ProfusionOfAllusions Flashcards
Abraham and Issac
this story is symbolic of man’s willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice to demonstrate his faith and trust in God. It is symbolic of the idea that faith shall be rewarded
Absalom
very handsome son of david; killed his half brother, father david forgave him; later killed david with three darts to the heart
Achilles
Greatest Greek warrior, husband of Briseis whom Agamemnon steals, only vulnerable place is his heel, prophecy that he would die in the Trojan war, which he does at the hand of Paris
Agamemnon
Former king of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus, and commander of the Achaean forces at Troy. Odysseus encounters Agamemnon’s spirit in Hades. Agamemnon was murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, upon his return from the war. He was later avenged by his son Orestes. Their story is constantly repeated in the Odyssey to offer an inverted image of the fortunes of Odysseus and Telemachus.
Antigone
(Greek mythology) the daughter of King Oedipus who disobeyed her father and was condemned to death
Armageddon
The scene of a final battle between the forces of good and evil, prophesied to occur at the end of the world; a decisive or catastrophic conflict
Atalanta
Discarded by her father, she is raised by a bear, and she helped kill the Calydonian Boar, Marries the first man who can beat her in a footrace. He cheated and was helped by Aphrodite
Atlas
(Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders
Blind Leading the Blind
And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. In the Bible, blindness frequently represents a lack of spiritual enlightenment. This particular reference from Matthew implies that wisdom cannot be attained through the teachings of the unenlightened.
By Bread Alone
In Matthew, Christ says “Man shall not live by bread alone buy by every word of God” – Not all human needs are met by food, human kindness is important
Cain and Abel
The Two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was older and a farmer; Abel was a shepherd. They made offerings to God, who liked Abel’s lamb better than Cain’s wheat. Cain was jealous and slew Abel, for which he was forced to roam as an outcast, with a horrible mark on his forehead that showed that he killed his brother. He said, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Camel through a Needle’s Eye
Matthew and Luke stated that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven
Cassandra
The daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy.
Cast the First Stone
In John, a woman caught in adultery was to be publicly stoned. But Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her…” This is a warning against hypocrisy.
Conversion of Saul
In Acts, Saul, a Roman citizen, actively persecuted the new Christian believers. While on the road to Damascus, Saul was blinded by a “light from heaven” and heard the words of God. Three days later, he accepted baptsim and “the scales” fell from his eyes. Saul is known as St. Paul, one of the major figures in the early Christian church.
Crucifixion
the death of Jesus on the cross
Daedalus and Icarus
Daedalus was King Minos’s architect, Icarus was his son; Daedalus made the labyrinth to keep the Minotaur in, King Minos did not want anyone to know the secrets of it so he locked Daedalus and his son in a tower; they wanted to get out so they made wings out of feathers; Icarus flew too high and the sun melted the wax; he drowned.
Damocles, sword of
A symbol of impending peril in Greek mythology. Damocles was seated at a sumptuous banquet only to look up to see a sword suspended by a thread over his head. This spoiled his pleasure. In modern literary usage, the term indicates impending disaster.
Damon and Pythias
In Greek mythology, these were two inseparable friends who would lay down their lives for one another. They symbolize lasting friendship.
Daniel
A young Hebrew prophet who prayed even when the king had ordered that no one pray. For this, he was thrown into a lion’s den, where he should have been killed. Instead, God saved him and he came out of the lion’s den unhurt. A symbol of God’s protection and the rewards of faith.
David and Bathsheba
David had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba married, after Bathsheba’s husband was sent to war and killed. The son conceived during their affair died, but Bathsheba later gave birth to Soloman.
David and Goliath
David decided to take on Goliath because he did not see any thing to be scared of, he took only a staff a slingshot and a bag of stones. He shot a stone into Goliath’s eye and he fell, then David took a sword and chopped off his head, finally defeating the Giant
Dionysus or Bacchus
god of wine, revelry, the power of nature, fertility, and emotional ecstacy; thought of in terms of overuse or excess
divide the sheep from the goats
this phrase refers to the biblical parable explaining the time of judgement, when the faithful (good and saved) would be separated from the unfaithful (condemned). it alludes to the division of the true from the false, the worthy from the unworthy.
eye for an eye
In Leviticus, the passage “Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth” recommends the practice of exacting specific and equal punishment for a transgression or injury; for example, killing a murderer for his crime of killing another. (This was later revised in Matthew: “…whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”)
four horsemen of the apocalypse
four figures in the book of Revelation who symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world. Conquest rides a white hors; war rides a red horse; famine rides a black horse; and plague rides a white horse.
garden of Gethsemane
place where Jesus often went with his disciples to pray, rest, and talk; here that he was betrayed by judas iscariot
good Samaritan
The kind man who helped the person who had been beaten, robbed, and left to die on his way to Jericho
Grail or Holy Grail
Chalice or cup that caught the blood from Christ’s side and which he had used at the Last Supper. Brings health and sustenance to those who hold it and may be found only by the pure of heart.
heap coals of fire
teaches a lesson in mercy and cautions “be kind to your enemy”
Herod
The king of the Hebrews who ordered John the Baptist beheaded for Salome’s reward and who ordered all Jewish males under age two killed to prevent the “King of the Jews” from overthrowing him.
house has many mansions
there is room in heaven for all who believes
Iphigenia
A daughter of Agamemnon. Agamemnon must sacrifice Iphigenia to Artemis in order for the winds to allow him to sail to Troy.
