A myth is a story that arose in the earliest stages of history. And his fantastic images (legendary heroes, gods) were a kind of attempt to explain and generalize many natural phenomena, events occurring in society. Mythology reflects both the aesthetic attitude of a person to reality and moral views. The most famous and popular today are the myths of ancient Greece. Many of them are used in literature and in rites. And phraseologisms from ancient Greek myths are expressions that can be heard everywhere. However, not everyone knows where this or that catch phrase comes from. So, let's see what phraseologisms from myths we use and why.
Augean stables
We use this phrase when it comes to a too polluted room, where complete mess reigns. Or we call it an enterprise, an organization where all things are started. Why do we say that? The fact is that in Greek mythology these stables are huge possessions of the king of Elis - Avgius, in which order has not been restored for many years. And Heracles cleared them in one day, directing the Alfei River through the stables. This water took away all the dirt with it. This phraseology from the myths of ancient Greece became known thanks to the historian Diodorus Sicilian. It was he who first spoke about this myth.
Ariadne's thread
This is another phraseologism from the myths of Ancient Greece, which in a figurative sense means an opportunity, a guiding thread, a way to help find a way out of a difficult situation. Ariadne in mythology is the daughter of Pasiphae and the Cretan king named Minos. When prince Theseus arrived in Crete, doomed together with other guys to eat the Minotaur, the girl fell in love with him. And the Minotaur lived in the Labyrinth, where there were a huge number of transitions. Having entered there once, a person would never have climbed 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 strings.
Sink into oblivion
In Greek mythology, there was a river of oblivion - Summer, which flowed in the underworld. When the soul of a deceased person tasted water from this source, it forever forgot about earthly life. This phraseology from the myths of Ancient Greece means - to disappear without a trace, the abyss is unknown where, etc.
Wheel of Fortune
In mythology, Fortune is the goddess of happiness and unhappiness, of blind chance. She is always depicted standing on a wheel or ball, blindfolded. In one hand she has a steering wheel, which indicates that fortune decides the fate of a person, and in the other - a cornucopia, indicating the well-being that the goddess can give. A wheel or ball speaks of its constant variability. Using this phraseologism from the myths of Ancient Greece, we mean a blind case, happiness.
Panic fear
This is another phraseologism that we use almost every day. Pan in mythology is the god of flocks and shepherds. Pan is able to instill in man such a fear that he will run a rash wherever his eyes look, without even thinking about the fact that the road will lead to imminent death. Hence the expression, which means a sudden, unaccountable fear that encompasses a person.