Greek mythology has given a lot to the English language. However, virtually no one in England had ever read these myths until 1600. Up until this time, the key work of literature which fed the English language was the Bible. With the Renaissance, however, came renewed interest in the classics and this subsequently lead to further enrichment of the English language.
This is also the story of panic. Panic was first used as an adjective relating to Pan, the Greek god of nature, and there is a description of a man hunt which was conducted with “Panic cries and laughter”. However, very soon the word became synonymous with the wildness and terror that the Greeks thought occurred when Pan was around. Philemon Holland was a great English translator who EVS Translations describes in another blog. In a translation of one of the work’s of Plutarch in 1603 he describes “foolish frights” or “panic terror” which occurs without any reason. The word panic appears quite frequently as a word in poetry and prose. An interesting use is in the poem The First Anniversary of the Government Under O.C. by the seventeenth century poet and politician Andrew Marvel:
And all about was heard a panic groan,
As if that natures self were overthrown.
Now panic is regarded as a standard human feeling which occurs frequently, including during public events. It is part of collective behaviour and good city planning ensures obstacles are in place to ensure that collective panic attacks do not lead to death and injury. The best thing of course is to follow the advice of Douglas Adams (The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy): “Don’t Panic” – sometimes easier said than done.
