The Facts on File Dictionary of Allusions - Green Valley High School

all things in common
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all things in common <strong>The</strong> shared own ership of
property, goods, and possessions. <strong>The</strong> phrase comes
from Acts 2:44–45, which describes how the fi rst
Christians gathered in communal groups, sharing
their wealth and possessions equally and owning
nothing individually. All those who enter the monastery
surrender their right to own ership of property, as the
rules demand holding all things in common.
all things to all men Compromising and fl exible
adaptation of opinions, actions, etc., regardless of
principle, in order to appease a variety of confl icting
interests. <strong>The</strong> expression comes from 1 Corinthians
9:22, in which Paul, explaining how he
seeks converts among both Jews and Gentiles,
writes, “I am made all things to all men, that I
might by all means save some.” <strong>The</strong> church leader
was criticized for not making his own views clear and for
attempting to be all things to all men.
alpha and omega (alfb, omaygb) <strong>The</strong> entirety or
most important part of something; the fi rst and
last of something. <strong>The</strong> phrase appears in Revelation
1:8, 21:6, and 22:13 and, according to the
NIV Study Bible, means, “God is the beginning and
the end. . . . He rules sovereignly over all human
history. In 22:13 Jesus applies the same title to
himself.” Alpha and omega are respectively the
fi rst and last letters of the Greek alphabet, which
was adopted around 1000 b.c. Engine per for mance
is the alpha and omega of all research done at this
facility.
Alpheus and Arethusa (alfeebs, arbthoozb) Archetypes
of lovers who are so close they appear indivisible.
According to Greek mythology, Alpheus
was a river god who fell in love with the nymph
Arethusa. <strong>The</strong> virginal Arethusa fl ed from Alpheus
and, at her own request, was transformed by the
goddess Artemis into a sacred spring on the island
of Ortygia, near Sicily. Alpheus, however, transformed
himself into a river and fl owed under the
Peloponnesus to mingle with her. <strong>The</strong> legend may
have been inspired by the fact that the Alpheus
River does indeed fl ow underground in certain
places. <strong>The</strong>y’re like Alpheus and Arethusa, more or less
joined at the hip!
Althaea’s brand (altheebz) An event that has fatal
consequences. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to Greek mythology
and the legend of Althaea and her son Meleager,
who was fated to live as long as a certain log of
wood remained unburned. After Meleager murdered
her brothers, Althaea threw the log into the
fi re and brought about her son’s death, as related
in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (a.d. 1–8). “As did the
fatal brand Althaea burned” (William Shakespeare,
Henry VI, 1592).
Amalekite (bmalbkit) Archetype of a wicked,
untrustworthy enemy. <strong>The</strong> Amalekites are described
in the Bible as a nomadic warlike tribe descended
from Amalek (Esau’s grandson) and the perpetual
enemies of the Israelites: “<strong>The</strong> LORD will have
war with Amalek from generation to generation”
(Exodus 17:16). <strong>The</strong> troops regard their opponents as
modern- day Amalekites, quick to resort to violence and
on no account to be trusted.
Amalthea See cornucopia.
Amaryllis (ambrilis) A shepherdess or country
girl. It is the name of a shepherdess featured in the
pastorals of <strong>The</strong>ocritus and (c. 310–250 b.c.)
and Virgil (70–19 b.c.). In modern usage it is best
known as an alternative title for the belladonna lily
or of several other related plants. “Were it not better
done as others use, / To sport with Amaryllis