‘Apocolocyntosis’ is a strange word. Even its etimology is bizarre: it’s entirely Greek, using the words κολοκύντη (colocynte [k-o-low-k-in-t-ay], ‘gourd/pumpkin’) and άποθέωσις (apotheosis [ap-o-t-hey-oh-sis], ‘deification’) to form άποκολοκύντωσιν (ap-o-c-o-low-c-in-toe-sis); it thus means ‘transformation into a gourd,’ similar to the concept of deification.
So instead of turning into a god (or other divine figure), you turn into one of these. Probably not worth it.
Now, many of you may be wondering ‘What’s a Greek word doing in a Latin text?’, and the answer is simple: many Romans were bilingual. If the family could afford it, a child could be taught to know Greek, becoming fluent enough to speak, read and write it as a second language (Gaius Julius Caesar (the general who conquered Gaul and famously said ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici‘ [‘I came, I saw, I conquered’]) was one such man, even saying ‘kαι συ τεκνον‘ (cai su tecnon, ‘you too, brother?’) upon his assassination). Sometimes Greek words can be found right in the center of a Latin passage, either acting as a quote or expressing a concept not easily done in Latin.
The Blog of Ryan 