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Sword of Damocles
Damocles was an excessively flattering courtier in the court of Dionysius II
of Syracuse, Italy. He effused that, as a great man of
power and authority, Dionysius was truly fortunate. Dionysius offered to
switch places with him for a day, so he could taste first hand that fortune.
In the evening a banquet was held, where Damocles very much enjoyed being
waited upon like a king. Only at the end of the meal did he look up and notice
a sharpened sword hanging by a single piece of horsehair directly above the
throne. Immediately, he lost all taste for the fine foods and entertainment
and asked leave of the tyrant, saying he no longer wanted to be so fortunate.
The Sword of Damocles is a frequently used metapher for the insecurity of
those with great power due to the possibility of that power being taken away
suddenly, or, more generally, any feeling of impending doom.20
Source:
Wikipedia.org |
