Phobia
An irrational persistent fear of a specific thing, from Phobos, the divine personification of fear and panic.
The Meaning of Phobia
Phobos was the son of Ares and Aphrodite, and he accompanied his father into every battle alongside his twin brother Deimos (Terror). While Deimos represented the dread that precedes combat, Phobos embodied the fear that grips soldiers during the fighting itself — the paralysing, irrational kind that breaks formations and turns warriors into fleeing animals. Ares decorated his shield with Phobos's image to terrify enemies. Alexander the Great reportedly prayed to Phobos before the Battle of Gaugamela, asking that fear be sent into the Persian ranks. The Greek word "phobos" was adopted by medical science to classify irrational fears: arachnophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, and hundreds more. Each "phobia" in clinical psychology carries the name of Ares' son — a divine terror repackaged as a diagnostic suffix that appears throughout the DSM-5 and in everyday conversation.
Parents
Ares and Aphrodite
Symbols
Fun Fact
There are over 500 named phobias in clinical literature, and every single one carries the name of Phobos, the ancient Greek spirit of battlefield terror.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Panic
💭 conceptFear, terror, sudden irrational dread
Sudden uncontrollable fear, from the god Pan whose shouts in the wilderness caused stampedes of terror.
Deimos
⚡ godGod of terror and dread
Deimos was the personification of dread and terror — the brother of Phobos who accompanied Ares into war.
Phrike
⚡ godHorror, shuddering, trembling fear
The daimon of the physical shudder of horror that seizes the body in moments of dread
God of War
💭 conceptWar, bloodlust, battle rage, courage
Ares embodies the brutal, violent side of warfare and was feared even by his fellow Olympians.
Phobos
⚡ godGod of fear and panic in battle
Phobos was the god of fear who accompanied his father Ares into battle, spreading terror before the armies.
Catharsis
💭 conceptEmotional purification through art
Aristotle's concept that tragedy purifies the audience by arousing and then releasing pity and fear.
Ataraxia
💭 conceptEpicurean Philosophy
The Epicurean ideal of tranquility, a state of undisturbed peace free from anxiety and fear.
Mania
💭 conceptMadness and Prophecy
The Greek concept of divinely inspired madness, distinguished from ordinary insanity.
Thumos
💭 conceptThe seat of emotion, courage, and anger in the chest
The spirited element of the soul seated in the chest — the source of courage, anger, and passionate impulse.
Oedipus Complex
💭 conceptPsychoanalysis and psychology
A Freudian psychoanalytic concept describing a child's unconscious desire for the parent of the opposite sex, named after the mythological king who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother
Cassandra Complex
💭 conceptPsychology and decision theory
A psychological phenomenon in which valid warnings or predictions are dismissed or disbelieved, named after the Trojan prophetess cursed to speak true prophecies that no one would accept
Narcissistic Personality
💭 conceptPsychology and mythology
A psychological condition characterised by grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, named after Narcissus, the beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection