Phraseologisms from ancient Greek mythology. Ancient phraseological units and their meaning

I present to you an overview phraseological units Ancient Greece .

It includes more than 40 phraseological units.

All phraseological units are separated into three groups: Greek gods and titans, mythological heroes, historical characters.

Phraseologisms about the Greek gods and titans

Sisyphean labor- useless, repeated efforts phraseological unit "Sisyphus labor")
God Zeus punished Sisyphus: in the underworld of the dead, he had to non-stop rolling a heavy stone onto the mountain, which, having almost reached the top, immediately rolled back. Sisyphus, king of Corinth, paid the price for his fraud. He managed to deceive the god of death Thanatos and the god Hades, the lord of the underworld of the dead.
By the way, phraseological units about labor and work

Pandora's Box- a source of misfortunes, disasters (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Pandora's box")
After the abduction of fire by Prometheus for people angry god Zeus sent to earth beautiful woman with a chest. This woman, Pandora, turned out to be curious and opened a chest from which all kinds of human misfortunes fell on people.

Sink into oblivion- disappear without a trace, be forgotten forever
In Greek mythology, Lethe is the river of oblivion in the underworld. The souls of the dead drank water from it and forgot their entire earthly life.

Panic fear - unaccountable, sudden fear that grips a person
Pan is the god of forests, the patron saint of hunters and shepherds. According to myths, Pan is able to instill a strong, unaccountable fear on people, causing them to flee.

To be born a second time - about those who miraculously escaped death
According to legend, the mother of the god Dionysus Semele asked her lover, the god Zeus, to appear in his true form. Semele caught fire and died from the lightning of Zeus, and Zeus tore the unborn baby out of Semele's body and sewed it into his thigh, from which Dionysus was later born a second time.

Promethean fire - an inextinguishable desire to achieve lofty goals (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "promethean fire")
The titan Prometheus stole fire from heaven and taught people to use it. For this, an angry Zeus ordered the god of blacksmithing Hephaestus to chain Prometheus to a rock. Every day an eagle flew in and tormented Prometheus's liver.
By the way, phraseological units with the word fire

Sing praises- over-praise, exalt
The expression arose from the name of the songs of praise in honor of the god of wine Dionysus, sung during the Dionysian processions.

Morpheus's embrace- dreaming sleep
Morpheus is the god of dreams, the son of the god Hypnos.

Titanic labor - great work
Titans are deities, children of Uranus (sky) and Gaia (earth), six brothers and six titanid sisters who married each other. Later they were considered giants.

Tenth muse- a new field of art
In Greek mythology, there are nine muses, goddesses - patrons of the arts and sciences. Accordingly, the tenth muse later began to be called the previously non-existent fields of art (for example, variety theater, radio, cinema, etc.).
By the way, phraseological units with 10

Golden Rain – great wealth, big money
This expression refers us to the myth of Zeus, who was captivated by the beauty of Danaë, the daughter of the Argos king Acrisius and who appeared to her in the form of a golden rain, after which her son Perseus was born.
By the way, phraseological units with the word rain

Cyclopean building - a huge structure
It is believed that the one-eyed giant blacksmiths of the Cyclops built gigantic structures.

The center of the world- a person who considers himself the center of the universe
According to legend, a marble stone with the name "navel of the earth" (Omphalus), denoting the center of the world, was swallowed by Kronos instead of his son - baby Zeus.

Olympian calm - undisturbed calmness
The expression arose from the idea of ​​the majesty of the Greek gods gathering on Mount Olympus.

Be under the umbrella - be protected
Aegis is the shield of Zeus, forged by Hephaestus, a symbol of the protection of the gods. In the middle of the shield was the head of the Gorgon Medusa.

Fall into hell - fall into the depths of the underworld
For the Greeks, Tartarus is a dark abyss in the depths of the Earth, which arose out of chaos.

Age of Astrea- golden age, happy time
It is believed that the time the goddess of justice Astrea was on earth was happy for people.
By the way, phraseological units with the word century

Temple of Melpomene- theatre
Priests of Melpomene - actors and directors of the theater
Melpomene is the muse of tragedy in Greek mythology.

Cornucopia- an inexhaustible source of various benefits
According to one version, this is the horn that the divine goat Amalthea broke. And the nymphs, who fed Zeus with Amalthea's milk, filled the horn with fruits and brought it to him. According to another version, Hercules broke the horn of the bull during the fight, in the guise of which the river god Aheloy appeared. And the naiads, who watched the duel and filled it with fruits and flowers, turned it into a cornucopia.

Bond of Hymen- marriage
By the name ancient greek god marriage of Hymen. By the way, phraseological units about love and marriage

Burst with anger - to experience the suffering of anger overwhelming you
According to legend, the god of slander and stupidity Mom burst with anger when he could not find a single flaw in one of the Greek goddesses.

Palm tree - superiority in anything
The palm branch is an attribute of the goddess of victory Nike, therefore the Greeks had a custom to reward the winner in competitions with a palm branch.

Nectar and ambrosia - delicious food and drink
According to legend, nectar and ambrosia were the drink and food of the gods, giving them immortality.

Phraseologisms about mythological heroes

Ariadne's thread- solution method difficult problem, the guiding thread
By the name of Ariadne, daughter of Pasiphae and the Cretan king Minos, who gave the hero Theseus a ball of thread so that he could find a way out of the complex labyrinth in which the Minotaur was. Theseus killed the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man, and was able to leave the labyrinth along the Ariadne thread.

The Golden Fleece- elusive wealth, gold
The Golden Fleece is the golden wool of a ram, which the Greeks, led by the hero Jason (Argonauts), managed to get in Colchis on the Black Sea coast.

Apple of discord- the reason for the dispute, enmity (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "apple of discord")
The goddess of discord Eris threw an apple with the inscription "Most Beautiful" among the guests of the wedding feast of the gods. The dispute over the title of "Miss Olympus" unfolded between the goddesses Hero, Aphrodite and Athena. Judge-appointed Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, handed the apple to Aphrodite, who promised to help him kidnap lovely Elena... What then served as a pretext for the Trojan War.

