2.  Associated with Franz Mesmer; Mesmer may have achieved some cures through what we now regard as hypnotism.  Synonyms: spellbind, captivate, enthrall

3.  A dynamic speaker can mesmerize an audience; in other words he can captivate and spellbind the listeners as though they were hypnotized.

4.  Mars, the Roman god of war, corresponds to the Greek god Ares. From the god Mars derives the word “martial,” pertaining to fighting and war. Synonyms: Combative, militant, bellicose

5.  The sheriff declared martial law in Dodge City to maintain peace.

6.  The god of love—the Greeks called him Eros, the Romans called him Cupid—is usually pictured today as a winged, chubby infant whose arrows cause people to fall in love. From Eros we get the word “erotic,” which means sexually arousing.  Sexual, passionate, amatory  Related words: aphrodisiac

7.  Erotic movies and magazines pander to our lust.

8.  From the god’s Roman name Cupid comes the word “cupidity,” which also has to do with desire, but desire for wealth rather than sex.  Synonym: graspingness, possessiveness, avarice

9.  Bill Gates can never be accused of cupidity; on the contrary, he is a philanthropist known for giving millions of dollars to various charities every year.

10.  The Philistines were the archenemy of the ancient Israelites.  Synonyms: materialist, barbarian, boor  Related words:yahoo, ignoramus

11.  The TV characters Al Bundy and Homer Simpson are philistines.

12.  The word catholic derives from the Greek kata (“concerning”) + holos (“whole”), which formed from the Greek word katholikos, meaning general or universal.  Synonyms: broad, comprehensive, unbiased  Related words: cosmopolitan

13.  Someone with catholic taste can appreciate the art, music, literature, and customs of various cultures.

14.  The French had a term jeu parti, which meant “game decided.” It was used in gambling, games, and sports when the next move could upset a thus far even contest.  Endanger, risk, imperil

15.  If you want peace of mind, don’t jeopardize your life savings by investing all of it in risky business ventures.

16.  The ancient Romans must have thought so, as evidenced by their word for “obtained by prayer or begging”—precarius –which also meant risky.  Synonyms: uncertain, hazardous, perilous

17.  Trapeze artists who perform without the security of a safety net and daredevil motorcyclists who wear no protective helmets engage in precarious acts.

18.  “Foible” and “forte” come from French terms in fencing. The weaker part of the foil—from the middle to the tip—is the foible.  Synonym: defect, flaw, infirmity  Related words: quirk

19.  The professor’s foible was that he could not remember his students’ names.

20.  “Foible” and “forte” come from French terms in fencing. The stronger part—from the middle to the hilt—is the forte.  Synonyms: aptitude, talent, metier

21.  Walt Disney’s forte was creating cartoons.

22.  Lacking feeling or interest, unconcerned

23.  Identify with or fully understand another’s feelings and thoughts

24.  Strong dislike

25.  Quality or arousing pity or sadness

26.  Mentally ill or unstable person, especially one showing aggressive antisocial behavior