Building a Better Vocabulary

ever struck and assured Hermes’s place as not only the god of

tricksters but also the god of commerce.

z Hermes is often pictured wearing a winged hat and winged sandals,

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of the gods. Hermes was quick and lively and, as we said, was

associated with the Roman god Mercury. From this god’s name,

we get the adjective mercurial, which means prone to sudden and

unpredictable change, as well as animated, lively, and quick-witted.

Mercury/Hermes was all of these things.

Saturnalia (noun)

A celebration marked by unrestrained revelry and, often, promiscuity and

excessive drinking.

z Saturnalia comes to us from the Roman god of agriculture, Saturn.

In ancient Rome, a week-long festival, the Saturnalia, was held in

December to honor Saturn. The festival was marked by gift giving,

gambling, and role reversals, in which slaves were served by

their masters.

Saturnine (adjective)

Melancholy, sluggish, gloomy.

z The god Saturn also gives us saturnine, meaning “morose and

sullen.” This meaning comes from the fact that ancient and medieval

astrologers believed that those born under the planet Saturn would

have a gloomy temperament.

Promethean (adjective)

Daringly original or creative; boldly inventive.

z Promethean comes from the name of the Greek Titan Prometheus.

After the defeat of the other Titans by the Greek gods, Zeus