Achilles' heel- vulnerability (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Achilles' heel")
According to legend, the mother of the hero Achilles washed him after birth in the miraculous waters of the Styx River, holding him by the heel. During the Trojan War, an arrow hit the remaining vulnerable heel of Achilles, which killed the hero.

Gifts of the Danes, Trojan Horse - a gift with secret malicious intent (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Trojan horse")
The wooden horse was built by the Greeks during the Trojan War as a military ruse in order to capture besieged Troy. The horse with a group of soldiers hidden inside it, led by Odysseus, was left at the walls of the city, and the Greek army lifted the siege and sailed away. The Trojans dragged the trophy into the city, and at night a detachment of Greeks got out of the horse and opened the city gates to the Greek army returning by ships.

Augean stables- contaminated room; disorder in business (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Augean stables")
Clearing the huge stables of King Elis Augeus in one day was one of the exploits of Hercules. To do this, he directed the streams of the Alpheus and Piney rivers through the stables.

Pillars of hercules - extreme point, limit
According to legend, these pillars (rocks) were erected by Hercules (Hercules) at the edge of the world as a memory of his wanderings in Europe and Africa. This is the name of two rocks on opposite sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Hydrohead task - a task, the solution of which causes new problems
Phraseologism is associated with the myth of the victory of Hercules over the many-headed Lernaean hydra, in which two new ones grew in place of one severed head. Hercules prevented the appearance of new heads by burning the places where the heads were chopped off.

Between Scylla and Charybdis - between two serious dangers
According to ancient Greek myths, the monsters Scylla and Charybdis lived on the coastal cliffs on each side of the Strait of Messina, devouring seafarers.

Procrustean bed - the yardstick under which they are trying to fit any thing (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Procrustean bed")
The legendary robber Procrustes "drove" his victims under his bed, stretching their legs or chopping off their excess.

Tantalum flour- incessant suffering due to the inability to achieve the desired, despite its proximity
God Zeus punished Tantalus by the fact that in hell he stood up to his throat in water, but it retreated when he tried to drink; branches with fruits hung over him, but they rose when he tried to pick the fruit; and a cliff loomed over him, about to fall on him.
Tantalus was the son of Zeus, the king, the favorite of the gods, but he became proud and inflicted several offenses on the gods, for example, he gave people the secrets of the gods. He finished badly.

Barrel Danaid- useless and endless work
The Danaids were sentenced to forever and ever fill the bottomless barrel in the underworld of Hades. For the fact that 49 out of 50 of them, the daughters of the Libyan king Danae, by order of their father, killed their husbands on their wedding night.

Phraseologisms about historical characters

Sword of Damocles- impending, threatening danger (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "sword of Damocles")
Tyrant Syracuse Dionysius the Elder (432-367 BC) decided to teach a lesson to his close associate Damocles, who enviously called him the happiest of people. He put him in his place and during the feast Damocles suddenly saw a sharp sword hanging from a horse's hair above him. This sword symbolized the dangers that hang over the ruler. A day of horror, but his name was immortalized in this expression.

Dragon laws - harsh laws
The Athenian Dragon legislator composed in 621 BC a code of laws that prescribed severe penalties.

Rich as Croesus- fabulously rich
Croesus was the last king of Lydia (560-547 BC), famous for his wealth.

Glory of Herostratus - glory obtained by criminal means (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Herostratus glory")
In 356 BC. a resident of Ephesus, Herostratus, set fire to the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Gordian knot, cut the Gordian knot - find a way out of a difficult situation (see the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit "Gordian knot")
Tsar Alexander the Great, instead of unraveling the famous Gordian knot, cut it with a sword. The peasant Gordius, previously elected king of the Phrygians, brought his cart as a gift to Zeus, setting it up in the temple and tying the yoke to the drawbar with a very complex knot.

Pyrrhic victory- a victory achieved at too high a cost
The controversial victory of King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BC is implied. over the Romans at Ausculus.

So, we are once again convinced of how great influence ancient Greek mythology and culture into Russian language and culture. Probably, the high vitality of these truly ancient expressions is largely due to the fact that they express the essential moments of human existence, relevant up to our time.

Moreover, some of these phraseological units we we use without remembering exactly in connection with what events they appeared.

To myself like the most "Apple of discord" and "Trojan horse".

Augean stables
In Greek mythology, the Augean stables are the vast stables of Augeus, the king of Elis, which have not been cleaned for many years. They were cleaned in one day by the hero Hercules (Hercules): he sent a river through the stables, the waters of which carried away all the manure. This myth was first reported by the Greek historian Diodorus of Siculus (1st century BC). The expression "Augean stables" that has arisen from this is used to denote a very dirty room, as well as severe neglect, debris, disorder in affairs that require great efforts to eliminate them; it became winged in antiquity (Seneca, Satyr on the death of Emperor Claudius; Lucian, Alexander).

Ariadne's thread
An expression that means: a guiding thread, a guiding thought, a way to help get out of a difficult situation, to solve a difficult question. It arose from Greek myths about the Athenian hero Theseus, who killed the Minotaur, a monstrous half-bull, half-man. The Athenians were obliged, at the request of the Cretan king Minos, to send seven young men and seven girls to Crete every year to be devoured by the Minotaur, who lived in a labyrinth built for him, from which no one could get out. Theseus were helped to accomplish a dangerous feat by the daughter of the Cretan king, Ariadne, who fell in love with him. Secretly from her father, she gave him a sharp sword and a ball of thread. When Theseus and the boys and girls doomed to be torn apart were taken to the labyrinth. Theseus tied the end of the thread at the entrance and walked along the tangled passages, gradually unwinding the ball. Having killed the Minotaur, Theseus found the way back from the labyrinth along a thread and brought out all the doomed from there (Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8, 172; Geroids, 10, 103).

Achilles' heel
In Greek mythology, Achilles (Achilles) is one of the most powerful and brave heroes; he is sung in Homer's Iliad. The post-Homeric myth, transmitted by the Roman writer Gigin, reports that the mother of Achilles, the sea goddess Thetis, in order to make her son's body invulnerable, dipped him into the sacred river Styx; while dipping, she held him by the heel, which was not touched by the water, so the heel remained Achilles' only vulnerable spot, where he was mortally wounded by Paris's arrow. The expression "Achilles '(or Achilles') heel" arising from this is used in the sense: a weak side, a weak point of something.

