Mcmillan, Nora Project 2

An Overview of Greek Contributions to American language and culture

I. Contributions of Greece to the language and culture of the newly created American republic During the Renaissance (14th to 17th centuries), Europe was influenced by great Greek thinkers of ancient times: philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Pre-Socratic philosophers such as Heraclitus, Democritus as well as the Stoics), poets such as Homer and Sappho, tragedians like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, historians such as Herodotus, Xenophon and others, doctors such as Hippocrates, orators like Demosthenes and writers such as Plutarch, Archimedes, Euclides, and Strabo. These are just some of the great Greek thinkers of ancient times. Their words established themselves in European languages and thought. Because of the introduction and spread of Christianity, many words and concepts eventually became part of American culture. To be more precise, the New Testament, the texts of the great fathers of the Church, and Byzantine hymnology, introduced Greek thought into American culture. We find that the word Europe is derived from the Greek name of a mythological figure. The most likely etymology of the word is the Greek word for “the one who has ‘big eyes’.” In fact, the word politics is a Greek word. The concept of politics originated in the science (knowledge) of becoming a good citizen in the Athenian Republic (city-state in ancient Greece)—knowing how to carry out a citizen’s obligations and responsibilities. Demokratia (democracy) came from the Greek words meaning “people” and “power.” Democracy came to express the people’s authority, (the many) rather than the power of the elite or the few. Athenian democracy became the model for the government of a citystate that secured and guaranteed the democratic rights of all citizens. The etymologic basis of the word for democracy was the Greek word for dialogue from the verb meaning “to discuss matters with others seeking the truth”

(http://www.greekemb.jp/culture/babiniotis_en.htm). From the same verb we get dialectic (the method of seeking truth through question and answer, through dialogue). Rhetoric evolved out of the Greek word meaning orator, conversing objectively and convincingly, practicing the art of rhetoric. Even the word idea comes from the Greek word meaning "what I see or conceive with my mind" (http://www.greekemb.jp/culture/babiniotis_en.htm). European languages used the Greek ιδέα to form idea in English, idée in French, idea in Italian and Spanish, and idee in German, for example. The original meaning of the Greek word is “vision as a source of knowledge.” From the same Greek root we get two important words: story and history, from the initial phrase "the one who sees with his eyes and knows well” (http://www.greekemb.jp/culture/babiniotis_en.htm). Note, also, the English words history and story, the French histoire, the Italian istoria and the Spanish historia. One can explore the areas of education, philosophy, art, theater, poetry and literature in the same semantic sense. In fact, the word music comes from the Muses, the goddesses of the arts (music, painting, dance, poetry, prose, philosophy). Other words from that same etymological stem include melody, harmony, and museum ("a space dedicated to the Muses, and, by extension, the arts they protected" http://www.greekemb.jp/culture/babiniotis_en.htm). Other words and/or areas include philosophy, philology, philanthropy from the Greek phil "he who loves;" analogy, analogous, analogue, analogic from the Greek αναλογία ("the equivalence of the characteristics of two objects" http://www.greekemb.jp/culture/babiniotis_en.htm). According to Professor George Babiniotis, president of the Hellenic Foundation, it is not so much a borrowing or words as it is creation of new words with Greek stems: from harmony, philharmonic evolved; from phil and ατέλεια (without charge) evolved

philately and philatelic. From the Greek συμφωνία (harmony, harmonious, coexistence), symphony and symphonic evolved. Other words with Greek origins include: neo (prefix), platonic (from Plato), sophism, apologia, orphism, salon, lyceum, academy, gymnasium, stoicism, cynicism, Pythagorian, odyssey, narcissism, and epicureanism to name a few. And, of course, how can we forget gymnastics, athletes and athletics (the latter two words from the Greek meaning “to train” and “prize” from the original meaning "compete with others for victory, distinction, the prize." According to Professor Babiniotis, “the highest distinction for an athlete was victory at the Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες (the Olympic Games) a highly prestigious pan-Hellenic competition held in ancient Olympia” (http://www.greekemb.jp/culture/babiniotis_en.htm).1 Interestingly, the words anarchy, despotism, demagogue, tyranny and authoritarianism also sprang from Greek etymology. Another interesting area of Greek contribution is found in studying the origins of phrases and words. Here are just a few. You can obtain a much longer list at: http://www.areopagus.net/grkterms.htm#achilles. Achilles’ Heel, meaning a person’s weak spot, is based on the Greek myth of the hero of the Trojan War, Achilles. His mother was a sea goddess and since Achilles was destined to die young, she dipped him into the river Styx in order to make him invincible. However, she held him by the heel, thus leaving a vulnerable area. He would later die, as prophesized, by an arrow to his heel. Adonis, a handsome young male, is based on the Greek myth of an 1

