Name

Per

Words with a Past

Each word below is related to a character in Greek or Roman mythology. Define the
word, and then find its link to mythology to help you understand the derivation of the
word. Information can be found in class notes, a dictionary and online sites (just do a
Google search for the origins of words).

For example:
Cereal- a breakfast food made from grain or corn. Derived from Ceres, goddess of grain/
corn.

1. volcano

2. mercurial

3. titanic

4. arachnid

5. narcissism

6. echo

7. odyssey

8. panic
9. siren

10. hyacinth

11. January

12. March

13. May

14. June

15. athlete
Name
Per

Words with a Past Part Two

1. Plato's students were called "academics," and today our word

"academic" means

2. According to one story, Achilles was invulnerable except for his heel.
Why wasn't his heel protected like the rest of his body? (Use your own
words.)

3. If your doctor says you have injured your Achilles tendon, which of
these
will you probably need as you recover?
A. A sling
B. Crutches
C. A back brace
D. A collar around your neck

4. A modern siren would not have the body of a bird, but how might she
be
like the original sirens?

5. Which of the following words does NOT mean the same thing as our
modern
word "titanic"?

A. colossal
B. huge
C. minuscule
D. gargantuan
6. The ancient Zelus was the personification or symbolic embodiment of
the
concept of zeal. What is zeal?

7. Complete this analogy: Zeal is to painting your face in your team's

colors
as ___________________.

A. courage is to running away

B. anger is to raising your voice
C. joy is to looking the other way
D. fatigue is to exercising

8. The river Lethe was also called "_______________________________."

9. Which of the following is an antonym for "lethargic"?

A. dry
B. safe
C. hungry
D. energetic

10. The ancient Greek muses were goddesses in charge of what?

A. sports
B. tools and technology
C. nature
D. the arts

11. If you are "musing" about something, what are you doing?

A. thinking
B. singing
C. dancing
D. writing a poem

12. Why might the oracle have been correct in describing Cupid as "a
winged monster who was even stronger than the gods"?