As a noun, panic is defined as a “sudden overpowering fright,” according to Merriam-Webster. Meanwhile, if you panic as a verb, then you experience precisely that alarming, fear-provoking feeling. Regardless of how it’s used, though, this is yet another word whose origins can be traced back to the stories of Greek mythology. 

The Character From Greek Mythology Who Inspired the Word “Panic”

As unlikely as it may sound, panic derives from the name of the bestial half-man, half-goat deity Pan in Greek mythology. Variously associated with springtime, fertility, hunting, farming, shepherds, flocks, meadows, and the wilderness, Pan was believed by the ancient Greeks to inhabit the wildest, remotest, and most rugged places in the countryside around Arcadia, a rural and mountainous region in the central Peloponnese in the far south of mainland Greece. There, he lived in quiet and rustic serenity, far away from major towns and cities, playing the simple pipes that likewise bear his name. 

Pan’s origins aren’t clear, and various accounts of his parentage and lineage exist in a number of ancient stories. Unlike many of the other well-known gods and goddesses of Greek mythology, however, Pan was thought of as a more rustic character who was primarily venerated not in the temples and shrines of Greek towns and cities, but rather in the caves, fields, grottoes, forest clearings, and other remote places where he was believed to reside. 

Shepherds wanting to ensure the health of their flock, or hunters wanting to give themselves the best chance of securing the best catch, for instance, would pay their respects to Pan there, in the hope that he would respond favorably and grant their wishes. But that wasn’t the only thing that the people of ancient Arcadia believed Pan to be able to do. 

How Pan Became Associated With Fear

Given that he was believed to live in the most secluded parts of the Arcadian countryside—and given that he was said to dwell in dense woodlands and undergrowth, out of sight from anyone around him—Pan was often blamed for the otherwise unexplainable startling and fleeing of flocks or herds of animals, who would suddenly jump up and begin to run away for seemingly no reason. 

It was Pan too that was blamed for making any animals that were being stalked by hunters to suddenly jump up and take flight, ruining the hunt. But people weren’t immune to Pan’s ability to cause this flightiness; as a god of the woods and wilds, Pan was often blamed for all the peculiar sounds and unnerving noises of the wilderness—just the kind of unexplainable hoots, cries, howls or barks that might easily unnerve someone who had wandered alone too far into the mountains, or who had gotten lost in the wilds far away from home. According to one story, in fact, it was the cry of Pan that was responsible for causing the Persians to turn and flee in terror at the ancient Battle of Marathon. 

As a result, when someone experiences panic, they are (etymologically at least) said to be experiencing precisely the same unnerved and flighty emotional state that Pan was believed to be able to instill in people and creatures all those centuries ago.