Opening Pandora's Box

ebook ∣ Phrases Borrowed from the Classics and the Stories Behind Them

By Ferdie Addis

cover image of Opening Pandora's Box

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Format

ebook

Author

Ferdie Addis

Publisher

Trusted Media Brands

Release

13 October 2011

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Subjects

Reference Nonfiction

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Are you known to strike like a thunderbolt when things don't go your way?
Are you fortunate enough to have the Midas touch?
Have you ever been struck by Cupid's arrow?
Classically derived expressions are commonly used in our everyday language, yet many of us have little knowledge of the Greek and Roman influences that inspired them. With Opening Pandora's Box you'll discover the fascinating stories behind familiar phrases like Achilles' Heel, a Nemesis, To Fly too Close to the Sun, and more. For example, did you know that...

  • The lifesaving operation known as the Caesarean section is so named because Julius Caesar was delivered by being cut out of his mother's womb?
  • The original labyrinth was built on the orders of King Minos of Crete after Aphrodite cursed his wife to fall in love with a bull and produce a monstrous baby? The king locked the baby in a maze so complicated and tangled that, once in, he would never emerge.
  • The word cereal is derived from the Italian corn goddess Ceres?Pry open the lid of the English language to find the secrets behind classical phrases we use every day.

    • Format

    ebook

    Author

    Ferdie Addis

    Publisher

    Trusted Media Brands

    Release

    13 October 2011

    Share

    Subjects

    Reference Nonfiction
    Opening Pandora's Box