An Odyssey of epic
proportions
- the hero Odysseus endured a ten-year ordeal filled with
extreme danger and adventure, as he attempted to sail home to Ithaca
following the Trojan War. Today the term 'Odyssey' signifies a journey
of great difficulty and terrific achievement.
Greeks bearing
gifts
- the Greeks had enough following their ten-year siege of Troy and
pretended to depart, leaving behind a huge wooden horse as alleged
tribute to Poseidon to guide them safely home. The Trojans fell for the
ploy and brought the horse inside their walls, whereupon that evening
the soldiers hidden within emerged, opened the gates, and the Greeks
proceeded to slaughter the Trojans and burn down their city. The term
today serves as a reminder that all presents should be regarded with a
touch of suspicion, lest they be detrimental to the recepient.
To Hector
- Hector
was a prince of Troy, son of King Priam and brother to Paris, whose
kidnapping of Helen sparked the war. Hector was a thoughtful and
convincing orator, whose words of advice and admonishment carried great
weight. To 'hector' someone today is to attempt to teach them in a
scolding manner.
Lotus Eater
-
Adverse north winds blew Odysseus and his ship off course and delivered
them to the Lotophagi (Lotus Eaters), who were a race of people living
on an island near North Africa overgrown by lotus plants. The lotus
fruits and flowers were the primary food of the island and were
narcotic, causing the people to sleep in peaceful apathy. Today the term
has come to signify a person who spends time indulging in pleasure and
luxury rather than dealing with more practical concerns.
A Nestor
- Nestor fought on the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War. Though
Nestor was already very old when the war began (he was believed to be
about 110), he was noted for his bravery and speaking abilities. He
often gAVE
advice to the younger warriors and instructed the King Agamemnon and the
great warrior Achilles to reconcile. Nestor's ability to soothe hard
feelings, to use praise as a means for motivation, and to make tactful
suggestions to a king were all acquired through experience. Today his
name stands for a wise counselor.
A faithful
Penelope
- Penelope was wife to Odysseus. She remained true to her
husband even though he was gone for twenty years. During that time a
boisterous and quarrelsome gang of suitors had set up camp inside her
palace, demanding that she choose one of them as husband. Penelope
promised to do so once her wedding dress was completed. During the day
she would weave the bridal gown, but at night she would unstitch it,
thus ensuring it would never be finished. The name faithful Penelope
signifies a woman who "stands by her man" in spite of all adversity.
To heap Pelion on
Ossa
- Pelion was a mountain in Northeast Greece, in the region of
Thessaly. In mythology it was the home of the half men-half horse
creatures called Centaurs. When the race of Giants tried to overthrow
Zeus and the Olympian gods, they were said to have piled Mounts Olympus
and Ossa on the summit of Mount Pelion in their attempt to reach heaven
and destroy the gods. Today the term has come to mean 'to make
matters worse', or 'to aggravate or compound a situation', or to add an
extra difficulty to a task that is already onerous.
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