Allusions

Greek Allusions to Modern Day Culture

All the terms on this page were used in ancient Greek and have modern derivations.

Terms

Greek Term	How Used Then	Modern Term	How Used Now
Metropolis	City or state of origin of a Greece colony.	Metropolis	The chief or capital city of a country, state, or region.
Cornucopia	Horn of a goat, gave user whatever he wished for.	Cornucopia	Hollow basket filled with fruits and vegetables.
Echo	Mountain nymph who died, explanation for echoes.	Echo	Reflection of sound.
Arachne	Weaver who turned into spider after contest with Athena.	Arachnid	Class of invertebrates.
Odysseus	Main character in The Odyssey.	Odyssey	A long journey; also a Honda minvan.
Aries	Associated with Ares, Greek god of war.	Aries	Dodge family car, also a constellation.
Trojan Horse	Huge wooden horse used by Greeks to infiltrate Troy .	Trojan Horse	Malicious software that looks useful to user.
Nike	Greek god of victory.	Nike	Company that makes shoes, apparel and sports equipment.
Ambrosia	Food or drink of the gods.	Ambrosia	Ambrosia is used when something tastes very good; the product is sometimes named after it.
Olympics	Were conducted to honor Zeus and to determine the most proficient athletes of each era.	Olympic Games	International multi-sport event.

Ambrosia, the food for the gods.

Here is a recipe:

In a large vintage serving bowl:
4 large cans of fruit cocktail drained overnight in the refrigerator
Fold in:
1 large tub of Cool Whip
1 bag of coconut
1 bag of miniature marshmellows
5 drops of red food color to make it pink
Decorate it halved maraschino cherries
Serve it chilled and generously!

Source: http://www.cherrycapri.com /things_recipes.php

Cornucopia

In Greek legends, cornucopia was said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea. Today, it is the centerpeice for Thanksgiving.

Citations:

Metropolis

“Metropolis” Merriam-Webster Online. 26 Nov 2006.< http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=metropolis >

Cornucopia

"cornucopia." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) . Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. 14 Oct. 2006. < Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cornucopia >

Echo

"Echo, in Greek mythology %u2014 FactMonster.com." The Columbia

Electronic Encyclopedia.
© 1994, 2000-2005, on Fact Monster.
© 2000–2006 Pearson Education, publishing as Fact Monster.
26 Nov. 2006 < http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/ent/A0816695.html >.

Arachne

Carr, Karen. “Arachne - History for Kids!” Kidipede – History for Kids. 10 Nov. 2006. Karen Carr. 26 Nov. 2006 < http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/religion/myths/arachne.htm

Aries

"Aries (astrology)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . 24 Nov 2006, 05:47 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 26 Nov 2006 < http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aries_%28astrology%29&oldid=89778819 >.

Trojan Horse

"Trojan Horse." Encyclopedia Mythica . 2006. Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
26 Nov. 2006 <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/trojan_horse.html>.

Nike

"Nike (mythology)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . 26 Nov 2006, 17:47 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 26 Nov 2006 < http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nike_%28mythology%29&oldid=90252208 >

Ambrosia

" Ambrosia ." Britannica Student Encyclopedia . 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 26 Nov. 2006 < http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-9316171 >.

Olympics

“Olympic Games” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 26 Nov 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympics>