess of grain and fertility
Athene
goddess of wisdom; patron of arts and crafts; protector of heroes
Minerva
goddess of wisdom; patron of arts and crafts; protector of heroes
Artemis
goddess of the hunt; protector of wild animals; gaurdian of children
Diana
goddess of the hunt; protector of wild animals; gaurdian of children
Ares
god of war and destruction
Mars
god of war and destruction
Aphrodite
goddess of sexual passion and fertility
Venus
goddess of sexual passion and fertility
Hades, Plutus
god of the underworld
Saturnus, Pluto
god of the underworld
Hermes
messenger of the gods
Mercury
messenger of the gods
Hephaestus
blacksmith and fire god
Vulcan
blacksmith and fire god
Apollo
god of light and inspiration; patron of the arts
Titans
race of giants who ruled the world before Zeus
Dionysus (Bacchus)
god of wine and flowing fertility, who inspired madness in his followers
Pan
god of shepherds and flocks, often associated with Dionysus
Nemesis
goddess of retribution
Mount Olympus
residence of many of the Greek gods, who were thus referred to as the Olympians
Styx
the main river in the underworld, and also its boundary line. The ancient Greeks believed that in order to enter the realm of Hades, one had to be ferried across the Styx by the boatman Charon, at the cost of one obol; thus, the dead were buried with a coin in their mouths.
Lethe
river in the underworld whose waters caused the dead to forget their pas lives.
legarthy
the state of mental apathy and physical drowsiness
Elysium or Elysian Fields
the dwelling place of those few fortunate mortals who had been granted eternal conscious life and happiness by the gods
Augean Stables
the stables of King Augeas were so filthy that the Greek hero Hercules, as one of his twelve labors, had to divert two rivers in order to cleanse them in a single day
Labyrinth
a maze built on Crete for King Minos by the famed Greek architect Daedalus in order to imprison the Minotaur, a man-eating creature that was half-bull and half-human
Cerberus
three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to the Underworld
Chimera
a fire-breathing monster that had the head of a lion, the torso of a goat, and the tail of a sank
chimerical
describes something that is wildly fanciful and unrealistic
Gryphon or Griffin
a mythical creature with the head and wings of an eagle and body of a lion
Harpies
bird-like women who tormented a number of individuals in Greek myth by snatching away their food as they tried to eat
Medusa
one of the three monstrous Gorgons, she had hair of snakes, and her glance turned men to stone
Phoenix
a fabulous bird of great beauty, said to live for 500 years, after which it would immolate itself on a pyre, and then rise up, once again, from the ashes
Sirens
bird-like women who lured sailors to their deaths by singing sweet and entrancing melodies while sitting on the treacherous rocks that rose up from the sea
Sphinx
a winged female monster who would eat young men who could not answer her riddle, “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?” She committed suicide when Oedipus gave the correct answer; man.
Sphinx as a noun
may be used to describe anyone who gives responses that are difficult to interpret
The Amazons
The Amazons were said to be a race of warrior women who lived without men and who excelled in those activities such as hunting, fighting, normally considered to belong to the male sphere.
Amazon
now used to described a tall and physically powerful woman
Atlas
Atlas was a Titan who was condemned by the victorious Zeus to hold the sky on his shoulders. He gives his name to any bound collection of maps or charts.
The Golden Fleece
The Greek hero Jason was sent on a meant-to-be fatal quest to retrieve the golden fleece of a ram. The fleece was guarded by a fire-breathing dragon that never slept; but Jason, with the help of the witch Medusa, was able to steal the skin and escape
King Midas and the Golden Torch
Because he had done a kindness to the god Dionysus, Midas was granted any wish he might desire. Requesting that everything he touch turn to gold, he was at first delighted with his good fortune, but soon bedded the god to take back his gift. He had turned his daughter into gold and he was starving to death as well. Although the gift of the golden torch proved to be almost disastrous for Midas, we now use the term in a positive way.
The Labors of Hercules
Hercules (or as the Greeks called him, Hercales) was the greatest of all the ancient mythological heroes. In order to gain immortal fame, he had to perform twelve death defying labors, including a journey to the Underworld
Pandora’s Box
Pandora, the first woman, who was created by the gods to revenge for Prometheus’s theft of fire, was given a box containing all the evils of the world. Instructed to not open, she disobeyed and released every kind of suffering into the world. Only Blind Hope remained inside. The phrase is used today to mean a source of unforeseen trouble or problem.
