Mythical AllusionsExplanations and Examples

Narcissus•The allusion to Narcissus of mythology refers to the beautiful youth who was in love with himself and therefore refers to a shallow, self-centered person consumed with image. •The story is that Narcissus saw his reflection in the water and fell in love with it. He was unable to touch it because it would disappear, and he eventually wasted away staring at himself. That is why the Narcissus flower bends over the water, ‘watching’ itself.•IE: She nicknamed her former best friend “Narcissus” in her diary because of her self centered attitude.

Nimrod•A Power-hungry king of Hebrew myth •Achieved World dominion by wearing garment of Adam and Eve, but wasn'tsatisfied with his power. •Tried to achieve dominion over Heaven by building a tower to it. •Yahweh, the god, who disorganized Nimrods plan by confusing the languages ofthe workers of the tower.•This caused strife so the tower was never built.•Used Today: To explain a mighty hunter, or a vast ruler of lands•He was acting like nimrod to the children, making them do as he said anddominating their world.

Cassandra•Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, had such great beauty that Apollo granted her the gift of prophecy; when she did not return his love, he placed a curse on her that would make others disbelieve her predictions. After she foresees the destruction of Troy and is unable to do anything to forestall the events, her family (according to some) locks her up because they believe her to be mad. Other stories tell that she was not locked up and was left alone and misunderstood.• Ex.] Tara told her friends not to go out that night because of a vision she had, but like Cassandra’s family, her friends didn’t believe her

Even Homer Nods•.also – “Homer sometimes nods” – referring to Homer – epic poet, creator of Iliad and the Odyssey•.means that even someone who is the best at what they do can turn in a subpar performance•.the implied sense that even the wisest make mistakes•.written by Horace, a Latin lyric poet – suggested that as accomplished as Homer was, he sometimes erred with reference to the facts of the incidents he mentioned•.used in essay by reverend Goodpasture to show that human authors, regardless of genius skill, are fallible – they will “nod” or “slip” on occasion

Pericles•Pericles was the leader of Athens from 461 BC to 429 BC, leading the Athenians through the Peloponnesian War, and having a great impact on the Athenian culture, causing the time of his reign to sometimes be referred to as the “Age of Pericles”. He was also known for his promotion of the arts and literature, and is perhaps most famous for his project that built most of the buildings on the Acropolis, namely the Parthenon. He will forever be remembered for his literary and artist contributions throughout his life. Nowadays an allusion to Pericles would likely refer to someone who is particularly skilled in an area. For example, to say that someone is the Pericles of the stage would imply that they are a great leader in the acting world, on stage, and they are very skilled in what they do.

Xanthus•Xanthus and Balius are the two immortal horses that Poseidon gave to Peleus as a wedding present. The horses were the offspring of Zeus. •They served as chariot horses for Achilles (Peleus’s son) during the Trojan War. When he rebuked them for permitting Patroclus to be killed, Xanthos was given the gift of speech and reproved Achilles by saying that a god had slain Patroclus and that a god would soon kill him too. After thus prophesying, the horse was struck dumb by the Erinyes. •Xanthus is used in literature to allude to the breaking of divine law in order to voice a truth or prophesize. Also, allusions may refer to Xanthus’ strong willed nature, especially in animals or people of war.

Pyrrhic Victory•A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with devastating cost to the victor. The phrase is an allusion to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable casualties when he defeated the Romans during the Pyrrhic War at Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC. After the latter battle, Plutarch relates in a report by Dionysius:

•"The armies separated; and, it is said, Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one more such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in Italy backward. On the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war. "

Sword of Damocles•In Greek mythology, Damocles was a courtier in the court of Dionysius the Elder. He mentioned that, as a person of power and authority, Dionysius must be very content and happy. Dionysius invited Damocles to a banquet, which he enjoyed very much sitting at Dionysius' throne. Damocles looked up and saw a sword hanging by a single piece of horsehair directly above his head and he thereafter realized the precarious position rulers are in.•The Sword of Damocles is a frequently used allusion to this tale, epitomizing the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power. More generally, it is used to denote a precarious situation and sense of foreboding thereof, especially one in which the onset of tragedy is restrained only by a delicate trigger or chance. It is a popular metaphor for any great and threatening evil that may befall one at any time. The Sword of Damocles also represents the insecurity felt by those with great power due to the possibility of the power being taken away suddenly.•Under the Sword of Damocles, the pressured king donned his jewel-encrusted crown for the first time.

Adonis•Historical Background: Adonis was the creation of incest. His mother, Myrrha, was in love with her father, King Theies, and with the help of her nurse and the persuasion of Aphrodite, Myrrah soon became pregnant with her father’s son. Once King Theies found out, he became outraged and chased Myrrha around with a knife. Aphrodite then changed her into a tree and nine months later the tree broke in half and Adonis was born. He was such a handsome baby that the Goddess of love, Aphrodite, and the Goddess of death, Persephone, fought over him. The Gods settled the argument by splitting up the time the goddesses would have with Adonis. The story then goes that Adonis died from the attack of a wild boar, and hearing the pleas of Aphrodite, Zeus brought him back to life under one condition; Adonis must spend the winter in the underworld and the summer with Aphrodite.•Allusion: "Adonis" is frequently used as an allusion to an extremely attractive, youthful male, often with a connotation of deserved vanity.•Sentence: Male models are the Adonises of our time.

