Ancient Greeks had a profound influence on world literature and were trailblazers of many literary genres including epic, poetry, lyric, tragedy, and fables. The Greek language has also enriched the English vocabulary, contributing over 150,000 words, and even the modern English alphabet is derived from the Greek one. Greek mythology and culture dominate various aspects of life, such as art and music, even the word “music” is derived from a Greek goddess, named Muses. However, its influence on our everyday language is often overlooked.
This article delves into the fascinating world of Greek tales and mythologies that form the foundation of everyday phrases and idioms.
1. Achilles Heel
Meaning: This refers to a person’s weak or vulnerable point, something that can lead to downfall, despite overall strength.
Origin: In Greek mythology, Achilles is the valiant and heroic warrior in the Trojan War. When Thetis, the sea goddess gives birth to Achilles, she discovers that unlike her, he is a mortal. Concerned that she will outlive her son, she attempts multiple methods to make him immortal. Every night she would burn him over fire and then treat his wounds, but to no avail.
At last, she dips him in the river Styx, a river in the underworld with the power to confer God’s invulnerability. She dunks him in the water by tightly gripping his foot which remains untouched by the river. As a result, he becomes invulnerable, leaving only this part of the body as his weakness, giving birth to the phrase “Achilles heel”.
In most versions of the story, Achilles is killed by the Trojan prince, Paris who shoots an arrow at his vulnerable spot, the heel.
2. Midas touch
Meaning: When we say someone has a Midas touch, it means that they have a blessing or a superpower to be successful at everything they do.
Origin: King Midas was the ruler of Phrygia. One day, he found the foster father of Dionysus, a Greek god, and returned him to Dionysus. Dionysus, pleased with Midas’s actions, offered to grant him a wish. Midas, driven by his insatiable greed for wealth, wished that everything he touched would be turned into gold. Initially, he is overjoyed when his wish comes true but is horrified to discover that even his food and drinks turn into gold, leading to starvation. The most tragic part happened when his beloved daughter turned into gold. Filled with regret, he begs Dionysus to release him from this predicament, who reluctantly agrees and tells him the way to get rid of his curse.
This story serves as a cautionary tale about the harmful consequences of excessive greed and how it threatens to jeopardize our existing blessings. When Midas’s touch is used in modern language, the moral lesson about the perils of greed is omitted.
3. Fly Too Close to The Sun
Meaning: This idiom refers to becoming too ambitious and overreaching, defying one’s limitations, and originates from the story of Daedalus and Icarus….
Origin: In Greek mythology, when Daedalus, a master craftsman, and his son Icarus are imprisoned in the labyrinth by the king, they come up with an escape plan. They construct wings using the feathers of birds and wax from candles. Daedalus warns Icarus that flying too close to the sun will melt his feathers. But Icarus, feeling exhilarated with the thrill of flight, gets carried away and ventures too near the scorching sun, causing his wings to melt and drown in the sea. Icarus’s tragic demise serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of hubris and being over-ambitious.
4. Sour grapes
Meaning: Sour grapes are used to describe a person’s behavior when they pretend that something is worthless or undesirable because they want it for themselves but cannot attain it.
Origin: This expression originated from the tale of The Fox and the Grapes from Aesop’s Fables, an ancient Greek storyteller, who lived between 620 and 564 BCE. The fables originally came from oral traditions and were not recorded for around three centuries after Aesop’s death. In The Fox and the Grapes, a starving fox finds delicious grapes on a high vine and leaps with all his strength, but fails. Rather than admitting his limitations, he goes away and remarks that he didn’t want them anyway as they were sour.
If you found this article insightful, consider reading Unearthing the Mythology and Religious Themes in Hozier’s Music. Also check out The Dark Truths behind Disney Fairytales: From Sinister Origins to Enchanted Cinema.