Barrel Danaid
Danaids in Greek mythology - fifty daughters of the king of Libya Danaus, with whom his brother Egypt, the king of Egypt, was at enmity. Fifty sons of Egypt, pursuing Danae, who had fled from Libya to Argolis, forced the fugitive to give them his fifty daughters as their wife. On their wedding night, Danaids, at the request of their father, killed their husbands. Only one of them decided to disdain her father. For the crime committed, forty-nine Danaids were, after their death, destined by the gods to forever fill a bottomless barrel with water in the underworld of Hades. Hence the expression "the barrel of Danaids", used in the sense: constant fruitless labor, and also - a container that can never be filled, arose. The myth of the Danaids was first expounded by the Roman writer Hyginus (Fables, 168), but the image of a bottomless vessel was found earlier among the ancient Greeks. Lucian was the first to use the expression "the barrel of Danaides."

Age of Astrea
In Greek mythology, Astrea is the goddess of justice. The time when she was on earth was a happy, "golden age". She left the earth in the Iron Age and since then, under the name of Virgo, shines in the constellation of the Zodiac. The expression "age of Astrea" is used in the meaning: happy time.

Liberation [worship] Bacchus [Bacchus]
Bacchus (Bacchus) - in Roman mythology - the god of wine and fun. Among the ancient Romans, when making sacrifices to the gods, there was a libation rite, which consisted of pouring wine from a cup in honor of the god. Hence the humorous expression "libation to Bacchus", used in the sense: a drinking bout, arose. The name of this ancient Roman god is also used in other humorous expressions about drunkenness: "worship Bacchus", "serve Bacchus".

Hercules. Hercules labor [feat]. Pillars of Hercules [pillars]
Hercules (Hercules) - the hero of Greek myths (Iliad, 14, 323; Odyssey, II, 266), gifted with an extraordinary physical strength; he accomplished twelve feats - he killed the monstrous Lernaean hydra, cleared the stables of Augeus, and so on. On the opposite shores of Europe and Africa, near the Strait of Gibraltar, he set up the "Pillars of Hercules (Pillars)". So in ancient world called the rocks of Gibraltar and Jebel Musa. These pillars were considered "the edge of the world", beyond which there is no way. Therefore, the expression "to reach the" Pillars of Hercules "began to be used in the meaning: to reach the limit of something, to the extreme point. The name of the legendary Greek hero became a household name for a person with great physical strength. The expression" Hercules labor, feat " used when talking about any business that requires extra-ordinary efforts.

Hercules at a crossroads
The expression arose from the speech of the Greek sophist Prodicus (5th century BC), known only in the exposition of Xenophon "Memories of Socrates", 2, 1, 21-33). In this speech, Prodicus told an allegory he had composed about the young man Hercules (Hercules), who was sitting at a crossroads and thinking about life path, which he was to choose. Two women approached him: Affection, which painted him a life full of pleasure and luxury, and Virtue, which showed him the difficult path to fame. The expression "Hercules at the Crossroads" is applied to a person who finds it difficult to choose between two solutions.

Hymen. Bond [chain] Hymen
In ancient Greece, the word "hymen" meant both a wedding song and the deity of marriage, consecrated by religion and law, in contrast to Eros, the god of free love. Allegorically "Hymen", "Ties of Hymen" - marriage, matrimony.

Sword of Damocles
The expression arose from an ancient Greek tradition recounted by Cicero in his Tuskulan Conversations. Damocles, one of the close associates of the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius the Elder (432-367 BC), began to enviously speak of him as the happiest of people. Dionysius, in order to teach the envious lesson, put him in his place. During the feast, Damocles saw a sharp sword hanging from a horsehair above his head. Dionysius explained that this is the emblem of those dangers to which he, as a ruler, is constantly exposed, despite the seeming happy life... Hence the expression "sword of Damocles" received the meaning of impending, threatening danger.

Greek gift. Trojan horse
The expression is used in the sense: insidious gifts that bring death with them for those who receive them. Arose from the Greek legends about the Trojan War. The Danaans, after a long and unsuccessful siege of Troy, resorted to cunning: they built a huge wooden horse, left it at the walls of Troy, and pretended to float away from the Troad coast. Priest Laocoon, seeing this horse and knowing the tricks of the Danaans, exclaimed: "Whatever it is, I am afraid of the Danaans, even those who bring gifts!" But the Trojans, not listening to the warnings of Laocoon and the prophetess Cassandra, dragged the horse into the city. At night, the Danaans, hiding inside the horse, went out, killed the guards, opened the city gates, let in the comrades who had returned on the ships, and thus took possession of Troy (Homer's Odyssey, 8, 493 et ​​e .; Virgil's Aeneid, 2, 15 and sl .). Virgil's hemistich "I am afraid of the Danaans, even those who bring gifts", often quoted in Latin ("Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes"), has become a proverb. Hence the expression "Trojan horse", used in the meaning: a secret, insidious plan, arose.

Two-faced Janus
In Roman mythology, Janus - the god of time, as well as all beginning and end, entrances and exits (janua - door) - was depicted with two faces facing in opposite directions: young - forward, into the future, old - back, into the past. The resulting expression "two-faced Janus" or simply "Janus" means: a two-faced person.

The Golden Fleece. Argonauts
In ancient Greek myths, it is said that the hero Jason went to Colchis (the eastern coast of the Black Sea) to get the golden fleece (golden wool of a ram), which was guarded by a dragon and bulls that spewed fire from their mouths. Jason built the ship "Argo" (fast), after which the participants in this, according to the legend of the first, long voyage of antiquity, were called Argo-navts. With the help of the sorceress Medea, Jason, having overcome all obstacles, safely took possession of the golden fleece. The first to expound this myth was the poet Pindar (518-442 BC). The golden rune is called gold, wealth, which they seek to seize; Argonauts - brave seafarers, adventure seekers.

