Despite the millennia that separate us from the Greeks, we can see that the legacy of this ancient civilization still has a significant influence on many aspects of our daily lives. Aesthetic notions, the idea of democracy, the principles of philosophy are just some of the cases where we see how the Greeks left their mark on Western cultures. In fact, if there is a little more interest, we may find that Greek culture also enters into much simpler aspects of our daily lives.
In fact, the invigorating properties of sleep known to all people and the lack of sleep can lead to a number of health problems. Several scholars are still investigating how this activity, which takes up practically a third of our lives, interferes with the functioning of our bodies. In our daily life, it is common for many people to celebrate a good night's sleep saying they “fell into the arms of Morpheus”. But where did this expression come from?
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According to Greek mythology, Morpheus was a god son of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Like his father, he had large wings that made him wander silently through the most distant places on planet Earth. By taking advantage of the rest of men, Morpheus assumed human forms and occupied the dreams of whoever he wanted. Thus, the Greeks believed that a good night's sleep and its various positive effects would only be explained by the presence of this deity in their dreams.
It was precisely through this expression and the story of Morpheus that one of the most powerful painkillers in existence, morphine, got its name. In the end, even if the mythology has no scientific basis, we know that a good night's rest is simply divine.
By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Brazil School Team
Curiosities - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Fall in the arms of Morpheus"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/cair-nos-bracos-morfeu.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
