Many phraseological units came to us from ancient Greece. Thanks to the instructive stories of the philosophers of those years, the previous stories were preserved. In the next millennium, short sayings emerged from such idioms. These include the idiom of the "sword of Damocles", which arose from the legend.
What is the sword of Damocles?
A famous idiom was first mentioned in the ancient parable of the famous philosopher Cicero, who wrote it thousands of years ago. The legend says that the sword of Damocles is a weapon that the king ordered to hang over the head of the courtier to show that he is constantly in fear for his life and every moment can be the last one, so do not be jealous of him without knowing the second side of the coin.
Damocles sword - the meaning of phraseology
Over time, the phrase "Damocles sword" became popular, it was readily used by writers of different countries and eras in their works. Based on the essence of the legend itself, the expression "Damocles sword hanging over a man" means:
- constant threat of anything or from anyone;
- a danger that can lie in wait at any moment;
- object of blackmail, which is constantly reminded of the victim who is bathed in well-being.
The myth of the sword of Damocles
During the reign of Dionysius, lush festivities were characteristic, and the ruler was surrounded by flattery-courtiers who invented a variety of entertainments. The life of the ruler seemed easy and carefree, about which the subordinates often whispered. One of the favorites of the king of Damocles decided to say this out loud and soon paid. Dionysius was distinguished not only by cruelty, but also by cunning.
He ordered me once to accept the favorite as ruler, with all the honors, and when he, sitting in a place of honor in moments of gay entertainment, looked up, he saw a sword hanging over his head. Noticing the fear of the favorite, the king said that this is the fate of the rulers, to live in eternal fear of possible misfortunes and intrigues of enemies. So you should not envy this fate. This meaning also preserved the expression "The sword of Damocles".
On what was the sword of Damocles suspended?
"Damocles sword" - the meaning of this phraseology has not acquired many meanings, unlike many others who came from the Hellenes. Since this weapon held only horsehair on weight, there could be no other association, like:
- a possible threat;
- perminent danger
The concept of the "sword of Damocles over a man" in modern usage in conversation includes threats not only of a physical, but also of a moral plan:
- betrayal;
- blackmail;
- fear of being fired;
- severe illness of loved ones.
What keeps the sword of Damocles from falling?
In this story, it is not for nothing that attention is focused on the fact that the sword was suspended on horsehair. Since ancient times many horses have been associated with horse hair, many gods of different beliefs preferred these animals, they were attributed to the influence on the elements of nature and future crops. The image of the horse was associated:
- with the magic of light;
- the energy of the sun;
- fertility.
Horse hair is very strong, excellent absorb and evaporate moisture, so even in antiquity were considered the most reliable attachment. Everyone who heard about the way the Damocles' sword was hanging by a thread represented a very weak holding force. But in reality, the cunning Dionysius took care to frighten and reason intelligently, but not to kill Damocles, without fail using a horse's hair for a brutal lesson.