Cassandra
According to Homer (Iliad, 13, 365), Cassandra is the daughter of the Trojan king Priam. Apollo gave her the gift of divination. But when she rejected his love, he instilled in everyone a distrust of her prophecies, although they always came true; so, she vainly warned the Trojans that the wooden horse, which they brought into the city, would bring them death (Vergili and, Aeneid, 2, 246) (see Gifts of the Danians). The name of Cassandra has become a household name for a person who warns of danger, but who is not believed.

Castor and Pollux
In Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux (Roman Pollux) are the sons of Zeus and Leda, twins. In the "Odyssey" (II, 298) they are referred to as the children of Leda and Tyndareus, the son of the Spartan king. According to another version of the myth, Castor's father is Tyndareus, and Pollux's father is Zeus, therefore the first, born of a mortal, is mortal, and the second is immortal. When Castor was killed, Pollux began to beg Zeus to give him the opportunity to die as well. But Zeus offered him a choice: either to stay forever on Olympus without a brother, or to spend one day with his brother on Olympus, the other in Hades. Pollux chose the latter. Their names have become synonymous with two irresistible friends.

Summer. Sink into oblivion
In Greek mythology, Lethe is the river of oblivion in Hades, the underworld; the souls of the dead, upon arrival in the underworld, drank water from it and forgot all their past life(He-siod, Theogony; Virgil, Aeneid, 6). The name of the river has become a symbol of oblivion; the expression “sink into oblivion” arising from this is used in the meaning: to disappear forever, to be forgotten.

Mars. Son of Mars. Field of Mars
In Roman mythology, Mars is the god of war. Figuratively: military, belligerent person. In the same sense, the expression "son of Mars" is used; the expression "Field of Mars" in the meaning: battlefield. One of the parts of the city on the left bank of the Tiber, intended for military and gymnastic exercises, was also called in ancient Rome. In Paris, this name is given to the square in the western part of the city, which was originally used for military parades. In St. Petersburg, this was the name of the square between Summer garden and the barracks of the Pavlovsky Life Guards Regiment, where large military parades were held under Nicholas I and later.

Between Scylla and Charybdis
According to the legends of the ancient Greeks, two monsters lived on the coastal rocks on both sides of the Strait of Messina: Scylla and Charybdis, who devoured seafarers. Scylla,
... barking incessantly,
A shrill squeal, like a young puppy squeal,
The monster announces the whole neighborhood. To approach her
It is scary not for people alone, but for the most immortal ...
Not a single sailor could pass her unharmed
With an easy ship to pass: all gaping jaws of teeth,
At once she kidnaps six people from the ship ...
You will see another rock close ...
The whole sea under that rock is terribly disturbed by Charybdis,
Absorbing three times a day and ejaculating three times a day
Black moisture. Don't you dare come near when it is swallowing:
Poseidon himself will not save the faithful from death ...
(Homer's "Odyssey", 12, 85-124. Translation by V. A. Zhukovsky.)
The resulting expression "between Scylla and Charybdis" is used in the meaning: to be between two hostile forces, in a position where danger threatens from both sides.

Minerva [Pallas] emerged from the head of Jupiter [Zeus]
Minerva - in Roman mythology, the goddess of wisdom, the patroness of sciences and arts, identified with the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, who, according to myths, was born from the head of Jupiter (the Greek parallel to him is Zeus), emerging from there fully armed - in armor, a helmet, with a sword in hand. Therefore, when they talk about someone or something that supposedly appeared immediately completely finished, this appearance is compared with Minerva, who came out of the head of Jupiter, or with Pallas, who came out of the head of Zeus (Hesiod, Theogony; Pindar, Olympian odes, 7, 35).

Morpheus. Morpheus's embrace
In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the son of the god Hypnos, the winged god of dreams. His name is synonymous with sleep.

Tantalum flour
In Greek mythology, Tantalus, king of Phrygia (also called king of Lydia), was a lover of the gods, who often invited him to their feasts. But, being proud of his position, he insulted the gods, for which he was severely punished. According to Homer ("Odyssey", II, 582-592), his punishment consisted in the fact that, being thrown into Tartarus (hell), he always experiences intolerable pangs of thirst and hunger; he stands up to his throat in water, but the water recedes from him as soon as he bows his head to drink; branches with luxurious fruits hung over him, but as soon as he stretches out his hands to them, the branches deflect. Hence the expression "torment of Tantalus" arose, which has the meaning: intolerable torment due to the inability to achieve the desired goal, despite its proximity

Narcissus
In Greek mythology - a handsome young man, the son of the river god Kephis and the nymph Leirio-py. One day Narcissus, who had never loved anyone, bent over a stream and, seeing his face in it, fell in love with himself and died of melancholy; his body turned into a flower (Ovid, Metamor-phozy, 3, 339-510). His name has become a household name for a person who admires himself, narcissistic. M.E.Saltykov-Shchedrin called the liberal chatters of his day, who are in love with their own eloquence, Narcissists, those "sowers of progress" who argued with the government bureaucracy for insignificant reasons, covering up chatter about "holy deeds", "the light of the future." and so on, their personal interests ("New Narcissus, or in love with himself." "Signs of the time").

Start with Leda's eggs
In Greek mythology, Leda, the daughter of Festius, king of Aetolia, struck Zeus with her beauty, who appeared to her in the form of a swan. The fruit of their union was Helen (Iliad, 3, 426; Odyssey, II, 298). According to the later version of this myth, Elena was born from one egg of Leda, and her brothers, the twins Castor and Pollux, from another (Ovid, Geroids, 17, 55; Horace, Satyrs, 2, 1, 26). Later, after marrying Menelaus, Helen was kidnapped by Paris and thus turned out to be the culprit of the Greeks' campaign against Troy. The expression "to start with Leda's eggs" goes back to Horace (65-8 BC), who ("On the Art of Poetry") praises Homer for not starting his story about the Trojan War ab ovo - not from an egg (of course, the myth of Leda), not from the very beginning, but immediately introduces the listener in medias res - into the middle of things, into the very essence of de la. It should be added to this that the expression "ab ovo" among the Romans was a proverbial; in full: "ab ovo usque ad mala" - from beginning to end; literally: from egg to fruit (a Roman meal began with eggs and ended with fruit).

