What does it mean to have the sword of Damocles over your head?
phrase. If you say that someone has the Sword of Damocles hanging over their head, you mean that they are in a situation in which something very bad could happen to them at any time.
What is the meaning of the allusion of the sword of Damocles?
Damocles is a character who appears in an (likely apocryphal) anecdote commonly referred to as “the Sword of Damocles”, an allusion to the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power.
What is the meaning of the idiom put to the sword?
: to kill (someone) with a sword.
Where does the expression sword of Damocles come from?
It had been hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles. This expression comes from the Greek legend in which Damocles had to sit at a meal with a sword hanging by a single hair above his head. He had praised King Dionysius’ happiness, and Dionysius wanted him to understand how quickly happiness can be lost.
What is the story of Damocles?
Damocles, (flourished 4th century bce), a courtier of Dionysius I of Syracuse, in Sicily, tyrant from 405 to 367 bce. Thus did the tyrant demonstrate that the fortunes of men who hold power are as precarious as the predicament in which he had placed his guest.
Where does the phrase sword of Damocles come from?
What does riding roughshod mean?
Definition of ride roughshod : to completely ignore the rights, opinions, or feelings of others They accused the government of riding roughshod over international law.
What is the moral of the story the sword of Damocles?
The real point of the story is very clearly a moral parable. It’s not just, oh, something terrible is going to happen, but it’s about realizing that what looks like an enviable life, a life of wealth, a life of power, a life of luxury is, in fact, fraught with anxiety, terror and possibly death.
What is the legend of the sword of Damocles?
The courtier is known to history through the legend of the “Sword of Damocles.” According to the legend, when Damocles spoke in extravagant terms of his sovereign’s happiness, Dionysius invited him to a sumptuous banquet and seated him beneath a naked sword that was suspended from the ceiling by a single thread.
What was the meaning of the Sword of Damocles?
sword of Damocles. Imminent danger or trouble. In Greek mythology, the courtier Damocles was forced to sit beneath the sword suspended by a single hair to emphasize the instability of a king’s fortunes. Usually used in the phrase “a/the sword of Damocles hangs over (one’s) (head).”.
What did Dionysius do with the Sword of Damocles?
He arranged for a feast for him, to be served by waiters hand-picked for their beauty. There were all kinds of exquisite food and ointments, and even incense was burned. Then Dionysius had a glittering sword hung from the ceiling by a single horsehair, directly over Damocles’ head.
Who was the ruler of Syracuse who was annoyed by Damocles?
Dionysius, the ruler of Syracuse, was annoyed by Damocles, who kept flattering him and saying how much he admired him. Dionysius invited Damocles to a feast, and asked him to sit in his own seat. When Damocles looked up during the feast, he noticed a sword hanging by a single thread above his head, and so he could no longer enjoy the feast.