Greek phraseological units examples. The origin of phraseological units: the myths of Ancient Greece
Kalugin Danila
The expressions that came into our speech from the myths of Ancient Greece have become an important component of the Russian language and are often used by people who have no idea what these combinations originally meant and where they came from into our speech use.
This work is devoted to the meaning and history of phraseological units borrowed from ancient greek mythology
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Myths of Ancient Greece as a source of phraseological units Author: Kalugin Danila student of grade 6 A MBOU "Kireevskaya gymnasium" The sixth regional scientific-practical conference of students general education schools"Steps to Science-2014" Section No. 6 "Linguistics" Project work
The expressions that came into our speech from the myths of Ancient Greece have become an important component of the Russian language and are often used by people who have no idea what these combinations originally meant and where they came from into our speech use. This is the hypothesis of my work. In accordance with the hypothesis, I determined the purpose of this work - the identification of phraseological phrases that passed into our language from the mythology of Ancient Greece, the study and interpretation of their origin, an explanation of their meaning in modern Russian. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set: to become familiar with the concepts of "phraseology" and "phraseological unit"; find out the main sources of phraseological units; using the "Phraseological Dictionary" to find phraseological units that originated from ancient Greek mythology; determine their lexical meaning; read the myths that have become the source of phraseological units; trace the similarity of a situation or image with the modern meaning and use of phraseological units; find works of painting or graphics illustrating phraseological units and their mythological sources.
Achilles' heel This legend has long occupied the minds of people. Thanks to her, the tendon located on the leg above the heel bone is called "Achilles '" by anatomists, and the expression "Achilles' heel" has long been used to denote a weak, vulnerable spot in a person. Carlo Albitsini
The expression “to fly up to Helikon” means: to become a poet, to be carried away by poetry (ironic). To fly up to Helikon. Illustration from the Internet
Sword of Damocles The words "Sword of Damocles" remind us of the impending danger that can collapse at any second. Richard Westall
Gifts of the Danaites From ancient times, these words began to sound everywhere as a call to vigilance, to alertness, against flattery, hypocritical gifts and any false ingratiation. Illustration from the internet
To sink into oblivion "To sink into oblivion" means: to disappear from memory, to be absorbed in eternal oblivion. Illustration from the internet
Procrustean bed It happens that, contrary to the meaning, someone tries to adjust some work of art or science to certain external requirements, to drive it into an artificial framework. Illustration from the internet
Augean stables The expression "Augean stables" began to be applied to everything neglected, polluted to the last limit, and in general to denote a great disorder. Illustration from the internet
The Arcadian idyll and the Arcadian shepherdesses "Arcadian idylls" were remembered for a long time, and therefore they began to derisively call "Arcadian shepherdesses" carefree people, leading a carefree existence in the bosom of nature. Boris Olshansky
Barrel of Danaid And we call "barrel of Danaid" any aimless, endless work. John William Waterhouse
Age of Astrea Later this expression began to characterize every happy streak of life, a time of joy. Salvator Rosa
Herculean exploits Is it surprising if after this whole millennia people call "the feat of Hercules" any work that requires superhuman strength, talk about "Herculean efforts" and generally call the most powerful strongmen "Hercules". Boris Valeggio
The Golden Fleece The Golden Fleece is the name given to gold, the wealth that J. F. Detroit seeks to acquire.
Two-faced Janus We have long forgotten about the merits of the god Janus. When we call someone "two-faced Janus," we want to say: insincere, two-faced. Illustration from the Internet
Lucullus feast So we say, amazed by the abundance and sophistication of the table, the multitude of dishes, the luxury of the meal. Illustration from the internet
Between Scylla and Charybdis "To be in honey with Scylla and Charybdis" means a hopeless situation when certain death threatens from both sides at once. Illustration from the internet
Throwing thunder and lightning In the future, this expression became figurative and now means (as well as "throwing peruns"): rage, rage, smash someone (usually the weakest). Boris Valeggio (detail of the picture)
Olympic calmness (greatness) We have "Olympic calmness" or "greatness" - imperturbable, extreme, like ancient god... Illustration from the internet
Panic fear (horror) We still remember Pan: we talk about panic, we use the words "alarmist", "panic". M. Vrubel
Promethean fire We say: "The torment of Prometheus", wanting to describe endless suffering; we are talking about Promethean fire when we want to characterize the spirit of nobility, courage and talent. J.Cossiris
Penelope's Cloth We call Penelope's work any work that lasts forever, the results of which are destroyed as it moves forward. "Penelope's fabric" means clever cunning, and the very name "Penelope" has become a symbol of a wife's loyalty to her absent husband. John William Waterhouse
Cornucopia This is the horn, becoming a symbol of an inexhaustible source of treasures, and was nicknamed the cornucopia. The expression "as from a cornucopia" means: with extraordinary generosity, in great numbers. Vladimir Kush
Sisyphus' work Punishment of Sisyphus was terrible not so much the difficulty as the senselessness of his work. Titian
Tantalum torments People call tantalum torments the suffering caused by the proximity of something extremely necessary, desired, which is nearby, close at hand, and yet inaccessible. Bernard Pekar
The apple of discord The expression "apple of discord" remained in memory of this, 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." Alexey Golovin
Pandora's Box Remembering this, we now call "Pandora's Box" everything that can serve as a source of grief and misery in case of negligence. Boris Valeggio
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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 the genetic code or mutations. 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 on the table, at which the gods and mortals feasted, Golden Apple; 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, lovely Elena... 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.
To the question Give examples (5) of phraseological units from the myths of ancient Greece and their meanings. given by the author Yoonya Sachenko the best answer is you can do this:
1. Augean stables - heavily littered, dirty or littered premises.
In Greek mythology, the Augean stables are the vast stables of Augeus, king of Elis, which have not been cleaned for many years. They were cleaned in one day by Hercules: he sent a river through the stables, the waters of which carried away all the manure.
2. Ariadne's thread - what helps to find a way out of a difficult situation.
The expression originated from Greek myths about the hero Theseus who killed the Minotaur. 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 young men and women who were doomed to be torn to pieces 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. After killing the Minotaur, Theseus found the way back out of the labyrinth along a thread and led all the doomed out of there.
3. Achilles' heel is a weak spot.
In Greek mythology, Achilles (Achilles) is one of the most powerful and brave heroes. He is sung in Homer's Iliad. The mother of Achilles, the sea goddess Thetis, to make her son's body invulnerable, dipped him into the sacred river Styx. Dipping, she held him by the heel, which was not touched by the water, so the heel remained the only vulnerable spot of Achilles, where he was mortally wounded by Paris's arrow.