Nectar and ambrosia
In Greek mythology, nectar is a drink, ambrosia (ambrosia) is the food of the gods, which gives them immortality (Odyssey, 5, 91-94). Figuratively: an unusually tasty drink, an exquisite dish; the highest pleasure.

Olympus. Olympians. Olympic bliss, greatness, tranquility
Olympus is a mountain in Greece, where, as it is told in Greek myths, the gods lived (Go-mer, Iliad, 8, 456). The later writers (Sophocles, Aristotle, Virgil) have Olympus as the vault of heaven, inhabited by the gods. Olympians are immortal gods; figuratively - people who always preserve the majestic solemnity of their appearance and imperturbable peace of mind; also called people arrogant, inaccessible. Hence a number of expressions arose: "literary Olympus", "musical Olympus" - a group of recognized poets, writers, musicians. Sometimes these expressions are used ironically, playfully. "Olympic bliss" - the highest degree of bliss; "Olympic greatness" - solemnity in manners, in all appearance; "Olympian calm" - calmness is nothing unperturbed.

Panic fear
The expression is used in the meaning: unaccountable, sudden, intense fear that grips many people, causing confusion. Arose from Greek myths about Pan, the god of forests and fields. According to myths, Pan brings sudden and unaccountable terror to people, especially to travelers in remote and secluded places, as well as to the troops rushing from this to flight. From here the word "panic" arose.

Parnassus
In Greek mythology, Parnassus is a mountain in Thessaly, the seat of Apollo and the muses. In a figurative sense: a collection of poets, the poetry of a people. The Parnassian Sisters are muses.

Pegasus
In Greek mythology, the winged horse of Zeus; under the blow of his hoof on Mount Helikon, the source of Ipokren was formed, inspiring poets (Hesiod, Theogony; Ovid, Metamorphoses, 5). A symbol of poetic inspiration.

Pygmalion and Galatea
In the ancient Greek myth of the famous sculptor Pygmalion, it is said that he openly expressed his contempt for women. The goddess Aphrodite, enraged by this, made him fall in love with the statue of the young girl Galatea, created by him himself, and doomed him to the torments of unrequited love. The passion of Pygmalion was, however, so strong that it breathed life into the statue. The lively Galatea became his wife. On the basis of this myth Pygmalion, they began to call a person who, by the strength of his feelings, the direction of his will, contributes to the rebirth of another (see, for example, the play by Bernard Shaw “Pygmalion”), as well as a lover who meets the cold indifference of a beloved woman.

Prometheus. Promethean fire
Prometheus in Greek mythology is one of the titans; he stole fire from heaven and taught people to use it, thereby undermining faith in the power of the gods. For this, an angry Zeus ordered Hephaestus (the god of fire and blacksmithing) to chain Prometheus to a rock; the eagle that flew in every day tormented the liver of the chained titan (Hesiod, Theogony; Aeschylus, Chained Prometheus). The expression "Promethean fire", which arose on the basis of this myth, is used in the meaning of: sacred fire burning in the soul of a person, an inextinguishable striving to achieve lofty goals in science, art, and social work. The image of Prometheus is a symbol of human dignity and greatness.

Penelope's work
The expression originated from Homer's Odyssey (2, 94-109). Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, during many years of separation from him remained faithful to him, despite the harassment of suitors; she said that she was postponing a new marriage until the day when she finished weaving the coffin for her father-in-law, Elder Laertes; She spent the whole day at the weaving, and at night everything that she had knitted in the day was dismissed and again set to work. The expression is used in the meaning: fidelity of the wife; never-ending work.

Sphinx. Sphinx riddle
In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is a monster with the face and chest of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird, who lived on a rock near Thebes; The Sphinx lay in wait for travelers and asked them riddles; he killed those who could not figure them out. When the Theban king Oedipus solved the riddles given to him, the monster took his own life (Hesiod, Theogony). Hence the word "sphinx" got the meaning: something incomprehensible, mysterious; "Sphinx riddle" - something insoluble, mine.

Sisyphean labor. Sisyphean work
The expression is used in the sense: hard, endless and fruitless work. It arose from Greek mythology. The Corinthian king Sisyphus was sentenced by Zeus to eternal torment in Hades for insulting the gods: he had to roll a huge stone onto the mountain, which, having reached the top, again rolled down. For the first time the expression "Sisyphean labor" is found in the elegy (2, 17) of the Roman poet Proportion (1st century BC)

Titans
In Greek mythology, the children of Uranus (heaven) and Gaia (earth), who rebelled against the Olympian gods, for which they were thrown into Tartarus (Hesiod, Theogony). Figuratively titans are humans, distinguished by strength, gigantic power of mind, genius; titanic - huge, grandiose.

Philemon and Baucis
In the ancient Greek legend, processed by Ovid (Metamorphoses, 8, 610, etc.), there are a couple of modest elderly spouses who warmly welcomed Jupiter and Mercury, who came to them in the form of weary travelers. When the gods, angry that the rest of the inhabitants of this area did not show them hospitality, flooded it, the hut of Philemon and Baucis, unharmed, was turned into a temple, and the spouses became priests. At their request, they died at the same time - the gods turned Philemon into an oak, Baucis into a linden. Hence Philemon and Baucis became synonymous with the inseparable pair of old spouses.

Fortune. Wheel of Fortune
Fortune - in Roman mythology, the goddess of blind chance, happiness and misfortune. She was portrayed with a blindfold, standing on a ball or wheel and holding a steering wheel in one hand, and a cornucopia in the other. The steering wheel indicated that fortune governs the fate of a person, the cornucopia - for prosperity, the abundance that she can give, and the ball or wheel emphasized her constant variability. Her name and the expression "wheel of Fortune" are used in the meaning: chance, blind happiness.

