The origin of the word "panic"

The word "panic" comes from the Greek word “panikos” means “ of Pan”, the Greek god of the wild, shepherds and nature. Pan was half-man, half-goat  and was known for his mischievous and unpredictable nature. He lived in the forests and mountains and also the inventor of panpipes.

According to Greek mythology pan had a strange ability  that he could cause sudden overwhelming fear . Pan was possessed of stentorian voice so it was said that during the battle Pan helped ancient Greek gods by sending sudden wave of fear in god's opponent leads to their victory.

Because of Pan’s reputation people started using the word "panic" to describe any sudden fear that spreads among a group of people. Over the time, it became part of modern language meaning a strong, uncontrollable feeling of anxiety or terror.

The word "panic" comes from the god Pan, who had the power to cause sudden fear in humans and animals. His legendary ability to create terror  especially in battles  gave rise to the word we still use today.