4. Sword of Damocles - impending, threatening danger.
The expression arose from an ancient Greek tradition told by Cicero in his "Tuskulan Conversations". Damocles, one of the close associates of the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius the Elder, 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 the dangers to which he, as a ruler, is constantly exposed, despite his seemingly happy life.
5. Gifts of the Danaans. - "insidious" gifts that bring death with them for those who receive them.
The Trojan Horse is a secret cunning design (hence the Trojan Virus (Trojan)).
The expressions originated from the Greek legends of the Trojan War. The Danai (Greeks), after a long and unsuccessful siege of Troy, resorted to trickery: they built a huge wooden horse, left it at the walls of Troy, and themselves 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 returned on the ships, and thus took possession of Troy.
Answer from 22 answers[guru]
Hey! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Give examples (5) phraseological units from the myths of ancient Greece and their meanings.
Answer from Vitriol[newbie]
helped out))
Answer from European[newbie]
The apple of discord - the cause of the dispute, enmity The goddess of discord Eris rolled between the guests at the wedding feast a 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.
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Achilles' heel - a vulnerable spot The mother of Achilles, the sea goddess Thetis, in order to make her son's body invulnerable, dipped him into the sacred river Styx. Dipping, she held him by the heel, which was not touched by the water, so the heel remained the only vulnerable spot of Achilles, where he was mortally wounded by Paris's arrow.
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Two-faced Janus - two-faced man Janus is the god of every beginning and end, of entrances and exits. He was depicted with two faces facing opposite directions: young - forward, into the future, old - back, into the past.
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Narcissus is a man who loves only himself Narcissus is a handsome young man, the son of the river god Kephis and the nymph Leiriope. 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.
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Pygmalion and Galatea - about passionate love without reciprocity The myth of the famous sculptor Pygmalion 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. Lively Galatea became his wife
Answer from Vika votinova[newbie]
Class
Answer from philosophical[active]
THX
Answer from Denis maishev[newbie]
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Answer from Oleg L[active]
Phraseologisms of mythical origin and their meaning "Achilles' heel" weak, vulnerable spot in a person "apple of discord" is the cause of enmity, disputes, disagreements between anyone. "Narcissistic narcissist" - a narcissist; face, admires himself. - "marital ties." "Cornucopia" - great variety, wealth. "Cross the Rubicon" - make an irreversible step, a decisive act, cross the line, the limit. "Damocles sword" is used when it comes to constant mortal danger. "Tantalum torment "- endure terrible suffering due to the inability to achieve the desired goal" Augean stables "- extreme neglect, dirt, disorder." Procrustean bed "characterizes a contrived yardstick, under which the facts of Diisnost are forcibly adjusted. Danaid's barrel is an empty, endless work." Ariadne's thread "Means a pointer, a guiding thread, salvation." Herculean feat "is a matter that requires great efforts." Cyclopean structure "is used when they talk about a huge building nie. "To saddle Pegasus" - to become a poet. "Sisyphean labor" is called fruitless, hard, endless work. "Pandora's box" means the source of misfortune, calamity, trouble. "Panacea" - a remedy not only for diseases, but also for all problems. Homeric laughter - uncontrollable, loud laughter. "Gordian knot" means a complex or confusing matter that is difficult to solve; to cut the Gordian knot - to solve complex issue in a radical way. The Gordian knot is also considered a symbol of non-kinking. "Apples of the Hesperides" are valuable baggage. "Promethean fire" is used when it characterizes the spirit of nobility, courage and talent, and "Prometheus of torment" when it comes to suffering in the name of a high goal. “All-seeing eye” is the ability to notice everything, see, quickly learn about everything. "Worldwide flood" is used when it comes to a flood or plum. "Arcadian idyll" means a harmonious, happy, cloudless life.
Answer from Artyom Korablin[newbie]
uu bpb
Answer from Natalia[newbie]
thanks for the words
Answer from Lime Tomira[newbie]
Priests of Themis
Judges
In Greek mythology, Themis is the goddess of justice. She was portrayed as a woman holding a balance in one hand and a sword in the other. The blindfolds symbolized her impartiality, the arguments of the accusation and defense were evaluated on the scales, and the guilty were punished with the sword.
Panic fear
Sudden, unaccountable fear that grips a person
Pan in mythology is the god of flocks and shepherds. Pan is able to instill such fear in a person that he will run headlong wherever they look, without even thinking that the road will lead to inevitable death. -
Achilles' heel
Weak point, weak side
Thetis dipped her son Achilles into the wonderful waves of Styx to make the boy invulnerable. However, while bathing, she held her son's body by the heel, from this the heel became the most vulnerable point of Achilles. In the future, it was in the heel that Paris mortally wounded him.
Augean stables
1) Very dirty place, neglected room
2) Extreme disorder in business
In Greek mythology, these stables are the huge possessions of the king of Elis - Augia, in which order has not been restored for many years. And Hercules cleared them in one day, sending the Alpheus River through the stables. This water took all the dirt with it.
Tantalum flour
Suffering from the consciousness of the proximity of the desired goal and the inability to achieve it
Tantalus is the name of King Sipilus in Phrygia, as well as the son of Zeus and Queen Pluto from ancient Greek mythology. So he was a favorite of the gods, and as a result of which he had access to their advice and feasts, which was the further reason for his punishment. And there are several versions according to which the gods hated him, and as a result made him suffer in hell.
Sword of Damocles
Constantly threatening danger
The Usirakuz tyrant Dionysius the Elder was a favorite and saint, his close associate Damocles. But what has the sword to do with it? The fact is that Damocles was jealous of his king and it seemed to him that Dionysius's life was happy and easy. But at the same time, Dionysius the Elder always noticed the envy of Damocles and, as a result, decided to show him that in fact it is not so easy to rule the kingdom as it seems at first glance.
At one of the feasts, Dionysius ordered Damocles to be temporarily placed on the throne and to show all the honors that are due to the present ruler. Damocles was glad of this. But in the midst of the fun, he noticed a sword hanging over his head. But the sword did not just hang, but hung by a thread and could break off at any moment and, accordingly, inflict death on Damocles. With this situation, Dionysius wanted to prove that being a ruler is not as easy as it seems.
Sink into oblivion
Disappear without a trace, an abyss who knows where, etc.
In Greek mythology, there was a river of oblivion - Lethe, which flowed in the underworld. When the soul of a deceased person tasted the water from this source, it forever forgot about earthly life. This phraseological unit from the myths of Ancient Greece means - disappear without a trace, an abyss who knows where, etc.
pillars of Hercules
The highest, extreme degree of anything
The Greeks believed that at the very end of the world, on the shores of the endless empty ocean, over the Strait of Gibraltar, there were two stone pillars (in the old way - pillars); them here during one of his wanderings were approved by the great Hercules as a sign that there is no further way for man.