The Furies•Three goddesses of vengeance: Tisiphone (avenger of murder), Megaera (the jealous) and Alecto (constant anger). They were also called the Daughters of the Night. Without mercy, the Furies would punish all crime (the worst crimes were patricide and matricide) including the breaking of rules considering all aspects of society. They would strike the offenders with madness and never stopped following criminals. They would also be the guardians of the law when the state had not yet intervened or did not exist, or when the crime was a crime of ethics and not actual law.•Horrible to look at, the Furies had snakes for hair and blook dripping from their eyes. They changed into the Eumenides, protectors of the suppliant, after Athena had made them merciful by sparing Orestes, whom they had stalked for a long time after the murder of his mother and her lover.•We use the words “furious” and “infuriated.” There is also a taboo on speaking their names. They are instead refered to as “the fair folk” so that their wrath might not be brought down upon the speaker. •His father was furious after learning that he had stolen money out of his mother’s purse.

The Three Fates•Origin: The three fates (also called Moirae) arise from Greek mythology. They personied destiny, and even the greatest Greek deities were governed by their powers. The three female figures were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. •Meaning: A reference to the fates in general is a reference to the concept of fate, or the pre-destined course of any person's life. References may be made to individual fates as well: Clotho, the weaver of the symbolic thread of an individual's life and destiny, Lachesis, the measurer of this thread, and Atropos, who cut the tread of fate, ending life. •Example: Young Harry would have had much to offer to the world, but sadly, that wicked Atropos was too eager with her shears, and his life was ended almost before it properly began.

Diogenes•History: Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who believed that civilization and customs are the evils of mankind and he taught that people should live more simply and less hypocritically, like dogs. He wandered the streets carrying a lantern and searching for “an honest man,” but he never found one.•How it is used: A modern day Diogenes is one who searches for truth and honesty.•Example: “I hereby summon a joint session of the Democratic and Republican National Committees, and I give them this mandate. Deputize someone, an anti-Diogenes, to go out in search of the man so dishonest as to pronounce current capital-gains tax policy as defensible.” From National Review Feb. 3, 1992.

The Judgment of Paris•The Reference: This allusion refers to the Greek myth in which a golden apple (labeled “to the fairest”) is cast into the midst of various goddesses. Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite claimed the apple for themselves, so Paris, the prince of Troy was asked to mediate. Each goddess offered gifts to Paris, should he give the apple to them: Athena offered skill in war, Hera offered political power, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite, inciting the wrath of the other goddesses and marking the beginnings of the bloody Trojan War. •Usage: When this myth is alluded to, it can imply the concept of: · Poor judgment in the face of love or lust and resulting consequences · A contest or proclamation of hypnotic beauty · Views of love as a higher priority than power or politics · Idealistic and naïve understanding of the world•Example: Dante’s Inferno, by Dante Alighieri “See Paris, Tristan,—and more than a thousand shades he showed me with his finger, and named them, whom love had parted from our life.”

Agamemnon•The Reference: Agamemnon was the commander of Greek forces during the Trojan War. In order to sail to Troy in opposing winds, he sacrificed one of his daughters to the goddess Artemis. Upon returning from war, he was murdered by his wife and her lover. His death was avenged by their two remaining children.•Usage: A reference to Agamemnon may imply the concept of: · A skilled military person · A person who is willing to sacrifice a great deal for success and prestige · A tragically ironic situation riddled with betrayal · The smaller human devastation behind catastrophic events•Example: “Leda and the Swan”, by William Butler Yeats

“…A shudder in the loins engenders there/the broken wall, the burning roof and tower/And Agamemnon dead…”

Delphic

•in mythology, Delphi gave out prophecies shortly after Trojan War •were usually brief, vague, ambiguous •is now used to allude to nebulous events/situations•The CEO is being very delphic about the new merger. It’s almost as though he has something to hide.

Promethius•Promethius was a titan of Greek mythology who took pity on the humans that lived on the earth. Against the wishes of the other titans, he stole a burning brand from the sacred fire of heaven, and brought it to mankind. Promethius was chained to a rock for his disobedience, and every day an eagle flies down, eats his liver, and flies off. •Used commonly to denote a leader that stands above the crowd, either because of originality or because of disobedience to authority. •Example: Rosa Parks’ promethean example set the wheels of the civil rights movement in motion.

Byzantine

•Byzantium was an ancient empire near the Mediterranean Sea that was renowned for (among other things) it’s corruption and beurocratic entanglements.•Used today to describe a system that is hopelessly full of corruption or red tape. •Example: The library filing system is a complicated mess of Byzantine proportions.