Issac
the son of the Abraham and Sarah; he married Rebakah.
Jacob
grandson of Abraham, son of Isaac and Rebekah, brother of Esau, and the traditional ancestor of Israelites. His name was changed to Israel, and his 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel.
Jacob and Esau
Biblical: Twin brothers, E being the older of the two. J deceives his brother into parting with his birthright and his father into giving him the blessing of the first born. *Signifies sibling rivalry.
Jacob’s ladder
vision of god’s angels ascending and descending; commonly referred to as a “wrestling with God”
Jephthah’s daughter
Judges, story of another father’s sacrifice of a daughter to keep a vow. He vowed to sacrifice whatever living creature emerged first from his house in return for victory over the Ammonites. His daughter would not let him break his vow but asked for 2 months respite to walk the mountains and mourn her virginity – which she retained. Model for saints who died to protect their virginity.
Jezebel
wife of Ahab; responsible for turning him the worship of god; woman who turns someone from good to evil; another term for a “controlling wife”
John the Baptist
Jesus’s cousin (born of Elizabeth at old age), a messenger sent to prepare the way; baptized Jesus and pointed to him as the Messiah; preached repentance
Joseph and his brothers
sons of Jacob. Joseph was the favored son and was given preferred treatment and a special jacket called the coat of many colors. His jealous brothers sold Joseph to slave traders who in turn sold him the pharaoh in Egypt. Joseph was promoted to a high office in the Egyptian government. As a result he was able to save his family from starvation during a famine in Israel.
Joseph and Potiphar’s wife
In Genesis, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. When he refused, she accused him of attempted rape, and he was imprisoned. He was released by the pharaoh in order to interpret his dream
Joseph in Egypt
Joseph can interpret dreams and while in jail he interprets the Pharaoh of Egypt’s dream and becomes very close with the Pharaoh. He gives Joseph land who reunites with his family
Jonah
a person believed to bring bad luck to those around him
Judas Iscariot
disciple of Jesus who betrayed Jesus
judgement of Paris
The incident that ultimately brought on the Trojan War. A contest between the three most beautiful goddesses of Olympos–Aphrodite, Hera and Athena–for the prize of a golden apple. Aphrodite won by offering Helen to King Paris of Troy.
know them by their fruits
the injunction entreats us judge others by their actions, rather than by appearances
labors of Hercules
Hera found out that Hercules was the son of Zeus, started to drive him crazy, so crazy that he killed his wife and children; punishment for murders: 12 labors; completed all of them and became a hero.
Laius
(Greek mythology) king of Thebes who was unwittingly killed by his son Oedipus
lamb to the slaughter
Isiah’s prophesy of one who takes the sins of the people on himself and sacrifices himself to expiate others’ sins, just as a lamb is sacrificed
Last Supper
The last meal Jesus ate with his disciples. At this meal Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him before the night was out.
Lazarus
a man who Jesus raised from the dead, even though he’d been buried for three days. A symbol of Jesus’s power and of possibilities.
Leda
(Greek mythology) a queen of Sparta who was raped by Zeus who had taken the form of a swan
lilies of the field
example of the way God cares for the faithful
lion lies down with the lamb
classic image of the idyllic harmony and universal peace of the earthly paradise that will come when the Messiah arrives
loaves and fishes
one of Jesus’s most famous miracles. Many people came to hear him preach to feed the masses he multiplied a few loaves and fishes. Everyone was fed with food to spare. Symbolizes a miraculous appearance of resources.
Lot/Lot’s wife
Lot’s wife turns to a pillar of salt when she looks back on Sodom and Gommorah - Lot’s oldest/firstborn daughter has Moab - The younger daughter has Ben-ammi - Lot’s daughters got him drunk and had sex with him to bear his children
Magi
The wise men
mammon
(New Testament) a personification of wealth and avarice as an evil spirit
Mary (the Virgin)
in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Mary is the mother of Jesus and wife of Joseph. symbolic of purity, virginity, and maternal love, she is the object of special devotion in the Roman Catholic church and the major subject, along with her son, of thousands of works of art, especially the art of the Renaissance.
Mary Magdalene
sinful woman Jesus healed of evil spirits
massacre of the innocents
at the time of the birth of Jesus, Herod, hoping to squelch any possible threat to his throne, ordered the death of all males babies born in Bethlehem during a two-year period determined by the appearance of an extraordinary “star in the East.” Joseph, warned in a dream, took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt, thus escaping the massacre.