Ariadne's thread
A way to help find a way out of a difficult situation
Ariadne in mythology is the daughter of Pasiphae and a Cretan king named Minos. When Prince Theseus came to Crete, doomed, along with other guys, to be eaten by the Minotaur, the girl fell in love with him. And the Minotaur lived in the Labyrinth, where there were a huge number of transitions. Entering there once, a person would never get back. Ariadne gave Theseus a large ball of thread, which the guy unwound, getting to the monster. Having killed the Minotaur, Theseus easily left the room thanks to the threads.
Answer from Nazar Starodubov[newbie]
Augean stables
1. a heavily clogged, dirty place, usually a room where everything is lying around in a mess;
2. something that is in an extremely neglected state, in disarray, etc. Usually about an organization, about a complete mess in the conduct of business.
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From the name of the huge canyons of the Elidian king Avgius, 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 with someone or something, to fight with someone or with something to the end.
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On behalf of the Corfagenian commander Annibal (or Hannibal, 247-183 BC), who, according to legend, while still a boy, vowed to be an implacable enemy of Rome all his life. Annibal 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.
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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.
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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.
Barrel Danaid
the same as Sisyphean labor - useless, endless labor, fruitless work.
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In ancient Greek mythology, Danaides are fifty daughters of the Libyan king Danae, forty-nine of whom were punished for being killed by order of their father in the first wedding night their husbands, were forever doomed in the underground kingdom of Hades to pour water into a bottomless barrel.
Take off to Helikon
the same as Saddle Pegasus - to become a poet; feel a surge of inspiration.
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From the name of Mount Helikon in Greece, considered by the ancient Greeks to be the habitat of the muses.
Pillars of hercules
an extreme limit, a border of something, an extreme in something.
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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 confusing issue boldly, decisively and immediately.
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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.
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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 was jealous of 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. a two-faced person; 2. a case having two opposite sides.
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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, who were different sides: the young - forward into the future, the old - back into the past.
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Answer from Anastasia Popova[newbie]
Procrustean bed Forcing to do something In one of the Greek myths tells about the robber Procrustes (torturer). He caught passers-by and adjusted them to fit his bed: if the person was longer, were his legs cut off, if it was shorter? pulled out.
Sisyphean Labor Endless and fruitless work In ancient Greek myth, it is told about the cunning and insidious Corinthian king Sisyphus, who several times deceived the gods in order to prolong his luxurious life on earth.
The enraged Zeus awarded him eternal torment in hell for this: Sisyphus had to roll a huge stone onto a high mountain, which at the top suddenly broke out of his hands and rolled down. And it all started all over again ...
Apple of Discord Subject of enmity or cause of dispute. According to ancient Greek myth, once the goddess of discord Eridu was not invited to a feast. Holding a grudge, Eris decided to take revenge on the gods. She took a golden apple, on which was written "the most beautiful", and imperceptibly threw it between the goddesses Hero, Aphrodite and Athena. The goddesses argued over which of them it should belong. Each considered herself the most beautiful. The son of the Trojan king Paris, who was invited to be a judge, gave the apple to Aphrodite, and in gratitude she helped him kidnap the wife of the Spartan king Helen. Because of this, the Trojan War broke out.
Cornucopia With extraordinary generosity, in huge numbers, the ancient Greek myth tells that the cruel god Kronos did not want to have children, because he was afraid that they would take away his power. Therefore, his wife gave birth to Zeus in secret, instructing the nymphs to look after him, Zeus was fed with the milk of the divine goat Amalfea. One day she, clinging to a tree, broke off her horn. The nymph filled it with fruits and gave it to Zeus. Zeus presented the horn to the nymphs who raised him, promising that whatever they wished would emerge from it.
Promethean Fire An unquenchable desire to achieve lofty goals One of the titans, Prometheus, stole fire from the gods and taught people to use it. Enraged Zeus told Hephaestus to chain the titan to a rock, where an eagle flew every day to peck at Prometheus's liver. The hero Hercules freed Prometheus.
Into the arms of Morpheus To fall asleep In ancient Greek mythology, Morpheus is the god of dreams, the son of the god of sleep Hypnos. Usually he was depicted as a small winged man with closed eyelids and a poppy hanging with flowers. On behalf of this deity, the name of the medicine, morphine, was obtained from poppy heads and used for anesthesia during operations. Since ancient times, the expression "to be in the arms of Morpheus", used with a humorous connotation, means to fall asleep.
Ties of Hymen, Marriage, Ties of Marriage Ties are bonds, that which binds a person or binds one Living being to another. There are many words of this root: "prisoner", "knot", "bridle", "burden", etc. Thus, we are talking about something like "bundles" or "chains", while in Ancient Greece God was called Hymen marriage, patron saint of weddings.
Singing praises To overly praise, extol someone or something Arose from the name of praises - songs of praise in honor of the god of wine and vine Dionysus, chanted during processions dedicated to this deity.
Priests of Themis Judges In Greek mythology, Themis is the goddess of justice. She was portrayed as a woman holding a balance in one hand and a sword in the other. The blindfolds symbolized her impartiality, the arguments of the accusation and defense were evaluated on the scales, and the guilty were punished with the sword.
Panic Fear A sudden, unaccountable fear that grips a person Pan in mythology is the god of flocks and shepherds. Pan is able to instill such fear in a person that he will run headlong wherever they look, without even thinking that the road will lead to inevitable death. -
Achilles' Heel Vulnerable spot, weak side Thetis dipped her son Achilles into the wonderful waves of the Styx so that the boy would become invulnerable. However, in
Answer from Inna Pupysheva[newbie]
the apple of contention is the cause of the quarrel
Answer from Olga Kurochkina[newbie]
thanks
Nature. Borrowing in the XVI century. from lat. yaz., where natura "nature" - Suf. derived from natum "born" (from nascor "I am born"). Wed nature.
"Boat, shuttle", Ukrainian kayuk. Borrowing from Tat., Tur., Crimean-Tat., Kazakh.
Scylla and Charybdis - in ancient Greek mythology, two monsters that lived on both sides of the narrow sea strait between Italy and Sicily and destroyed sailing sailors. Scylla, who possessed six heads, grabbed rowers from sailing ships, and Charybdis, sucking water into herself at a great distance, absorbed the ship with her.
Skilla (ancient Greek Σκύλλα, in Latin transliteration Scylla, Latin Scylla) and Charybdis (ancient Greek Χάρυβδις, the transcription of Charybdis is acceptable) - sea monsters from ancient Greek mythology.