Fury
In Roman mythology - each of the three goddesses of vengeance (in Greek myth.-Erinia). Aeschylus, who brought Erinius to the stage, portrayed them as disgusting old women with snakes instead of hair, with bloodshot eyes, protruding tongues and bared teeth. A symbol of vengeance, figuratively a vicious angry woman.

Chimera
In Greek mythology - a fire-breathing monster, described in different ways. Homer in the Iliad (6, 180) reports that it has lion head, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. Hesiod in "Theogony" claims that it is a chimera about three heads (lion, goat, dragon). Allegorically, a chimera is something unreal, the fruit of consideration.

Cerberus
In Greek mythology, a three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld (Hades). He was first described in the "Theogony" of the ancient Greek poet Hesiod; speaks about her Virgil ("Aeneid", 6) and others. Hence the word "cerberus" (Latin form; Greek Kerber) is used in a portable meaning: a fierce, vigilant guard, and also - an evil dog.

Circe
Circe (Latin form; Greek Kirke) - according to Homer, an insidious sorceress. The Odyssey (10, 337-501) tells how, with the help of a magic drink, she turned Odysseus's companions into pigs. Odysseus, to whom Hermes gave a magic plant, defeated her spell, and she invited him to share her love. Having made Circe swear that she would not think anything bad against him and would return a human form to his companions, Odysseus declined to her proposal. Her name has become synonymous with a dangerous beauty, an insidious seducer.

Apple of discord
This expression in the meaning: the subject, the cause of the dispute, enmity, was first used by the Roman historian Justin (II century A.D.). It is based on Greek myth. The goddess of discord Eris rode between the guests at the wedding feast Golden Apple with the inscription: "The most beautiful." Among the guests were the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, who argued about which of them should get the apple. Their dispute was resolved by Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, by awarding the apple to Aphrodite. In gratitude, Aphrodite helped Paris to kidnap Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, which caused the Trojan War.

Pandora's Box
Expression that matters: source of misfortune, great calamities; originated from the poem of the Greek poet Hesiod "Works and Days", which tells that once people lived without any misfortunes, illnesses and old age, until Prometheus stole fire from the gods; for this, once-angry Zeus sent a beautiful woman to earth - Pandora; she received from Zeus a casket in which all human misfortunes were locked. Spurred on by curiosity, Pandora opened the chest and scattered all the misfortunes.

Tenth muse
Ancient mythology consisted of nine muses (goddesses - patrons of sciences and arts). The ancient Greek poet Hesiod in "Theogony" ("Genealogy of the Gods", 77) for the first time in the sources that have come down to us calls their names. The delimitation of the fields of sciences and arts (lyric poetry, history, comedy, tragedy, dance, love poetry, hymns, astronomy and epic) and their assignment to certain muses was made in a later era (III-I centuries BC. .).
The expression "tenth muse" denotes any area of ​​art, mostly re-emerged and not included in the canonical list: in the XVIII century. so called criticism, in the middle of the XIX century. in Germany - a variety theater, in our time - cinema, radio, television, etc.

Golden Rain
This image arose from the Greek myth of Zeus, who, captivated by the beauty of Danaë, the daughter of the Argos king Acrisius, appeared to her in the form of a golden rain, after which her son Perseus was born.
Danae, showered with a rain of gold coins, is depicted in the paintings of many Renaissance artists (Titian, Correggio, Van Dyck, etc.). The expression is used in the meaning: big money. Figuratively, "rain of gold" is the name given to the wealth obtained without difficulty.

Cyclops. Cyclopean buildings
In Greek mythology, one-eyed giants are blacksmiths. The ancient Greek poet Hesiod (8-7 centuries BC) in the "Theogony" ("Genealogy of the Gods") says that they forged lightning and thunder arrows for Zeus. According to Homer ("Odyssey", 9, 475) - one-eyed strongmen, giants, people-eaters, cruel and rude, living in caves on the tops of the mountains, engaged in cattle breeding. The Cyclops were credited with building gigantic structures. Hence "cyclops" is used in the meaning of one-eyed, as well as a blacksmith. The "Cyclopean building" is a huge structure.

For some nameless abstract

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Phraseologisms from the myths of Ancient Greece

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DAMOKLOV sword - a constantly threatening danger hanging over someone with visible well-being. According to ancient Greek legend, the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius I the Elder (late 5-4 centuries BC) offered the throne for one day to his favorite Damocles, who considered Dionysius the happiest of mortals. In the midst of the fun at the feast, Damocles suddenly saw a naked sword hanging on a horse's hair above his head, and realized the illusion of well-being.

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The origin of zoomorphism is the white crow. As you know, a black sheep is called people who stand out sharply against the background of the team with their behavior, appearance or attitude. Often nature makes mistakes and blunders that modern science interprets as failures in genetic code or mutation. It is for this reason that sometimes there are individual individuals whose color is unusual for animals of this species. The most common examples are perhaps white rabbits and mice. Periodically, information comes in that here and there white foxes, fish and even toads have been seen. The reason for this phenomenon is the absence in the hair and skin of the pigment responsible for the color. Such deviations were called by a special term - albinism. Accordingly, animals suffering from this ailment are albinos. And it's very rare to find an albino crow. The ancient Roman poet Juvenal, using this fact, uttered his famous pearl: “A slave can become a king, prisoners can wait for a triumph. Only the lucky one of such a rare white crow ... ”. So the authorship of the phrase so widely used today belongs to a Roman who lived 2,000 years ago. By the way, this expression has an eastern analogue - "white elephant". Albinism is extremely rare among elephants, so in South-East Asia elephants with white skin are considered sacred animals

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REST ON LAURUSES. The expression comes from the name of a simple laurel tree. According to Greek legend, the nymph Daphne, fleeing from Apollo, turned into laurel tree... Since then, this plant has become the tree of Apollo, the god of poetry and the arts. The winners were crowned with laurel branches and laurel wreaths. To "reap laurels" means to win success. "To rest on our laurels" means to stop striving for further success, to rest on what has already been achieved.

