Symbolism - Cornucopia

cornucopia

[kawr-nuh-koh-pee-uh, -nyuh-]

noun

1.  Classical Mythology. a horn containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea.

2.  a representation of this horn, used as a symbol of abundance.

3.  an abundant, overflowing supply.

4.  a horn-shaped or conical receptacle or ornament.

 

c.1500, from Late Latin cornucopia, from Latin cornu [horn] copiae [plenty, abundance], "horn of plenty," originally the horn of the goat Amalthea, who nurtured the infant Zeus. See  copious.

 

 

 

 

In The Hunger Games, the Cornucopia is the focal point of the Arena, holding an abundance of weapons, food, water, and other supplies the tributes need for survival, but also becoming the site of an initial "bloodbath" as tributes battle each other for these items.

This is another example of the many references to ancient Greek & Roman mythology and history found throughout the novel, and also an interesting twist on the theme of hunger and deprivation.