Charybdis in the ancient Greek epic is the personified representation of the all-consuming deep sea (etymologically Charybdis means "whirlpool", although there are other interpretations of this word). In the Odyssey, Charybdis is portrayed as a sea deity (ancient Greek δία Χάρυβδις) living in a strait under a rock at an arrow's distance from another rock, which served as the seat of Scylla.
Comparison of Skilla with Charybdis led to the formation of a proverb, which is equivalent to the Russian one "out of the fire into the fire":
Phraseologisms from ancient Greek myths
Phraseologism "Sisyphean labor" meaning
The ancient Greek myth tells about the cunning and insidious Corinthian king Sisyphus, who several times deceived the gods in order to prolong his luxurious life on earth.
The enraged Zeus awarded him eternal torment in hell for this: Sisyphus had to roll a huge stone onto a high mountain, which at the top suddenly broke out of his hands and rolled down. And it all started all over again ...
The expression of the Sisyphean work began to mean hard, exhausting, useless work.
Phraseologism "Apple of discord" meaning
According to ancient Greek myth, once the goddess of discord Eridu was not invited to a feast. Holding a grudge, Eris decided to take revenge on the gods. She took a golden apple, on which was written "the most beautiful", and imperceptibly threw it between the goddesses Hero, Aphrodite and Athena. The goddesses argued over which of them it should belong. Each considered herself the most beautiful. The son of the Trojan king Paris, who was invited to be a judge, gave the apple to Aphrodite, and in gratitude she helped him kidnap the wife of the Spartan king Helen. Because of this, the Trojan War broke out.
The expression apple of discord has turned into a phraseological unit denoting the cause of the quarrel, enmity
THE VIEW OF MEDUSA
If a person is unpleasant in communication and does not like others, then it is often said that he has the look of Medusa.
Medusa the Gorgon is a monster with snakes wriggling on its head, and instead of feet there were copper hooves. If a person looked at her, he immediately turned into stone.
Perseus managed to defeat the monster. To kill Medusa, the hero had to show remarkable ingenuity: during the battle he used a shining shield in which the Gorgon was reflected - so Perseus never looked at the monster. Then he cut off the head of the defeated Medusa and attached it to the shield. As it turned out, her gaze could still turn all living things into stone.
BARREL DANAID
A danaid barrel is a pointless, useless work.
According to an ancient Greek legend, King Danai, who had fifty beautiful daughters, sat on the Libyan throne a long time ago. And the Egyptian king Egypt the gods gave fifty sons, whom he planned to marry with the daughters of Danaus. But the Libyan king opposed the will of Egypt and fled with his daughters. In the Greek city of Argos, the sons overtook Danae and forced his daughters to marry them. But Danai did not want to put up with such an outcome and persuaded his daughters to kill the spouses after the wedding feast. All but one of the sisters obeyed their father's command. The beautiful Hypernestra sincerely fell in love with the handsome Linkey and could not take his life.
The crime committed by the Danaids angered the Gods, and they severely punished the guilty. In the terrible Tartarus, a terrible curse awaited them - the sisters were forever doomed to pour water into a bottomless barrel, trying to fill it.
ATTIC SALT
Attic salt - (book) - an elegant joke, refined wit.
Turnover - tracing paper from lat. sal Atticus. The expression is attributed to the ancient Roman writer and orator Cicero (106 - 43 BC). In an effort to popularize Greek culture in Rome, Cicero in his writings devoted a significant place to the theory of oratory developed by the Greeks. He especially singled out the inhabitants of Attica, famous for their eloquence. "They were all ... sprinkled with the salt of wit ..." - wrote Cicero.
PROMETEEV FIRE
Promethean fire - (book) the spirit of nobility, courage, an inextinguishable desire to achieve lofty goals.
The expression comes from ancient Greek mythology. One of the titans, Prometheus, stole fire from the gods and taught people to use it. Enraged Zeus told Hephaestus to chain the titan to a rock, where an eagle flew every day to peck at Prometheus's liver. The hero Hercules freed Prometheus.
Ariadne's thread
Ariadne's thread - means a way out of any difficult, confusing situation. The expression originated from the ancient Greek myth of the Golden Fleece, when Ariadne gave her lover a ball of thread so that he could find a way out of the maze. Here you can download or listen to the MYTH "Theseus's Journey to Crete" - the source of the phraseological unit thread of Ariadne.
OLYMPIAN CALM
Olympic serenity - imperturbable serenity.
Olympus is a mountain in Greece where, as the Greek myths tell, the gods lived. For Sophocles, Aristotle, Virgil and other authors, Olympus is the firmament inhabited by the gods. The Olympians are immortal gods who always preserve the majestic solemnity of their appearance and imperturbable peace of mind.
TSAR! REMEMBER THE GREEKS
Tsar! Remember the Greeks. 1. Reminder of urgent business. 2. Reminder of the need for revenge.
The king of Persia (522-4X6 BC) Darius I ordered his slave to repeat these words to him loudly three times a day, every time Darius sat down at the table. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, this ruler thereby showed that he had not forgotten how the Greeks (Athenians and Ionians) captured and burned the Persian city of Sardis, and that he would certainly take revenge when possible.
PANDORA'S BOX
Pandora's Box. Allegorically - "the source of misfortunes, troubles." Phraseologism is associated with the myth of Pandora, who received from the god Zeus a closed box filled with all earthly disasters and misfortunes. Curious Pandora opened a box, and human misfortune flew out of there
PROCRUSTEAN BED
Procrustean bed. Allegorical expression - "a sample given in advance, for which you need to prepare something." One of the Greek myths tells about the robber Procrustes (the torturer). He caught passers-by and adjusted them to fit his bed: if a person was longer, his legs were cut off, if shorter, he was pulled out.
THE GOLDEN FLEECE
The Golden Fleece is gold, wealth, which they strive to master.
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 named Argonauts. 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).
RETURN TO YOUR PENATES
To return to your penates - to return under your own roof.
What does penates mean and why do they return to them? The ancient Romans believed in kind, cozy gods living in every house and guarding it, peculiar brownies. They were called Penates, revered, treated with food from their table, and when leaving for a foreign land, they tried to take their small images with them.
Remember "Eugene Onegin" by A.S. Pushkin:
Returned to their penates,
Vladimir Lensky visited
A neighbor's monument is mortal.
TWO-FACED JANUS
In Roman mythology, Janus - the god of time, entrances and exits - was depicted with two faces. One face, young, looked forward to the future. Another, senile, - back to the past. V modern language used as a synonym for an insincere, two-faced person, a double-dealing.
GREEK GIFT
The gifts of the Danaans are treacherous gifts brought with a treacherous purpose.
