GLOSSARY OF MYTHOLOGICAL WORDS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH^775tantalize Tantalus, who through hubris tried to
feed the gods human flesh, is punished by being in
a state of perpetual thirst and hunger, food and drink
always just beyond his reach. To tantalize is there-
fore to tease and tempt without satisfaction. See
sisyphean and tartarean.
tartarean Tartarus is the region in the realm of
Hades reserved for the punishment of sinners,
among whom are those who have committed the
most heinous crimes and suffer the most terrible pun-
ishments. The adjective tartarean refers to those in-
fernal regions. See sisyphean and tantalize.
terpsichorean From Terpsichore, one of the nine
Muses, comes the adjective terpsichorean, which
refers to her special area of expertise, dancing. See
Muse.
titan/titanic The twelve Titans, the second gen-
eration of gods, born of Ge and Uranus, were of gi-
gantic stature, most of them conceived of as natural
forces, and although defeated and punished by Zeus,
virtually invincible. Their massive strength is pre-
served in the adjective titanic, which was also the
name given to the ocean vessel thought to be un-
sinkable. To call someone a titan is to emphasize
one's enormous mastery and ability in any field or
endeavor.
Trojan horse The Trojans were fooled and
dragged into their city a large, wooden horse, which
deceptively contained in its belly enemy Greek sol-
diers; the result was the utter destruction of Troy. In
computer terminology, a Trojan horse is a potentially
dangerous piece of software, disguised as harmless
but a destructive application, which also may be
downloaded from a website or as an e-mail attach-
ment. It is different from a computer virus because
it does not replicate itself.
typhoon Zeus' struggle with the dragon Typhon
(also named Typhaon or Typhoeus) was the most se-
rious battle that he had before finally consolidating
his rule. Typhon had one hundred heads and
tongues, fire shot out of his eyes, and terrible cries
bellowed from his throats. The word typhoon, mean-
ing a severe tropical hurricane that arises in the
China Sea or the western Pacific Ocean, comes from
the Chinese ta ("great") and feng ("wind"), but the
form of the word is influenced by the name Typhon.
venereal/venery/veneration Venus was the
powerful Roman goddess of love, equated with the
Greek Aphrodite, who was born from the foam
around Uranus' castrated genitals. Her dominant
sexual aspect is made clear by the nature of her ori-
gin. The adjective venereal denotes a sexually trans-
mitted disease, and the noun venery is indulgence in
sexual license. Veneration, however, is the act of
showing respectful love, adoration, or reverence.
volcanic/volcano/volcanism/volcanize/volcanol-
ogy, etc. (each of these words may also be spelled
with vul-) The Roman god Vulcan, identified with
the Greek Hephaestus, was the supreme craftsman
of the gods. His helpers were three Cyclopes and his
forge was located in various places, but most often
under Mt. Aetna in Sicily, or similar volcanic regions,
which betray its presence. A volcano is a vent in the
earth's crust that spews forth molten material and
thereby forms a mountain. Volcanism or vulcanism
refers to any volcanic force or activity. To vulcanize
is to subject a substance, especially rubber, to such
extremes of heat that it undergoes a change and
thereby becomes strengthened. Volcanology is the
scientific study of volcanic phenomena.
Wheel of Fortune Fors or Fortuna was an Italic
fertility goddess who controlled the cycles of the sea-
sons and became associated with the Greek concep-
tion of good or bad fortune (tyche). She is often rep-
resented holding the cornucopia in one hand and a
wheel in the other, to signify the rising and falling of
an individual's prospects. From that iconography
comes wheel of fortune, a device used in a game of
chance. See cornucopia.
zephyr Zephyrus is the west wind (see aurora
borealis), which signals the return of spring. Today
a zephyr is a pleasant, gentle breeze, as well as a ref-
erence to any insignificant or passing thing.