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FEMIDA FEMIDA. ~ Libra of Themis is a symbol of justice. ~ Temple (altar) of Themis - judgment. - [The case] occupied us at the trial so that we did not expect to be free for the holiday, and therefore I only came home to eat and sleep, and spent all days and part of the nights at the altar of Themis. Leskov. ~ Servants (priests, sons) of Themis are judges. - They finally reached the square where the offices were located ... From the windows of the second and third floors ... the incorruptible heads of the priests of Themis were protruding. Gogol. - Here the names of artists and artists mixed with each other - with the names of the sons of Themis and Mars. V. Krestovsky.

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The apple of discord Peleus and Thetis, the parents of the hero of the Trojan War, Achilles, forgot to invite the goddess of discord Eris to their wedding. Eris was very offended and secretly threw a golden apple on the table, at which the gods and mortals were feasting; it read: "The fairest." A terrible dispute arose between three goddesses: the wife of Zeus - the Hero, Athena - the virgin, the goddess of wisdom, and the beautiful goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite. “The young man Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, was chosen as judge between them. Paris awarded the apple to the goddess of beauty. Grateful Aphrodite helped Paris to kidnap the wife of the Greek king Menelaus, the beautiful Helen. To avenge such an offense, the Greeks went to war against Troy. As you can see, Eris' apple actually led to contention. The memory of this remained the expression "apple of discord", meaning any cause of disputes and strife. They also sometimes say "apple of Eris", "apple of Paris". You can often hear the words "throw an apple of discord between several people." The meaning of this is perfectly understandable.

Phraseology is one of the branches of linguistics that studies stable word combinations. Surely each of us is familiar with the expressions "to beat the thumbs up", "to lead by the nose", "like a bolt from the blue", "slipshod", etc. But how many of us have ever thought about where they came from? our language? I bring to your attention a small selection of phraseological units with their meanings and history of origin, thanks to which you may learn something new and be able to make your speech more expressive and varied.

Let's start with such a well-known expression as "Augean stables" used to describe a very dirty place that will take a lot of effort to clean. Phraseologism originates from the times of Ancient Greece, where King Augeus lived, who was very fond of horses, but not caring for them: the stables where animals lived did not see cleaning for about thirty years. According to legend, Hercules (Hercules) entered the service of the king, who received an order from Avgius to clean out the stalls. For this, the strongman used the river, the flow of which he sent to the stables, thereby getting rid of the mud. Impressive, right?

"Alma Mater"(from lat. "mother-nurse")

In ancient times, students used this phraseological phrase, describing educational institution, which, as it were, “nurtured”, “raised” and “educated” them. Currently, it is used with a certain amount of irony.

"Achilles' heel"(weak, vulnerable spot)

The source of this phraseological unit is ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, Thetis - the mother of Achilles - wanted to make her son invulnerable. To do this, she dipped him into the sacred river Styx, forgetting, however, about the heel by which she held the boy. Later, while fighting his enemy Paris, Achilles received an arrow in that heel and died.

"Gogol to walk"(walk around with very important species, self-confident)

No, this expression has nothing to do with the famous Russian writer, as it might seem at first. Gogol is a wild duck that walks along the shore with its head thrown back and protruding chest, which prompts comparison with a person trying to show all his importance.

"Nick down"(very good to remember something)

V this expression the word "nose" does not mean part of the human body at all. In ancient times, this word was used to refer to plaques on which all kinds of marks were made. People carried it with them as a reminder.

"Get away with your nose"(get away with nothing)

Another phraseological unit associated with the nose. However, like the previous one, it has nothing to do with the organ of smell. This expression takes its origin from Ancient Rus where bribery was widespread. People, dealing with the authorities and hoping for a positive outcome, used "bribes" (bribes). If the judge, manager, or clerk accepted this "nose", one could be sure that everything would be resolved. However, if the bribe was rejected, the petitioner left with his "nose".

"Pandora's Box"(source of troubles and misfortunes)

The ancient Greek myth says: before Prometheus stole fire from the gods, people on earth lived in joy and did not know any troubles. In response, Zeus sent a woman of unprecedented beauty to the earth - Pandora, giving her a casket in which all human misfortunes were kept. Pandora, yielding to curiosity, opened the chest and scattered them all.

"Filkin's certificate"(a document of no value, a meaningless piece of paper)

This phraseological turnover is rooted in the history of the Russian state, or rather, during the reign of Ivan IX the Terrible. Metropolitan Philip, in his letters to the emperor, tried to convince him to soften his policy, to cancel the oprichnina. In response, Ivan the Terrible only called the Metropolitan "Filka", and all his letters - "Filkin".

These are just some of the phraseological units of the Russian language, which have a very interesting story... I hope that the material presented above turned out to be useful and interesting for you.

Augean stables

*1. a heavily clogged, dirty place, usually a room where everything is lying around in disarray;
* 2. something that is in an extremely neglected state, in disarray, etc. Usually about some organization, about complete confusion in the conduct of business.

From the name of the huge stables of the Elide king Auge, not cleaned for many years. Only the mighty Hercules, the son of Zeus, could cleanse them. The hero cleared the Augean stables in one day, sending the waters of two stormy rivers through them.

Annibal's oath

* a firm determination to be irreconcilable in relation to someone or something, to fight with someone or with something to the end.

On behalf of the Carthaginian general Hannibal (or Annibal, 247-183 BC), who, according to legend, while still a boy, vowed to be an implacable enemy of Rome all his life. Hannibal kept his oath: during the Second Punic War (218-210 BC), the troops under his command inflicted a number of heavy defeats on the troops of Rome.

Arcadian idyll

* a happy serene life, a peaceful, unclouded existence.

From the name of Arcadia - the central mountainous part of the Peloponnese, whose population in ancient times was engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture, and which in the classical literature of the 17th-18th centuries. portrayed as a happy country where people live a serene, carefree life.

Attic salt

* subtle, graceful wit, graceful joke; mockery.

According to the name of the ancient Greek region of Attica, the former center of mental and spiritual life of that time and famous for its rich and subtle culture.

Pillars of hercules

* an extreme limit, a border of something, an extreme in something.

Originally - the name of two rocks on the shores of Europe and Africa near the Strait of Gibraltar, according to ancient legend, erected by Hercules on the border of the world.