Procrustes
Procrustes was said to have entertained his guests by inviting them to spend the night. If they did not fit exactly into the bed he offered, he would stretch them on a rack or lop off their head to ensure a perfect nights sleep.
procrustean
an adjective that is sued to describe arbitrary and violent means of insuring conformity
Prometheus
A Titan, Prometheus stole fire from the gods because he pitied mankind. In punishment, Zeus had him bound on a rock, where each day an eagle would tear at his liver. Some say that he was freed eventually by the Greek hero, Hercule.
promethean
boldly original and creative
Proteus
Proteus was a god of the sea who, like the water, could change himself into whatever form he wished.
protean
an adjective that means extremely variable or changeable
Sisyphus
As punishment for some unspecified crime, Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to forever push a boulder to the top of a hill in the Underworld, only to watch it roll back down again. His name has become synonymous with futility.
Tantalus
Tantalus, who either betrayed the secrets of the gods or attempted to trick them into eating human flesh, was punished in the Underworld. He was forced to stand in a pool up to his chin; when he bent down to quench his overwhelming thirst, the water evaporated. Above his head hung bunches of fruit; but when he reached up to pick them, they were beyond his grasp.
tantalizing
an adjective that describes a tormenting desire for something that is unattainable
Apple of Discord
Eris, the goddess of Strife, angered at not being invited to the wedding of the mortal Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis, threw a golden apple inscribed with the words “to the fairest” among the divine guests. Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite all laid claim and appealed to Zeus to choose among them
The Judgement of Pairs
Zeus, wisely deciding not to get involved, chose Paris, a young Trojan prince, to judge the beauty contest among the goddesses. Each offered him a bribe, but Paris selected Aphrodite because she promised him Helen.
Helen
Helen may have been Paris’s prize, but unfortunately, she was married to Menelaus, a Greek king. It was the kidnapping of Helen, who had a face “that launched a thousand ships,” that led to the outbreak of the war.
Achilles
The son of Peleus and Thetis, Achilles was the greatest of the Greek heroes to fight in Troy. According to one tradition, his mother dipped him in the river Styx in order to make his body invulnerable. Unfortunately, she was holding him by his heel, which was then unprotected against a fatal wound.
Achilles heel
a term used to describe a point of emotional or physical vulnerability
Myrmidons
The Myrmidons were the loyal group of Achilles’s followers who accompanied him to Troy. The name is now applied to anyone who blindly follows the commands of his leader.
Hector
In the Illiad, Hector is the gallant leader of the Trojan forces; but later traditions depicted him as a domineering bully. Thus, we have the verb hector, which means to act or speak in an overbearing way.
Cassandra
The daughter of the kind of Troy, Cassandra had been given a gift of prophecy by Apollo, who had hoped to win her love. When she spurned him, the god caused her not be believed. She foresaw the destruction of the city, but her warnings were ignored. Her name is now applied to anyone who predicts gloom and disaster
Trojan Horse
After ten years of fighting, the Greeks still had not taken Troy, for the city had strong and well-defended walls. It was only through the trick of the wooden horse that the Greeks were able to gain entry into the city and then destroy it. Although the Trojan seer Laocoon had warned them with the words, “Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even those bearing gifts,” the Trojans dragged the huge horse, which the Greeks built with the help of Athene, inside the city gates, unaware that it was filled with Greek soldiers. While the Trojans slept, the Greeks climbed out and overwhelmed the city.
The Term Trojan Horse
Anyone that seeks to destroy within
Stentor
Stentor was the herald of the Greek army and had a voice as loud as those of fifty men.
stentorian
an adjective that is now applied to a person having a loud and powerful voice
Odysseus
The Odysseus was a brave and clever fighter at Troy, but his confrontation with danger really began on his journey back to his native Ithaca, a trip that took him nine years. Despite his extraordinary adventures, recorded in the Odyssey, all that Odysseus longed for was to return home.
Penelope
While Odysseus wandered, Penelope, his faithful wife, kept off the advances of many suitors who wished not only to marry her, but also to gain Odysseus’s kingdom. By a variety of clever stratagems, she fended them off until Odysseus’s return. Penelope became the model of the faithful wife
Mentor
Mentor, a friend of Odysseus, gave helpful advice and counsel to Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, while Odysseus was absent. his name now means a wise counselor or teacher.
Arcadia
Arcadia, a region in southwestern Greece, was viewed by ancient poets as a place of bucolic simplicity. Later writers continued to celebrate that tradition, and the adjective Arcadian is now used to describe an idealized rural existence.
