Editing Panic (section)

== Etymology ==
The word "panic" derives from antiquity and is a tribute to the ancient god [[Pan (god)|Pan]]. One of the many gods in the [[mythology]] of ancient Greece, Pan was the god of shepherds and of woods and pastures. The Greeks believed that he often wandered peacefully through the woods, playing a pipe, but when accidentally awakened from his noontime nap he could give a great shout that would cause flocks to stampede. From this aspect of Pan's nature Greek authors derived the word ''panikos'', "sudden fear", the ultimate source of the English word: "panic".<ref>{{cite web|title=Definition of Panic by Merriam-Webster|date=21 March 2025 |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panic}}</ref> The Greek term indicates the feeling of total fear that is also sudden and often attributed to the presence of a god.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Horrorism: Naming Contemporary Violence|last=Cavarero|first=Adriana|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2010|isbn=9780231144568|location=New York|pages=5}}</ref>