Greeks and Romans
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Pliny says it averted witchcraft, and availed in giving an enemy a shrewder blow.
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 “Greeks and Romans” mean?
Pliny says it averted witchcraft, and availed in giving an enemy a shrewder blow.
Is “Greeks and Romans” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.