Expression from the Iliad: in the legend, the Greeks took Troy by erecting a huge wooden horse and donating it to the Trojans. A detachment of soldiers was hidden inside the horse.
PENELOPE FABRIC
Penelope's fabric is about sophisticated cunning.
Penelope, wife of Odysseus (the hero of Homer's poem "The Odyssey"), promised to make a choice from among the annoying suitors after she finished weaving a blanket for her old father-in-law Laertes. But every night she dismissed everything that she managed to do in a day. When her cunning was revealed, Odysseus returned and interrupted in a fierce battle all the applicants for the hand of his wife.
GOLDEN AGE
In ancient times, people believed that a long time ago, at the dawn of time, a wonderful golden age reigned on earth, when humanity enjoyed peace and serenity - people did not know what fear, wars, laws, crimes, hunger were.
And although these naive beliefs have long sunk into oblivion, the phraseological unit of the golden age is still alive - this is how we call the most the best time, days of the heyday of anything.
Here you can listen to or download the MYTH "FIVE CENTURIES"
CORNUCOPIA
A cornucopia is an endless source of prosperity, wealth.
The ancient Greek myth tells that the cruel god Kronos did not want to have children, because he was afraid that they would take away his power. Therefore, his wife gave birth to Zeus in secret, instructing the nymphs to look after him, Zeus was fed with the milk of the divine goat Amalfea. One day she, clinging to a tree, broke off her horn. The nymph filled it with fruits and gave it to Zeus. Zeus presented the horn to the nymphs who raised him, promising that whatever they wished would emerge from it.
So the expression cornucopia became a symbol of prosperity, wealth.
Here you can listen to or download the MYTH "THE BIRTH OF ZEUS"
BONDS OF GIMENE
The bonds of Hymen are mutual obligations that living together imposes on the spouses, or, more simply, the very matrimony, marriage.
Ties are bonds, something that binds a person or binds one living creature to another. There are many words of this root: "prisoner", "knot", "bridle", "burden", etc. Thus, we are talking about something like "bundles" or "chains", while in Ancient Greece God was called Hymen marriage, patron saint of weddings.
Eugene Onegin in the novel by A.S. Pushkin says to Tatyana Larina:
You judge what kind of roses
Hymen will prepare for us ... -
when it comes to their possible marriage.
Here you can download or listen to the MYTH "GIMENEUS"
Tantalum flour
Tantalum torment, Tantalus torment - suffering from the consciousness of the proximity of the desired goal and the inability to achieve it. Here you can listen to or download the MYTH "TANTAL"
AUGEAN STABLES
AVGIEVY STABLES - a dirty place, neglected business, a mess.
GORDIAN KNOT
Cutting the Gordian knot is a bold, energetic solution to a difficult matter.
I CARRY EVERYTHING WITH MYSELF
Everything that a person carries with him is his inner wealth, knowledge and mind.
PANIC FEAR (HORROR)
Panic fear is intense fear. Here you can listen to or download the myth "PAN"
PALM OF EXCELLENCE
The palm tree is a symbol of victory, almost the same as a laurel wreath.
RIDING THE PEGASUS
Ride Pegasus - become a poet, speak in poetry
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
To be under the auspices - to enjoy someone's patronage, to be protected.
SWORD OF DAMOCLES
The sword of Damocles is a constant threat.
HOMERIC LAUGHTER (LAUGHTER)
Homeric laughter is unrestrained laughter.
HERCULES PILLARS (PILLARS)
To say "reached the Pillars of Hercules" means reached the extreme limit.
MENTOR TONE
"Mentor tone" is a mentoring, arrogant tone.
In Greek mythology, the Augean stables are the vast stables of Augeus, king of Elis, which have not been cleaned for many years. They were cleaned in one day by Hercules: he sent a river through the stables, the waters of which carried away all the manure.
2. Ariadne's thread - what helps to find a way out of a difficult situation.
The expression originated from Greek myths about the hero Theseus who killed the Minotaur. 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 young men and women who were doomed to be torn to pieces 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. After killing the Minotaur, Theseus found the way back out of the labyrinth along a thread and led all the doomed out of there.
3. Achilles' heel is a weak spot.
In Greek mythology, Achilles (Achilles) is one of the most powerful and brave heroes. He is sung in Homer's Iliad. The mother of Achilles, the sea goddess Thetis, to make her son's body invulnerable, dipped him into the sacred river Styx. Dipping, she held him by the heel, which was not touched by the water, so the heel remained the only vulnerable spot of Achilles, where he was mortally wounded by Paris's arrow.
4. Barrel Danaid - endless labor, fruitless work.
Danaids - 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 disobey her father. For the crime committed, forty-nine Danaids were, after their death, sentenced by the gods to forever fill a bottomless barrel with water in the underworld of Hades.
5. Age of Astrea - happy time, time.
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.
6. Hercules. Hercules labor (feat). Pillars of Hercules (pillars).
Hercules (Hercules) - the hero of Greek myths, gifted with an extraordinary physical strength... He performed the famous twelve labors. 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 - Gibraltar and Jebel Musa. These pillars were considered “the end 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 extreme point... The expression “Hercules labor, feat” is used when talking about any business that requires extraordinary efforts.
7. Hercules at a crossroads. Applies to a person who finds it difficult to choose between two solutions.
The expression arose from the speech of the Greek sophist Prodicus. 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.
8. Bonds (chains) of Hymen - marriage, matrimony.
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.
9. Sword of Damocles - impending, threatening danger.
The expression arose from an ancient Greek tradition told by Cicero in his "Tuskulan Conversations". Damocles, one of the close associates of the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius the Elder, 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 the dangers to which he, as a ruler, is constantly exposed, despite his seemingly happy life.
10. Gifts of the Danians. - "insidious" gifts that bring death with them for those who receive them.
The Trojan Horse is a secret cunning design (hence the Trojan Virus (Trojan)).
The expressions originated from the Greek legends of the Trojan War. The Danai (Greeks), after a long and unsuccessful siege of Troy, resorted to trickery: they built a huge wooden horse, left it at the walls of Troy, and themselves 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 of 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 returned on the ships, and thus took possession of Troy.
11. Two-faced Janus is a two-faced man.
Janus is the god of all beginning and end, entrances and exits (janua - door). He was depicted with two faces facing opposite directions: young - forward, into the future, old - back, into the past.
12. Golden Fleece - gold, wealth, which they seek to seize.
The Argonauts are brave seafarers and adventure seekers.
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", after which the participants of this, according to legend, the first long voyage of antiquity were named Argonauts. With the help of the sorceress Medea, Jason, having overcome all obstacles, safely took possession of the golden fleece.
13. To sink into oblivion - to disappear forever, to be forgotten.
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 their whole past life. The name of the river has become a symbol of oblivion.
