Words from Greek History Flashcards
Achilles’ heel
a single vulnerable spot
Adonis
an extremely handsome young man
aegis
sponsorship or protection
amazon
a powerful, masculine woman
atlas
a collection of maps
Cassandra
a person who warns of coming evil but whose prophecies are disregarded
halcyon
calm; peaceful
labyrinth
a complicated arrangement of passageways or roads; a maze
mentor
a wise counselor
narcissism
abnormal attachment to one’s own appearance and personality
nemesis
retribution; one who inflicts retribution
paean
a song of thanksgiving or praise
procrustean/Procustean
forcing rigid conformity
tantalize
tease
academy
a school or learned society
cynic
one who sarcastically doubts human motives
draconian
extremely severe
epicure/epicurean
a person of refined taste in matters of food and drink
to cut the Gordian knot
to solve a difficult problem by direct and drastic means
laconic
brief, pithy, concise
ostracism
exclusion from society
philippic
a bitter denunciation
a Pyrrhic victory
a victory won at too great a cost
solecism
a substandard usage of language, a social blunder
sophistry/sophism
clever but deceptive argumentation meant to mislead
stoic
impassive
sword of Damocles
a constantly threatening danger
sybarite
one devoted to luxury and pleasure