Rich as Croesus
Croesus, a sixth century BCE kind of Lydia, was said to have been so rich that his name has come to mean a person of untold wealth.
Draconian
Draco, a seventh century BCE Athenian lawgiver, produced a legal code so harsh in its penalties that his laws were said to have been written in blood, not ink. Any unusually severe measure may be described as draconian.
Laconic
The ancient city-state of Sparta was located in the regions of Greece called Laconia. Since Spartans were known for the brevity of their speech, the adjective laconic may be used to describe an individual who is concise in his remarks
Mausoleum
The widow of the fourth-century BCE king Mausolus built a tomb for her husband at Halicarnassus that was so spectacularly decorated with sculpture that it became synonymous with an elaborate monument to the dead.
Meander
The Meander River, in Asia Minor, was noted for its twisted and winding path in the Aegean Sea.
Pyrrhic victory
In the third century BCE, Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus, fought and won many battles against the Romans, but such great costs that he is reported to have said, “One victory like this and I am undone.” A pyrrhic victory, then, is one that is gained at too great a cost.
Solecism
The inhabitants of ancient Soloi were so famous for their terrible Greek grammar that they gave their name to the incorrect usage of language or manners.
Solon
Solon, an Athenian leader of the early 6th century NCE, was noted for his keen sense of justice. His social and political reforms laid the groundwork for the Athenian democracy, and his name now may be used to describe a wise statesman or lawmaker.
Spartan
The inhabitants pf Sparta prided themselves on their rigorous, disciplined, and simple way of life. To live in this way may be described as spartan.
Sybaritic
The inhabitants of the ancient Greek city of Sybaris, on the other hand, were noted for their luxurious and excessive way of life. Although the city was destroyed in the sixth century BCE, it survives in the adjective sybaritic, which described the enjoyment of sensuous and indulgent pleasures.
sophia (greek)
wisdom
ethos (greek)
custom, usage; character, disposition
mos, moris
custom, usage; manner
ingenium, ingenii
natural quality; inborn characteristic
genus, generis
natural quality; inborn characteristic
Platonism
the doctrine of the fourth century BCE Greek philosopher Plato and his successors. Because Plato taught the highest form of love was that of the soul for the Good, the term platonic is most often used not to refer to his elevation above all else of spiritual lover untouched by physical desire
Stoicism
the doctrine of the school of philosophy founded by the fourth century BCE by Zeno; the word stoic is now used to refer to one of the central teachings of the school, that one should submit uncomplainingly to Fate and “go with the flow.”
stoa (greek)
the adjective from which stoic is derived from, a detached portico in Athens where Zeno supposedly taught his followers.
Epicuseanism
the teachings of the fourth-century BCE Greek philosopher Epicurus, who preached that the highest good is pleasure, which his followers interpreted as freedom from pain or disturbance, but which his critics condemned as the pursuit of unbridled freedom and indulgence. The adjective is now used to refer to the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, especially eating and drinking.
Hedonism
the doctrine that teaches that pleasure or happiness is the highest good. The noun is derived from hedone (greek), and now connotes an excessive devotion to physical pleasure
Cynicism
a doctrine of a school of Greek philosophy that preached independence of action and complete freedom form social conventions. The etymology of the name is a matter of debate; the root of the word is kyon, kynos (greek) meaning dog, and it has been suggested that the name is derived from the fact that the Cynics were noted for their rude behavior and took special pleasures in violated the rules of polite society. Perhaps the most famous of the Cynics was the 4th century BCE Diogenes, who went about with a lantern saying that he was looking for an honest man. Today, the word is used to describe someone who questions social values and distrusts human sincerity and moral purpose.
Skepticism
The skeptic philosophers taught that since sense perceptions were deceptive, there was no possibility of absolute knowledge about anything, and therefore, one was to withhold judgement about everything. Pyrrhon, the fourth century BCE founder of the school, taught that nobody has yet found the truth, so why distress ourselves? By genuinely indifferent to all that happens, for appearances are enough to live by.
biblos (greek)
books
dogma (greek)
decree; opinion; teaching
doxa (greek)
belief; opinion
doceo-docere-doctum
show, teach
apostello (greek)
send out
martys, martyros (greek
witness
oecumene (greek)
inhabited world
angelos (greek)
messenger
ecclesia (greek)
assembly
heiros (greek)
sacred
hagios (greek)
sacred, holy; saint
credo-credere-creditum
believe; trust
sacrum, sacri
sacred, holy
templum, templi
temple
