Seven English Expressions You Didn’t Know Were Greek

Have you ever wondered about the origins of many common English phrases like “Achilles’ heel” or “Pandora’s box?” Many of these expressions that are used quite often in English have deep roots in the rich language, culture, and mythology of ancient Greece.

Knowing and understanding their stories and how they ended up being used by English speakers gives us great insight into the way the English language evolved over the centuries and also deepens our common appreciation for the influence of the Greek civilization in shaping the Western world as we know it today.

1. “Achilles’ heel”

When we speak of an “Achilles’ heel” today, we mean that a weakness or vulnerable point in someone or something is bothering a person or situation. This person or situation, however, is in an otherwise advantageous position or state.

The phrase comes from the legendary Greek hero Achilles, who was invincible and totally invulnerable except for his…heel.

The Iliad, Homer’s epic poem, which has been read by hundreds of millions of people around the world, tells us about the way the mother of Achilles dipped him in the River Styx as a baby. According to this tale, Achille’s mother held her son by his heel, which remained dry and therefore exceptionally susceptible to injury. Achilles was eventually killed by an arrow to his heel during the Trojan War, providing us with this famous expression that we continue to use to this day.

2. “The Midas touch”

To have “the Midas touch” means to have an unmatched and uncanny ability to succeed and be great at anything one undertakes. This is particularly true in relation to financial matters, as it involves gold.

The expression goes back to ancient times and refers to King Midas from Greek mythology. King Midas was granted the rare power to turn anything he touched into gold. This sounds like the perfect superpower one might ask for. Unfortunately, it is not quite.

The myth aims to teach us a lesson. It is a cautionary tale about the multiple dangers unrestrained greed can bring to humans, as Midas soon discovered the downside of his golden touch.

This dark side of his gift became clear to him when he accidentally transformed his beloved daughter into a golden statue, realizing that his gift was nothing but a curse.

3. “Pandora’s box”

The phrase “open Pandora’s box” refers to freeing and unleashing a source of great and unexpected troubles in one’s life. According to Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman created by Hephaestus as per Zeus’ instructions.

She was given a simple jar, mistranslated as a “box.” This jar contained all the evils of the world, so, understandably, she was ordered to keep it closed. However, driven by human curiosity, Pandora eventually made the decision to open it, releasing untold suffering, death, and numerous other ills to plague the entirety of humankind forever.

According to the myth, it was only “hope” that remained in the jar after this perilous decision to be opened.

4. “Herculean task”

Another popular expression that we use in English to this day is the “Herculean task.” This phrase refers to an extremely difficult, lengthy, and arduous undertaking or a task that someone has agreed to complete.

The expression refers to the “Twelve Labours of Heracles” as we know them from Greek mythology. As penance for a crime, the famous Greek hero, Heracles (Hercules in Latin), had to complete a series of unimaginably challenging tasks that had been assigned to him by King Eurystheus.

These included, among others, slaying the Nemean Lion, capturing the Erymanthian Boar, and cleaning the Augean Stables all in a single day.

5. “Siren song”

The seductive and highly attractive but also dangerous appeal of something is very often compared to a “siren song” in English.

In the most famous epic work of Homer, the Odyssey, the Sirens were supposedly beautiful, and attractive, but also extremely treacherous creatures. They were part woman and part bird, whose main task was to lure sailors closer to their doom with hauntingly enchanting music. This music would eventually disorient them and lead them straight to their place.

To resist this fatal path, the popular hero Odysseus had his men plug their ears completely with beeswax and tie him to the mast of his ship. This was done so he could hear their dangerously attractive song without succumbing to it with the devastating results that this would entail.

6. “Cassandra complex”

In the field of psychology, the “Cassandra complex” refers to a situation or phenomenon in which one’s accurate prophecies, predictions, or warnings are disbelieved or dismissed by others.

The expression comes from the tragic figure of Cassandra. In Greek mythology, Cassandra was infamously cursed by the Greek god Apollo with the gift of prophecy. However, this gift went hand-in-hand with the fate of never being believed by others.

The constant warnings of Cassandra about the Trojan Horse and the fact that she was never actually believed, led to the final catastrophic fall of Troy.

7. “Oedipus complex”

Finally, the “Oedipus complex” is a Freudian psychological concept that has been widely used in the last century. It involves an unknown and unconscious sexual desire in a child for their opposite-sex parent. This, according to Freud, is combined with an inherent rivalry with the same-sex parent.

The term derives from the Greek mythological King Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, Jocasta. The ancient tragedian Sophocles immortalized this particularly disturbing tale in his play Oedipus Rex, bringing it to our modern world, with many people admiring it to this day.

These expressions are only a small sample of the many ways the ancient Greek language and culture have shaped modern English. Besides these expressions, countless English words—from “alphabet” and “academy” to “zoology” and “xylophone”—also have Greek roots either directly borrowed from Greek or indirectly through Latin and French.

Greek is consistently present in an English speaker’s language use. Understanding the mythological and historical background of these popular and widely used terms helps our overall understanding and appreciation for both languages.