You'd think Greek myths might have lost their relevance by now, almost 3,000 years after they were first written down. But they are so full of vibrant stories and characters that people still often allude to them in their daily lives, and many references from them have become part of the English language.

Check out the following Greek myth-based phrases, and you'll find it's no Olympian feat to understand them and add them to your own vocabulary.

Hercules is the Roman name of the Greek legendary hero Heracles, and it is the name by which he is most commonly known today. He was the son of Zeus, king of the Greek gods, and a human woman named Alcemene. The goddess Hera, Zeus' wife, was jealous of their affair, so she sent two snakes into baby Hercules' crib to kill him. But -- in the first sign of his incredible strength -- the infant strangled both snakes.