14. Between Scylla and Charybdis - in a difficult position when danger threatens from both sides.
According to the legends of the ancient Greeks, two monsters lived on the coastal rocks on both sides of the strait: Scylla and Charybdis, who devoured seafarers.
15. Torment Tantala - suffering due to unsatisfied desires.
Tantalus, king of Phrygia (also called king of Lydia), was a favorite 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 cast down into Tartarus (hell), he always experiences intolerable torments of thirst and hunger. He stands up to his throat in water, but the water recedes from him as soon as he tilts 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.
16. Narcissus is a person who loves only himself.
Narcissus is a handsome young man, the son of the river god Kephis and the nymph Leiriope. 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.
17. Nectar and ambrosia is an unusually tasty drink, an exquisite dish.
In Greek mythology, nectar is a drink, ambrosia (ambrosia) is the food of the gods, which gives them immortality.
18. Olympians are arrogant, inaccessible people.
Olympic bliss - highest degree bliss.
Olympic serenity is serenity, undisturbed by anything.
Olympic grandeur - solemnity with manners.
Olympus is a mountain in Greece where, as the Greek myths tell, the immortal gods lived.
19. Panic fear - sudden, intense fear that causes confusion.
Arose from the 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. Hence the word "panic"
20. Pygmalion and Galatea are about passionate love without reciprocity.
In the 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.
21. Promethean fire - a sacred fire burning in the soul of a person; an unquenchable desire to achieve lofty goals.
Prometheus 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 flew in every day tore at the liver of the chained titan.
22. Penelope's work is never-ending work (wife's loyalty).
The expression originated from Homer's Odyssey. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, during the many years of separation from him, remained faithful to him, despite the harassment of the 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.
23. Sphinx riddle - something insoluble.
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. Those who could not figure them out, he killed. When the Theban king Oedipus solved the riddles given to him, the monster took his own life.
24. Sisyphean labor is endless, disembodied (useless) work.
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, rolled down again.
25. Circe is a dangerous beauty, an insidious seducer.
Circe (Latin form; Greek Kirke) - according to Homer, an insidious sorceress. With the help of a magic potion, she turned Odysseus's companions into pigs. Odysseus to whom Hermes gave magic plant, defeated her spell, and she invited him to share her love. Having made Circe swear that she was not plotting anything wrong against him and would return the human form to his companions, Odysseus bowed to her proposal.
26. The apple of discord is the cause of dispute, enmity.
The goddess of discord Eris rolled between the guests at the wedding feast a 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.
27. Pandora's box is a source of misfortune, great calamities.
Once people lived without knowing any misfortunes, illnesses and old age, until Prometheus stole fire from the gods. For this, an angry Zeus sent to earth beautiful woman- 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.
28. Golden rain - big money or easily obtained wealth.
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.
29. Cyclops - one-eyed
Cyclops are one-eyed giant blacksmiths, strong men, cannibals, cruel and rude, living in caves on the tops of the mountains, engaged in cattle breeding. The Cyclops were credited with building gigantic structures.
WORKS
A.S. Pushkin
PROPHET
We languish with spiritual thirst,
I dragged myself in the gloomy desert, -
And the six-winged seraph
He appeared to me at the crossroads.
With fingers as light as a dream
He touched my apple.
Prophetic apples were opened,
Like a frightened eagle.
He touched my ears, -
And they were filled with noise and ringing:
And I heeded the shudder of the sky,
And the high flight of angels,
And a reptile underwater passage,
And the vegetation of the valley vine.
And he clung to my lips,
And tore out my sinful tongue,
And idle and crafty,
And the sting of a wise snake
My frozen lips
Inserted with a bloody right hand.
And he cut my chest with a sword,
And he took out his quivering heart,
And coal blazing like fire
I put it in my chest.
I lay like a corpse in the desert
And God's voice called to me:
"Rise, prophet, and see and hear,
Fulfill my will
And, bypassing the seas and lands,
Burn people's hearts with the verb. "
Notes (edit)
* Prophet (p. 149). In the image of a prophet, as in "Imitations of the Koran" (see above), Pushkin understood the poet. The picture depicted by Pushkin, in several small details, goes back to the VI chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Bible (six-winged Seraphim with a burning coal in his hand).
The poem was originally part of a cycle of four poems, entitled "The Prophet", of anti-government content, dedicated to the events of December 14. MP Pogodin explained to PA Vyazemsky in a letter dated March 29, 1837: "He wrote" The Prophet "on his way to Moscow in 1826. There should be four poems, the first just printed (" We are tormented by spiritual thirst, etc. ") "(" Links ", VI, 1936, p. 153). The other three poems were destroyed and did not reach us.
The version of the first verse of the "Prophet" - "We torment the great sorrow", available in Pushkin's notes, apparently refers to the original edition of the well-known text.
Six-winged seraph- In Christian mythology, angels were called seraphim, especially close to God and glorifying him.
Finger- finger
Zenitsy- Pupil, eye.
Opened- opened
Prophetic- Foreseeing the future, prophetic
Gorny(flight) - Above.
Vegetation- growth
Right hand- right hand, sometimes even a hand
See- Look
Heed- Listen to someone, direct attention to someone.
Poem theme:
The time of writing the poem dates back to 1826. It is multidimensional poetic work refers to a series of poems, the key themes of which are the problem of the spiritual realization of the poet and the problem of the essence of poetry.
Composition and plot:
In the compositional aspect, it seems possible to divide the text into three equal parts. The first characterizes the place and time of the action (it consists of four verses). To some extent, the initial formula of the poem echoes the introductory part of Dante's Divine Comedy. The "six-winged seraphim", an angel especially close to the throne of God and glorifying it, indicates immersion in the Old Testament space; he is a hero "at a crossroads", which also emphasizes the sacredness and universality of the problem under consideration. According to the Old Testament concepts described in the Book of Isaiah, one of the seraphim cleanses the prophet's lips by touching them with hot coal, which he takes with tongs from the sacred altar, thereby preparing it for the fulfillment of the mission of service. The theme of fire is extensively developed in the poem at the compositional and lexical-semantic levels; the inner form of the word "seraphim" (translated from the Hebrew "fiery", "flaming") also actualizes the concept: in the word one can distinguish the producing root srp "to burn", "to burn", "to burn". The second part of the poem takes twenty lines and is devoted to the transformation of a person into a Prophet. Its fusion and internal correlation is actualized by a special mechanism of poetic expressiveness: a complex sound anaphora on "and". The concluding section is six lines long and expresses the idea of a prophetic ministry; in it is the voice of God, calling to lyric hero, sums up a kind of result of the accomplished reincarnation. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter with periodic significant interruptions in the form of spondees and pyrrhiales, with paired, cross and sweeping rhymes with male and female rhymes; at the rhythmic-metric level, the key idea of the poem is also reflected.
