Bold Briareus
Preserved but no longer current.
Handel (1685-1759), so called by Pope: — Strong in new arms, lo ' giant Handel stands, Like bold Briareus, with a hundred hands; To stir, to rouse, to shake the soul he comes, And Jove's own thunders follow Mars's drums; POPE: Dunciad, iv, 65.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Bold Briareus” mean?
Handel (1685-1759), so called by Pope: — Strong in new arms, lo ' giant Handel stands, Like bold Briareus, with a hundred hands; To stir, to rouse, to shake the soul he comes, And Jove's own thunders follow Mars's drums; POPE: Dunciad, iv, 65.
Is “Bold Briareus” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.