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

for Texan in de pen dence from Mexico. Although
the Alamo eventually fell and all of the 187 defenders
(including davy crockett and Jim Bowie)
were killed, their re sis tance became a symbol of
heroism in the face of a probable defeat. <strong>The</strong> slogan
“remember the Alamo!” was taken up by the
army of Texas when it successfully avenged itself
upon the Mexicans at San Jacinto six weeks later.
<strong>The</strong> coach tried to restore some enthusiasm during the
break, encouraging his squad to “Remember the Alamo!”,
but the fi nal result was never in doubt.
remnant See saving remnant.
Remus See romulus and remus.
Re nais sance (renbsons) A resurgence of vitality
in a par tic u lar fi eld, originally the arts. From the
French word meaning “rebirth,” the term is primarily
associated with the period of religious, cultural,
and artistic development that took place in
various Eu ro pe an countries in the 14th, 15th, and
16th centuries, marking the end of the medieval
era and the start of the modern age. <strong>The</strong> works of
classical authors were rediscovered, laying the
foundations of modern scholasticism and triggering
a revival of interest in such fi elds as science,
philosophy, and literature. “Deep well- springs of
ideas were tapped and a new Re nais sance set in
motion by men who were unafraid to let their
spirits roam in the new universe of science and
invention” (Edward Chisnall, Bell in the Tree: <strong>The</strong>
Glasgow Story, 1989).
Re nais sance man (renbsons) A person who
excels in not just one but several fi elds. <strong>The</strong> term
harks back to the historical re nais sance era,
when courtiers throughout Eu rope sought to master
a range of scholarly and other pursuits, from
learning foreign languages and reading the classics
to playing musical instruments and learning how
to dance, ride, fence, and conduct a conversation.
In modern usage, the term may be applied to anyone
who demonstrates skill in more than one fi eld,
not necessarily confi ned to the arts and cultural
pursuits. Having demonstrated his abilities not only as
a diplomat and writer but also as an artist and amateur
opera singer on numerous occasions, his admirers commonly
described him as a Re nais sance man.
render unto Caesar (seezer) Surrender to your
masters the things that they are entitled to demand.
<strong>The</strong> phrase appears in the Bible in Matthew 22:21
and Luke 20:25, where it is given as Christ’s reply
to the Pharisees’ question as to whether it was
lawful to pay tribute to Caesar (hoping to trick
Jesus into a confession of open disloyalty to the
emperor): “<strong>The</strong>n saith he unto them, Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s;
and unto God the things that are God’s.”
<strong>The</strong> implication in Christ’s reply is that there are
some things that Caesar is not entitled to ask for
and that his authority is limited. When it comes to
taxes, there is little alternative but to bite the bullet and
render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
respecter of persons, no See no respecter of
persons.
rest on one’s laurels See laurels.
retreat from Moscow
retreat from Moscow A costly, full- scale retreat
in the face of overwhelming defeat. <strong>The</strong> allusion is
to the retreat of napoleon’s invading army from
Rus sia in 1812 when defeated by the combined
onslaught of the Rus sian winter and the evasive
tactics of Rus sian generals. Thousands of French
soldiers died in the course of the retreat, Napoleon’s
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