The English language has been enriched by the mythology of our classical past. Part of our
exploration of Greek and Roman Mythology this term will be to expand our understanding of
our own language via the etymologies of its vocabulary.
To this end, students in WLIT 2323 will present the myths behind the words at the beginning
of each class meeting. Most of these words are to be found in a good English dictionary, and
on the Internet in the "Words and Phrases Glossary" of Oxford's "Classical Mythology
sixth edition on-line" (http://www.oup-usa.org/sc/0195143388/).
There are several works in Mullins Library that can give you the lowdown on all the mythology you need. There are a bunch in Reference, and a bunch on the shelves. Click here to see some basic BIBLIOGRAPHY with call numbers for your research.
Student presentations will involve writing the word or phrase on the board, and BRIEFLY (in 2
-3 minutes) explaining the mythological figure associated with the words. [Please give a note to
the professor at least two days before your presentation, showing what you have found.]
Please check the following list and note the days on which you will give your presentations.
January 22
Achilles heel, Achilles reflex, Achilles tendon PAUL ALGEE
Adonis ANDREW BEAL
aegis DANIEL BEATTY
titan, titanic KIM CARTER
hermaphrodite CHRISTINA CHEN
January 24
Amalthea (astronomy)WILL COLLIE
amazon (river and generalized usage) CARI CRAWFORD
ambrosia, ambrosial MARA DABRISHUS
aphrodisiac, anaphrodisiac ALLEN DEVEREUX
Trojan horse JONATHAN ENGLE
January 29
apollonian ANNE MARIE BODO
apple of discord DORY FORD
April ALICIA FALLACARO
arachnid GRETA FORSBERG
Arcadia/arcadian APRIL HABER
January 31
areocentric, areologist, areology, Areopagus ADRIEL W. HARDIN
aretmisia (botany) TAMI HAYES
argonaut ANGELA HENDRICKSON
Argus/argus-eyed APRIL JENNINGS
Athenaeum LIZ JONES
February 05
Atlas/Atlantic/atlantes/Atlantis KATHERINE KENNER
Augean Stables/Augean MANDY KNITTEL
Aurora Australis/Borealis JORDAN KOHL
bacchanal/baccanalia/bacchanalian/bacchant//bacchic ELIZABETH LEAKEY
uranium, Uranus CHARLIE LUU
February 07
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts/I fear Greeks even when they bear gifts THALIA MADEWELL
Cadmean victory JACQUELINE MAHAFFEY
calliope LEE MARLIN
Callisto (astronomy) DREW MORRIS
vestal RACHEL MULVANEY
February 12
Calypso/Calypso music TAMARA RAKESTRAW
cassandra JOE RATNER
Cassiopeia (astronomy) ANGELA ROBEY
catamite SAMMI SHADID
Cerberus CHRIS SHELBY
February 14
cereal RACHEL SMITH
chaos, chaotic chimerical AMBER STRAUGHN
cornucopia YASMIN WHEELER
cupidity BUDDY WILLIAMS
venereal, venerate, Venus SAMANTHA WILLIAMS
February 19
cyclopean CHRISTINE WOODS
cynosure PAUL ALGEE
Daphne ANDREW BEAL
Deimos (astronomy) DANIEL BEATTY
demon ANNE MARIE BODO
February 21
dionysian KIM CARTER
dog days CHRISTINA CHEN
echo WILL COLLIE
Electra complex CARI CRAWFORD
Elysian Fields/Elysian/Elysium MARA DABRISHUS
February 26
eristic ALLEN DEVEREUX
erotic, erotica, erotomania JONATHAN ENGLE
Europa (astronomy), Europe flora, fauna ALICIA FALLACARO
Furies/furious/furioso DORY FORD
February 28
Ganymede (astronomy) GRETA FORSBERG
Gemini (astronomy, astrology) APRIL HABER
gorgon, gorgonian, gorgonize ADRIEL HARDIN
Hades TAMI HAYES
volcano ANGELA HENDRICKSON
March 05
halcyon, halcyon days APRIL JENNINGS
harpy LIZ JONES
hebe (botany) KATHERINE KENNER
hecatomb MANDY KNITTEL
hector (as a verb, as a noun) JORDAN KOHL
March 12
hyacinth ELIZABETH LEAKEY
hydra CHARLIE LUU
hymen, hymneal THALIA MADEWELL
hyperborean JACQUELINE MAHAFFEY
tantalize LEE MARLIN
March 14
ichor DREW MORRIS
Io (astronomy), Ionian RACHEL MULVANEY
iridescent, iridescence TAMARA RAKESTRAW
janitor, January JOW RATNER
jovial ANGELA ROBEY
March 26
Juno (astronomy, Military), Junoesque SAMMI SHADID
Jupiter (planet) CHRIS SHELBY
labyrinth, labyrinthine RACHEL SMITH
lethe, lethargy, lethargic AMBER STRAUGHN
herculean YASMIN WHEELER
March 28
lotus eater BUDDY WILLIAMS
Lucifer (two meanings) SAMANTHA WILLIAMS
March, Mars (planet), martial CHRISTINE WOODS
May PAUL ALGEE
mentor ANDREW BEAL
hermetic DANIEL BEATTY
April 02
mercurial, Mercury (element, planet) ANNE MARIE BODO
Midas' ass's ears/Midas touch/the golden touch KIM CARTER
Minotaur CHRISTINA CHEN
money, monetary WILL COLLIE
terpsichorean CARI CRAWFORD
April 04
morphine MARA DABRISHUS
music, museum ALLEN DEVEREUX
narcissus, narcissism, narcissist JONATHAN ENGLE
nectar ALICIA FALLACARO
nemesis DORY FORD
April 09
Neptune (planet), neptune (whelk), Neptunian, neptunium GRETA FORSBERG
stygian APRIL HABER
nestor ADRIEL HARDIN
Nike TAMI HAYES
zephyr, zephyranthes, zephyra cloth, zephyrean tartarean ANGELA HENDRICKSON
April 11
nymph, nymphaeum, nympholepsy, nymphomania APRIL JENNINGS
ocean LIZ JONES
odyssey KATHERINE KENNER
oedipal MANDY KNITTEL
Olympian, Olympic (sports) JORDAN KOHL
April 16
Orion, Orion Nebula ELIZABETH LEAKEY
paean CHARLIE LUU
palladium (two meanings) THALIA MADEWELL
pandora's box JACQUELINE MAHAFFEY
panic LEE MARLIN
April 18
Parthenon DREW MORRIS
Peloponnesus, Peloponnesian RACHEL MULVANEY
Perseid, Perseus cluster TAMARA RAKESTRAW
Phobos (astronomy) JOE RATNER
phosphorus ANGELA ROBEY
April 23
Pluto (planet), pluton, plutonian, plutonium SAMMI SHADID
syringe, syrinx CHRIS SHELBY
priapism, priapic RACHEL SMITH
procrustean AMBER STRAUGHN
promethean YASMIN WHEELER
April 25
protean BUDDY WILLIAMS
Python, python, pythoness SAMANTHA WILLIAMS
Saturn (planet), Saturnian, saturnine, Saturday CHRISTINE WOODS
satyr, satyriasis, satyromaniac PAUL ALGEE
Scylla and Charybdis ANDREW BEAL
April 30
sibyl, sibylline DANIEL BEATTY
siren ANNE MARIE BODO
Sisyphean KIM CARTER
sphinx CHRISTINA CHEN
stentorian WILL COLLIE
University of Arkansas
Spring, 2001; WLIT 2323
Greek and Roman Mythology
D. B. Levine