In this cartoon from the Daily Telegraph, Blower, no doubt inspired by the British Museum's Pompeii exhibition, draws an analogy between the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, which buried the city of Pompeii under ash and lava, and the continuing euro zone crisis.
Two citizens of Pompeii are shown leaving a bank with bags full of euros. One tells the other, "Don't worry Hubris Maximus, this will soon blow over." Meanwhile, the volcano is erupting in the distance, showering the city with red hot ash.
BACKGROUND
Now that the Cyprus banking crisis has been resolved (for the time being, at least), the spotlight has focused on Italy. In a bond auction Wednesday, Italy had to pay the highest yield on five-year bonds since October. Meanwhile, the ratings firms are circling, with Moody’s Investors Service offering a reminder in an interview with Reuters Wednesday that it’s looking at the Italian political deadlock carefully in relation to the country’s ratings. [Source: Wall Street Journal]
COMMENTARY
If something such as trouble or an argument blows over, it ends without any serious consequences. The cartoonist uses the phrasal verb with an ironic double meaning, since the ash cloud will literally blow over the city. The citizen's name is significant too, as hubris is the sin of excessive pride (which, as we know, comes before a fall). The two men could be seen as representing the EU politicians who always wait until the last minute before taking action to stave off disaster. The problem is that sooner or later, they will leave it too late (just like the unfortunate inhabitants of Pompeii).
