I’ve always liked my first name. It is unique and during my elementary and high school days, I knew of only one other girl with my name, but she preferred to go by Kassie, as hers was spelled with a K.
Those who know me well, know I do not like being called Cassie.
Prior to college, I never considered the origins of my name or what it meant. I simply loved it and gave thanks to my parents for making such a good decision.
However, when I began taking classical literature courses in college, specifically Greek, a large number of professors asked me if I “lived up to my name?”
I was perplexed by this question until I read about the Trojan War.
According to Britannica.com, in Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of Priam and Hecuba, the last rulers of Troy. She first appeared in Homer’s “Iliad.”
In Aeschylus’ “Agamemnon,” she was loved by the god Apollo, who promised her the power of prophecy, if she bowed to his desires.
Even though Cassandra received the gift, she rejected Apollo’s advances, the website states. The god then ordained that her prophecies would never be believed.
With accuracy, Cassandra predicted the fall of Troy and Agamemnon’s death, the website states. Sadly, no one believed her.
According to the website, she was taken by force from the altar of Athena by Ajax and was given to Agamemnon as a spoil of war.
Agamemnon and Cassandra were both murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, the website states.
When I first read the myth, I thought about how sad it must be to be granted such a gift, only to have no one believe in it.
After learning of the myth, I informed my professors I was not a prophetess, had no ties to mythical gods or cities and was not of royal birth.
However, during my literary journey, I learned that our names have a plethora of meanings.
I encourage you to enter your name into Google’s search engines. With one simple click, I also learned that my name means unheeded prophetess and that I’m cheerful and friendly, but apt to have an emotional life.
Not only will this information provide you with a great conversation piece, you may also find, as I did, a wonderful world of classical writing.