A more complete overview of Professor Babiniotis’ work is found in The Greek Language: Its Contribution to the Basic Concepts of European Civilisation.

incestuous relationship that resulted in the birth of Adonis. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, succumbed to the beauty of the young man, sentencing him to a tragic death in the hands of another lover. Amazon, meaning a strong, husky woman, comes from the Greek description of warrior women. The word itself is Greek for “breastless” because it was believed that amazons severed a breast in order to shoot an arrow more accurately. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts…Be wary of anyone offering something for nothing because they might have an ulterior motive. The phrase is probably linked to the Greek myth of the Trojan Horse, the “gift” given by the goddess Athena that sacked Priam’s barricaded city, Troy, during the night. The Face that Launched a Thousand Ships refers to an individual who causes a disaster, especially war. It is a direct reference to the beautiful Helen of Troy whose abduction by the Trojan prince Paris caused her husband, to declare war on Troy. Helen's beauty, it was implied, “launched a thousand ships" into war. Fate means a predestined turn of events. The word comes directly from three sibling goddesses, Moirai, who personified the inescapable destiny of man. “At the birth of a man, the Moirai spinned out the thread2 of his future life, followed his steps, and directed the consequences of his actions according to the counsel of the gods” (http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html). 2

The Greeks believed that life was a thread. “Klotho, whose name meant 'Spinner', spinned the thread of life. Lakhesis, whose name meant 'Apportioner of Lots'…, measured the thread of life. Atropos (or Aisa), whose name meant 'She who cannot be turned', cut the thread of life.” (http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html)

Herculian Effort, a mighty effort, is not directly linked to Hercules, but to Heracles, the son of Zeus. Heracles was obligated to fulfill twelve tasks, called the Labors of Heracles. Any effort deemed incredible is said to be "Herculean" and is associated with the Labors. Leaving no stone unturned is a direct reference to Eurystheus, the king responsible for Heracles’ twelve labors who ordered that “no stone [be] left unturned in finding and killing Heracles’ sons. Euripedes, one of three classical Athenian tragedians, along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, also used the catch-phrase in his masterpiece, The Bacchae. Labyrinth, meaning an elaborate maze, refers to King Minos’ attempt to hide the horrible half-man, half-bull creature called the Minotaur that Queen Pasiphae had birthed. A labyrinth with perplexing hallways and corridors was created so that no one could escape but eventually Theseus killed the Minotaur and escaped the labyrinth. Midas Touch, an incredibly lucky person, is referenced in one of mythology’s most famous tales. King Midas was granted the wish that everything he touched turn to gold. This soon became a scourge when he realized that he could not eat or drink or even hug his daughter. He rescinded his wish and lost the “golden touch.” Nemesis is defined as an adversary or obstacle. Inescapable divine retribution was a major theme in the Hellenic world view and the goddess (Nemesis) personified it. Odyssey, an adventure or journey, comes from Homer’s classic epic, The Odyssey. The hero Odysseus returns from the Trojan War, a journey that takes him nine years, encountering many adventures along the way. Oedipus complex was made a well-known phrase by Sigmund Freud.

Borrowed from Sophocles' immortal play Oedipus Tyrannos, Oedipus (which means "swollen foot") was left to die as a baby after a prophesy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He eventually did. The phrase refers to a son’s attachment to his mother. Electra complex refers to a daughter’s attachment to her father. Electra, the "female Oedipus," was the daughter of Agamemnon. When her mother Clytemnestra murdered him, Electra swore vengeance and her unrelenting obsession ultimately caused her mother's death. Pandora’s Box is a reference to opening one’s self to trouble. Greek myth tells of Zeus’ creation of “woman” in order to inflict upon man the worst trouble imaginable. The goddesses bestowed gifts of charm and beauty to her and Zeus then gave “woman” to Epimetheus (meaning “afterthough”), bestowing a beautiful box (actually a pithos jar) of evils (greed, vanity, slander, lying, envy, pining and hope) as her dowry. Explicitly told not to open the box, she did, “with only Hope flying out as salvage.” Phobias derives from phobos, the Greek word for fear. Phobos, the son of Ares, was the representation of fear, essentially in battles. His brother was Deimos (panic). Trojan Horse, meaning subversion or destruction from within, is Virgil’s story. The Trojans were barricaded within their city walls while the Achaeans (Greeks) lay in wait outside. An enormous wooden horse is brought within the city; a gift from the gods, the Trojans believe, despite warnings from the princess Cassandra and the priest Laocoon. During the night, hidden soldiers from the horse’s belly emerged and sacked the city.3

3

See also Greeks bearing gifts.