Greek Mythology

Expressions the ancient Greek myths left in everyday English.

The ten-year war sparked by a stolen queen and a golden apple.

• the apple of discord IDIOM A small thing that causes a big argument or rivalry between people. where the quarrel began
• the judgment of Paris IDIOM A difficult choice between rivals, where whatever you decide is bound to make enemies. the fateful choice
• the face that launched a thousand ships IDIOM A person whose beauty is so great it inspires enormous effort, conflict, or devotion. the prize that lit the war
• Trojan horse IDIOM Something that looks like a harmless gift but secretly carries a hidden danger inside. how Troy finally fell
• Achilles' heel IDIOM A single hidden weakness in someone or something otherwise strong. the hero's one weakness

Odysseus' ten-year voyage home through monsters and temptation.

• odyssey WORD a long and difficult journey that is full of adventures and changes — it can be a physical trip or a personal experience. the ten-year voyage itself
• mentor WORD a person who gives advice and help to someone with less experience, especially at work or school. the guide left behind
• between Scylla and Charybdis IDIOM Caught between two dangers, where avoiding one forces you closer to the other. trapped between two deaths
• to outwit the Cyclops IDIOM To defeat a much stronger opponent by using cleverness rather than force. escaping the one-eyed giant
• siren song IDIOM An appeal that is powerfully tempting but leads to ruin. the song that lures to ruin
• the patience of Penelope IDIOM Great loyalty and patience shown by someone who waits faithfully for a long time. the wife who waited

Daedalus' craft, the Minotaur's maze, and a boy who flew too high.

• Ariadne's thread IDIOM A method or clue that guides you safely through a confusing, complicated problem. the clue out of the maze
• caught in a labyrinth IDIOM Trapped in a situation so complicated and confusing that there seems to be no way out. lost in the maze
• labyrinth WORD a complicated system of paths or tunnels that is very easy to get lost in. It can also describe a confusing situation with many difficult rules. the maze itself
• the wings of Icarus IDIOM Bold ambition that reaches too far and ends in a sudden, dramatic fall. the escape by air
• fly too close to the sun IDIOM To be so ambitious that you overreach and bring about your own downfall. the fatal ascent

The land of the dead — its rivers, its judges, and its eternal punishments.

• crossing the Styx IDIOM Passing a point of no return, especially into death or an irreversible change. the river of no return
• to descend into Hades IDIOM To enter a dark, frightening, or hopeless situation, often to face something you dread. down among the dead
• drinking from Lethe IDIOM To forget completely, as if wiping away all memory of something. the water of forgetting
• tantalize WORD To tease someone by offering or showing something they want, then keeping it just out of reach. punished just out of reach
• a Sisyphean task IDIOM A task that is endless and futile, because it must be repeated forever without ever being finished. the endless labour
• the Fates have spoken IDIOM A decision has been made that cannot be changed, as if it were destiny. the thread that cannot be undone

Twelve impossible tasks set for the strongest of mortals.

• a Herculean task IDIOM A task requiring enormous strength, effort, or determination to complete. a labour fit for a demigod
• the labors of Hercules IDIOM A long series of extremely difficult challenges that must all be overcome one after another. the twelve trials
• like Atlas carrying the world IDIOM Bearing a huge, crushing burden or responsibility almost entirely on your own. the weight of the heavens
• atlas WORD a book of maps or a collection of charts; it can also refer to a specific bone in your neck or a figure from Greek mythology. the Titan who bore the sky

The Titan who stole fire from the gods to give it to humankind.

• Promethean fire IDIOM A spark of creativity, knowledge, or inspiration that transforms and empowers those who receive it. the stolen spark
• Promethean ambition IDIOM A bold, defiant ambition to achieve something forbidden or beyond ordinary limits, whatever the cost. defiance of the gods

• a Pyrrhic victory IDIOM A win that costs so much it feels almost like a defeat.
• chimera WORD a creature or object that is made by combining parts from different things. In modern science, it refers to an animal that has parts from two or more different species.
• narcissism WORD a personality trait where someone is too interested in themselves and their own appearance, often thinking they are better than others.
• narcissist WORD someone who thinks about themselves too much and admires their own appearance or abilities. You use this to describe a person who lacks care for others because they are so focused on themselves.
• narcissistic WORD having too much interest in or admiration for yourself. It describes someone who thinks they are much more important or attractive than others.
• Nemesis WORD a person or thing that is a constant enemy or a very difficult problem to overcome. It often feels like they are specifically designed to defeat you.
• Pandora's box IDIOM Something that looks harmless but, once started, releases a flood of troubles you cannot undo.
• Phoenix WORD a magical bird from old stories that lives for hundreds of years. When it dies, it burns into ashes and then is born again as a young bird.
• rest on one's laurels IDIOM To rely on past success and stop making the effort to keep improving.
• rise from the ashes IDIOM To recover and become strong again after being completely destroyed or defeated.
• sleeping like Endymion IDIOM Sleeping deeply and peacefully, as if in an unbroken, ageless slumber.
• the Gordian knot IDIOM A problem so tangled and complicated that it can only be solved by a bold, unconventional stroke.
• the Midas touch IDIOM A special ability to make money or succeed at almost everything you try.
• the sword of Damocles IDIOM A constant, looming danger that could strike at any moment, hanging over someone who seems fortunate.