Gordian knot

* intractable, confusing matter, task, some kind of difficulty. Also
Cut (cut) the Gordian knot

* resolve a complex and confusing issue boldly, decisively and immediately.

From the name of a complex, tangled knot tied, according to one of the legends, by the Phrygian king Gordius, which no one was able to untie. According to the prediction of the oracle, who managed to untangle this knot was to become the ruler of all Asia. The legend told by ancient Greek writers tells that only Alexander the Great managed to accomplish this - he cut the knot in half with a sword.

Sword of Damocles

* danger constantly threatening someone, a nuisance.

The expression arose from the ancient Greek legend about the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius the Elder (432-367 BC), who, in order to teach a lesson to one of his confidants, Damocles, who envied his position, put him in his place during a feast, hanging him over his head Damocles a sharp sword on horsehair as a symbol of the dangers that inevitably threaten the tyrant. Damocles realized how little happy he is who is under eternal fear.

Two-faced Janus

*1. Two-faced person;
* 2. a case having two opposite sides.

In ancient Roman mythology, Janus is the god of time, as well as of every beginning and end, the god of change, movement. He was portrayed with two faces, young and old, which were turned in different directions: the young - forward, into the future, the old - back, into the past.

The riddle of the Sphinx

* a difficult, intractable task that requires a subtle approach, a fair amount of intelligence and competence.

Arose from the myth that tells how the gods sent to Thebes as punishment for the misdeed of one of the city's rulers scary monster- The Sphinx, which is located on a mountain near Thebes (or in a city square) and asked each person who passed the question: "Which living creature walks on four legs in the morning, and not two in the afternoon, but three in the evening?" Unable to give a clue, the Sphinx killed and thus destroyed many noble Thebans, including the son of King Creon. The riddle was solved by Oedipus, only he managed to guess that it was a man; In desperation, the Sphinx threw herself into the abyss and crashed to death.

Golden Rain

* large sums of money.

The expression originated from the ancient Greek myth of Zeus. Captivated by the beauty of Danaë, the daughter of the Argos king Acrisius, Zeus penetrated her in the form of a golden rain and from this connection Perseus was born later. Danae, showered with rain of gold coins, is depicted in the paintings of many artists: Titian, Correggio, Van Dyck, and others. Hence the expressions "golden rain is pouring", "golden rain will be pouring".

Sink into oblivion

* to be forgotten, disappear without a trace and forever.

From the name Lethe - the rivers of oblivion in the underworld of Hades; from it the souls of the dead drank water and forgot their whole past life.

Laurels don't let you sleep

* someone has a strong sense of envy of someone else's success.

The words of the ancient Greek commander Themistocles: "Lavra Miltiada do not let me sleep", said by him after the brilliant victory of Miltiades over the troops of the Persian king Darius in 490 BC.

Throwing thunder and lightning

* scold someone; speak angrily, irritably, reproaching, denouncing or threatening someone.

It arose from the idea of ​​Zeus - the supreme god of Olympus - who, according to myths, dealt with his enemies and people he disliked with the help of terrifying lightning forged by Hephaestus.

Between Scylla and Charybdis

* in such a position when danger threatens from both sides (to be, to be, to be, etc.). Synonyms: between a hammer and an anvil, between two fires.

From the name of two mythical monsters, Scylla and Charybdis, who lived on both sides of the narrow Strait of Messina and destroyed everyone passing by.

Ariadne's thread, Ariadne's thread

* what helps to find a way out of a predicament.

By the name of Ariadne, daughter of the Cretan king Minos, who, according to ancient Greek myth, helped the Athenian king Theseus after he killed the half-bull, half-human Minotaur, to safely get out of the underground labyrinth using a ball of thread.

Palm tree

* first place among others, due to superiority over all others.

From the custom that existed in Ancient Greece to reward the winner in a competition with a palm branch or wreath.

Sing praises

* excessively, enthusiastically praise, praise someone or something.

Arose from the name of dithyrambs - songs of praise in honor of the god of wine and vine Dionysus, chanted during processions dedicated to this deity.

Procrustean bed

* what is the yardstick for something, to which something is forcibly adjusted or adapted.

Initially, it was a bed on which, according to ancient Greek myth, the robber Polypemon, nicknamed Procrustes ("stretching"), laid the travelers seized by him and stretched the legs of those to whom this bed was large, or cut off the legs of those for whom it was not enough.

Cornucopia

* As if from a cornucopia - in huge quantities, inexhaustible.

In ancient Greek mythology - the wonderful horn of the goat Amalthea, which nursed the baby Zeus with her milk. According to one of the legends, when one day a goat accidentally broke off its horn, the thunderer gave this horn a miraculous ability to be filled with whatever its owner desires. Therefore, the horn of Amalthea has become a symbol of wealth and abundance.

Saddle Pegasus

* the same as to Fly to Helikon - to become a poet, write poetry; feel a surge of inspiration.

By the name of the winged horse Pegasus, the fruit of the connection between the gorgon Medusa and Poseidon, bringing good luck to his rider. With a blow of his hoof, Pegasus knocked out the spring of Hippocrene ("horse spring") on Helikon (the mountain is the abode of the muses), the water of which gives inspiration to poets.

Sisyphean labor

* the same as the Barrel of Danaid - useless, endless hard work, fruitless work.

The expression came from the ancient Greek legend about Sisyphus, a famous cunning man who could deceive even the gods and constantly came into conflict with them. It was he who managed to bind Thanatos, the god of death, sent to him, and keep him in captivity for several years, as a result of which people did not die. For his actions, Sisyphus was severely punished in Hades - he had to roll a heavy stone onto the mountain, which, reaching the top, inevitably fell down, so that all work had to be started anew.

Pandora's Box

* a source of multiple misfortunes, disasters.

From the ancient Greek myth about Pandora, according to which people once lived without knowing any misfortunes, illness and old age, until Prometheus stole fire from the gods. For this, an angry Zeus sent a beautiful woman to earth - Pandora; she received from God a casket in which all human misfortunes were locked. Despite Prometheus's warning not to open the chest, Pandora, spurred on by curiosity, opened it and scattered all the misfortunes.