Lermontov "Duma"
Sadly I look at our generation!
His future is either empty, or dark,
Meanwhile, under the burden of knowledge and doubt,
In inaction it will grow old.
We are rich, barely from the cradle,
By the mistakes of the fathers and their late minds,
And life weary us, like a straight path without a goal,
Like a feast at a stranger's holiday.
Shamefully indifferent to good and evil,
At the beginning of the race, we wither without a fight;
Shamefully cowardly in the face of danger
And before the authorities - despicable slaves.
So skinny fruit, ripe for a time,
Neither our taste pleases nor the eyes,
Hanging between flowers, an orphaned stranger,
And the hour of their beauty - the hour of his fall!
We have dried up the mind with sterile science,
Taya envious of neighbors and friends
Disbelief of ridiculed passions.
We barely touched the cup of pleasure,
But we didn’t save our youthful strength;
From every joy, fearing satiety,
We have extracted the best juice forever.
Dreams of poetry, creation of art
They do not stir our mind with sweet delight;
We greedily cherish the rest of the feeling in our chest -
Buried with avarice and useless treasure.
And we hate, and we love by chance,
Sacrificing nothing for malice or love,
And a secret cold reigns in the soul,
When the fire boils in blood
And the luxurious fun of our ancestors is boring,
Their conscientious, childish depravity;
And we rush to the grave without happiness and without glory,
Looking back mockingly.
We will pass over the world without noise or trace,
Not the genius of the work begun.
And our ashes, with the severity of a judge and a citizen,
The descendant will offend with a contemptuous verse,
By the bitter mockery of a deceived son
Over a squandered father.
The poem "Duma" in its genre is the same elegy-satire, as well as "Death of a Poet". Only the satire here is directed not at court society, but at the bulk of the noble intelligentsia of the 30s.
The main theme of the poem is human social behavior. The topic is revealed in the Characteristics of the Generation of the 30s given here by Lermontov. This generation, which grew up in conditions of gloomy reaction, is not at all what it was in the 10-20s, not the generation of “fathers”, that is, the Decembrists. The socio-political struggle of the Decembrists is considered by them as a "mistake" ("We are rich, barely out of the cradle, in the mistakes of our fathers ..."). The new generation has moved away from participation in public life and has gone deep into the pursuit of "fruitless science", it is not worried about the issues of good and evil; it shows "shameful cowardice before danger", is "despicable slaves before the authorities." Neither poetry nor art says anything to these people. Their fate is bleak:
In a crowd gloomy and soon forgotten
We will pass over the world without noise or trace,
Without abandoning for centuries a fertile thought,
Not the genius of the work begun.
Such a harsh assessment of his contemporaries by Lermontov is dictated by his public views as an advanced poet. For him, who as a young man declared: “Life is so boring when there is no struggle,” an indifference to the evil reigning in life is especially unacceptable. Indifference to public life is the spiritual death of a person.
Severely condemning his generation for this indifference, for the departure from the social and political struggle, Lermontov, as it were, calls him to moral renewal, to awakening from spiritual slumber. Lermontov, acting in the role of the prosecutor, echoes in this with Ryleev, who with the same denunciation addressed his contemporaries who evade political struggle in the poem "Citizen".
How fair and accurate was the characterization of the generation of the 1930s, given by Lermontov in the Duma, is best illustrated by the testimonies of his contemporaries, Belinsky and Herzen, who deeply felt the horror of their era. Belinsky wrote about the Duma: “These verses were written in blood; they came out of the depths of the offended spirit. This is the scream, this is the groan of a man for whom the absence inner life there is evil, a thousand times the most terrible physical death! .. And who among the people of the new generation will not find in him the solution to his own despondency, mental
apathy, internal emptiness and will not respond to him with a cry, with his groan? " And Herzen spoke about this era: "Will the people of the future understand, will they appreciate the whole horror, the entire tragic side of our existence? .. Will they understand ... why do not they raise their hands to great work, why do we not forget melancholy in a moment of delight?"
Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"
"Woe from Wit" - a comedy in verse by A. S. Griboyedov - a work that made its creator a classic of Russian literature. It combines elements of classicism and romanticism and realism, new for the beginning of the 19th century.
Comedy "Woe from Wit" - a satire on the aristocratic Moscow society of the first half of the XIX century - one of the heights of Russian drama and poetry; actually completed "comedy in poetry" as a genre. The aphoristic style contributed to the fact that she "went into quotations."
History of the text:
Around 1816, Griboyedov, returning from abroad, found himself in St. Petersburg at one of the secular evenings and was amazed at how the entire audience splendidly before everything foreign. That evening she surrounded with attention and care some talkative Frenchman; Griboyedov could not stand it and made a fiery, incriminating speech. While he was talking, someone from the public declared that Griboyedov was crazy, and thus spread a rumor all over Petersburg. Griboyedov, in order to take revenge on secular society, conceived of writing a comedy on this matter.
Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm"
"The Thunderstorm" - a play in five acts by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky
History of creation
The play was started by Alexander Ostrovsky in July and finished on October 9, 1859. The manuscript is kept at the Russian State Library.
The writer's personal drama is also connected with the writing of the play "The Thunderstorm". In the manuscript of the play, next to the famous monologue of Katerina: “What dreams I dreamed, Varenka, what dreams! Or golden temples, or some extraordinary gardens, and everyone is singing invisible voices ... ", there is Ostrovsky's entry:" I heard from LP about the same dream ... ". L.P. is the actress Lyubov Pavlovna Kositskaya, with whom the young playwright had a very difficult personal relationship: both had families. The husband of the actress was the artist of the Maly Theater I.M. Nikulin. And Alexander Nikolaevich also had a family: he lived in a civil marriage with a commoner Agafya Ivanovna, with whom he had children in common (they all died as children). Ostrovsky lived with Agafya Ivanovna for nearly twenty years.
It was Lyubov Pavlovna Kositskaya who served as the prototype for the image of the heroine of the play Katerina, she also became the first performer of the role.
Alexander Golovin. Bank of the Volga. 1916 Sketches of scenery for the drama A. N. Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm"
In 1848, Alexander Ostrovsky went with his family to Kostroma, to the Shchelykovo estate. The natural beauty of the Volga region amazed the playwright, and then he thought about the play. For a long time it was believed that the plot of the drama "The Thunderstorm" was taken by Ostrovsky from the life of the Kostroma merchants. Kostroma residents at the beginning of the 20th century could accurately indicate the place of Katerina's suicide.
