Opening Pandora's box : phrases we borrowed from the classics and the stories behind them

We regularly employ classically-derived expressions in our everyday language, yet many of us have little understanding of the origin of these common phrases.

Now, an incomplete classical education need no longer be your Achilles heel.

Opening Pandora's Box offers a light-hearted yet fascinating look at the stories behind the expressions.

For example, did you know that the phrase 'the face that launched a thousand ships' originates from the story of the kidnapping of Helen of Troy, but the actual line comes from a poem by Christopher Marlowe?

Opening Pandora's Box provides a useful introduction to classical mythology as well as giving an insight into our language.