Medusa
(Greek mythology) a woman transformed into a Gorgon by Athena
Minotaur
(Greek mythology) a mythical monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man
Moses
(Old Testament) the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites from Egypt across the Red sea on a journey known as the Exodus
Myrmidons
brutality and savagery ; ants turned to humans
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
Was the most powerful and longest-reigning king of Mesopotamia. During his reign he had a series of prophetic dreams or visions which he was unable to interpret. Daniel came along and explained his dream and then foretold the emergence of an indestructible kingdom of God and was rewarded with a high position.
Nemesis
(Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance
nirvana
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
Noah and the flood
In the old testament God made it rain for 40 days and nights to punish the world for their sin. Noah alone was found righteous and him and his family were saved.
Odyssey
a long wandering and eventful journey
Oedipus
(Greek mythology) a tragic king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta
Pandora
first woman created by Zeus; opens a box full of evil things that are now on the earth; given to Epimetheus
Persephone
Queen of the Underworld
Pharisees
sect of Jews from Judea consisting of citizens of all classes; liberal and sought to study the applications of Torah to everyday life
Philistines
A powerful nation that invaded Canaan from the sea and became the most hated enemies of Israel.
phoenix
symbol of immortality or rebirth; Ex. phoenix rising from its ashes
Pontius Pilate
Roman Governer who sentenced Jesus to death
Procrustes
(Greek mythology) a mythical giant who was a thief and murderer
Prodigal Son
a wayward son who squanders his inheritance but returns home to find that his father forgives him.
Prometheus
(Greek mythology) the Titan who stole fire from Olympus and gave it to mankind
Proteus
(Greek mythology) a prophetic god who served Poseidon
Pygmalion
(Greek mythology) a king who created a statue of a woman and fell in love with it
Pyrrhus
Pyrrhic victory; defeated the Romans twice but with the casualties outweighed the advantages
Rachel and Leah
wives of Jacob. He fell in love with Rachel, the younger. Her father said Jacob could marry her if he worked for the father for seven years. Jacob did so. After the wedding, when he lifted the veil, he found that he’d married Leah, who had to marry first since she was older. He still wanted Rachel, so the father said Jacob could have her after another seven years of labor, which he did. Meanwhile, he and Leah turned out kids like crazy.
Romulus and Remus
Traditional story of how Rome began. Twins abandoned and rescued by a wolf, raised by a shepherd . Grew to build Rome. Romulus later killed Remus
Ruth
a book of the Old Testament that tells the story of Ruth who was not an Israelite but who married an Israelite and who stayed with her mother-in-law Naomi after her husband died
Sabine women, rape of
in Roman legend, Romulus “solved” the problem of finding wives for the men in his new settlement by stealing and raping the virgins of the Sabines after luring the men away to a celebration. After a subsequent war, the tribes intermarried by accord, and the settlement flourished.
Salome
woman whose dancing beguiled Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist
satyrs
in mythology, a god that is pictured as half man, half horse
Scylla and Charybdis
narrow strait that Odysseus and his men had to navigate their ships through; the strait was so narrow that you either had to go through the whirlpool Charybdis (which was powerful enough to suck in an entire ship and which erupted twice a day) or you had to go near the monster Scylla; Scylla was a monstrous woman with six dog heads coming out of her groin on long, expandable necks; these heads could snatch six men off the decks of the ship and kill them; Odysseus chose to sail close to the monster and lost six men in the process; this was one of several episodes that served to distance Odysseus from his crew
Sermon on the Mount
An ethical discourse delivered by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 5-7. It contains a summary of Jesus’ teachings.
Sisyphus
(Greek legend) a king in ancient Greece who offended Zeus and whose punishment was to roll a huge boulder to the top of a steep hill
Solomon
David’s son who was a great king. He built massive project in Israel including the Great Temple. His project cost the people a lot of money in taxes causing a division in Israel.
sphinx
(Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman’s head and breast on a lion’s body
stealing the apples of the Hesperides
the daughters of Hesperus whose golden apples were guarded by a dragon
Styx
(Greek mythology) a river in Hades across which Charon carried dead souls
swords into ploughshares
the phrase is often used by speakers advocating peace
Tantalus
It’s because of a mythological sinner named Tantalus that to tantalize entails holding something desireable just out of reach. Like Sisyphus, Tantalus was sent to the Underworld’s region of eternal punishment, where he stood in a pool of water under boughs laden with fruit yet could satisfy neither hunger nor thirst.
thirty pieces of silver
gospel, the money judas recieved for betraying Jesus
through a glass darkly
writing to the Corinthians ; wedding ceremonies and conversely, by writers who wish to convey the opposite of perfect love and clear knowledge through irony
Tower of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah’s descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven
Trojan horse
a large hollow wooden figure of a horse (filled with Greek soldiers) left by the Greeks outside Troy during the Trojan War
Utopia
a book by Sir Thomas More (1516) describing the perfect society on an imaginary island
Waterloo
a final crushing defeat