In his play, Ostrovsky raises the problem of the turning point in public life that occurred in the 1850s, the problem of changing social foundations.
The names of the characters in the play are endowed with symbolism: Kabanova is an overweight, heavy-handed woman; Kuligin is a "kuliga", a swamp, some of its features and name are similar to the name of the inventor Kulibin; the name Katerina means "pure"; opposed to her Barbarian - "barbarian".
In the play "The Thunderstorm" the writer described the state of provincial society in Russia on the eve of reforms. The playwright examines such issues as the position of women in the family, the modernity of Domostroi, the awakening of a person's sense of personality and dignity, the relationship between the "old", oppressive, and "young", voiceless.
The main idea of "Thunderstorms" is that a strong, gifted and courageous person with natural tendencies and desires cannot live happily in a society where "cruel morals" prevail, where "Domostroy" reigns, where everything is based on fear, deception and submission ...
The name “Thunderstorm” can be viewed from several positions. Thunderstorm is a natural phenomenon, and nature plays an important role in the composition of the play. So, it complements the action, emphasizes the main idea, the essence of what is happening. For example, the beautiful night landscape matches the date of Katerina and Boris. The expanses of the Volga emphasize Katerina's dreams of freedom, the picture of the cruel nature opens when describing the suicide of the main character. Then nature promotes the development of action, as if pushes events, stimulates the development and resolution of the conflict. So, in the scene of a thunderstorm, the elements prompts Katerina to public repentance.
So, the title "Thunderstorm" underlines the main idea of the play: the self-esteem awakening in people; the desire for freedom and independence begins to threaten the existence of the old order.
The world of Kabanikha and the Wild is coming to an end, because a “ray of light” has appeared in the “dark kingdom” - Katerina is a woman who cannot put up with the oppressive atmosphere that reigns in the family, in the city. Her protest was expressed in love for Boris, in unauthorized departure from life. Katerina preferred death to existence in a world where she was “ashamed” of everything. She is the first lightning of the thunderstorm that will soon break out in society. The clouds over the "old" world have been gathering for a long time. Domostroy has lost its original meaning. Kabanikha and Dikoy use his ideas only to justify their tyranny and tyranny. They were unable to convey to children the true faith in the inviolability of their rules of life. Young people live by the laws of their fathers as long as they can reach a compromise through deception. When the oppression becomes unbearable, when deception saves only partially, then a protest begins to wake up in a person, he develops and is able to break out at any moment.
Katerina's suicide awakened a man in Tikhon. He saw that there was always a way out of this situation, and he, the most weak-willed of all the characters described by Ostrovsky, who had been unquestioningly obeying his mother all his life, blames her for the death of his wife in public. If Tikhon is already able to declare his protest, then the "dark kingdom" really does not have long to exist.
The thunderstorm is also a symbol of renewal. In nature, after a thunderstorm, the air is fresh and clean. In society, after the thunderstorm that began with Katherine's protest, there will also be a renewal: the oppressive and subordinate order will probably be replaced by a society of freedom and independence.
But a thunderstorm occurs not only in nature, but also in the soul of Katerina. She has committed a sin and repents of it. Two feelings are fighting in her: fear of Kabanikha and fear that “death will suddenly catch you as you are, with all your sins ...” In the end, religiosity, fear of retribution for sin prevail, and Katerina publicly confesses what she had done. sin. None of the residents of Kalinov can understand her: these people, like Katerina, do not have a rich spiritual world and high moral values; they do not feel remorse, because their morality is as long as everything is “sewn and covered”. However, the recognition does not bring relief to Katherine. As long as she believes in Boris's love, she is able to live. But, realizing that Boris is no better than Tikhon, that she is still alone in this world, where everything “hates” for her, she finds no other way out but to rush into the Volga. Katerina transgressed religious law for the sake of freedom. Thunderstorm and in her soul ends with renewal. The young woman completely freed herself from the shackles of the Kalinov world and religion.
Thus, the thunderstorm that occurs in the soul of the main character turns into a thunderstorm in the society itself, and all the action takes place against the background of the elements.
Using the image of a thunderstorm, Ostrovsky showed that a society that has outlived itself, based on deception, and the old order, depriving a person of the opportunity to manifest the highest feelings, are doomed to destruction. This is as natural as cleansing nature through a thunderstorm. Thus, Ostrovsky expressed the hope that the renewal in society will come as soon as possible.
The great civilization of the ancient Greeks left a rich historical and cultural heritage to mankind. She gave the world unsurpassed masterpieces of art, including in literature (myths and poems). Have you ever wondered how much modern words and expressions have Greek roots, and what do they mean?
Phraseologisms from the myths of Ancient Greece
Phraseologism is an established phrase that can only be understood in its entirety. A special type of phraseological units are verbal turns of speech from the ancient era. These expressions take their origins from mythology and. The essence of ancient Greek phraseological units can be understood if you understand their origin from a certain myth. Such " idioms»Can be safely inserted into the topic of conversation, wishing to emphasize feelings and attitude towards an object or phenomenon.
Phraseologisms of Ancient Greece: examples
"Achilles' heel
". Indicates a vulnerable, weak point. Thetis dipped her son Achilles into the wonderful waves of Styx to make the boy invulnerable. However, while bathing, she held her son's body by the heel, from this the heel became the most vulnerable point of Achilles. In the future, it was in the heel that Paris mortally wounded him.
« Ariadne's thread
"- what helps to get out of a difficult situation. This expression originated from the myth of Theseus. The hero had to fight the Cretan monster - the Minotaur and get out of the labyrinth. The daughter of the king of Crete, Ariadne, gives him a guiding ball, which helped the guy get out of the terrible house of the Minotaur.
« Gordian knot
"- this phrase is used when they want to point out a solution to a confusing problem in a simple way... The Phrygians, choosing a ruler, turned to the oracle. He told them to wait for the first person who would pass in the direction of the temple of Zeus with a cart. Gordius became king, and he put his cart within the walls of the temple, tying it with a reliable intricate knot. The oracle prophesied that the one who untied the plexus of Gordius would be the ruler of Asia. without hesitation, he cut the knot with his sword.
« Medusa's Gaze
"- so they say when a person creates an unpleasant, bad atmosphere when communicating with him. According to legend, there were three sisters - the Gorgons. They looked disgusting: snakes moved on their heads instead of hairs, copper hooves rested against the ground instead of legs. The worst of them was Medusa the Gorgon. From her gaze, people turned stone. The hero Perseus managed to outwit the monster in battle. He took a mirror shield, so he could not look at the monster, watching him in the reflection. Perseus managed to chop off the Gorgon's head, after which he hung it on the shield.
