Throughout history, a few legendary swords have appeared, which have even surpassed the fame of the knight who wields them. An example of this can be found in the powerful Excalibur. But in the story of the sword of Damocles we come across a fragment of the past that has given rise to an everyday expression that you have surely heard more than once: «He has the sword of Damocles hanging from his head.» Does it sound familiar to you? Have you wondered where it comes from? Well, today at we are ready to reveal to you the legend of the sword of Damocles, which gives rise to the popular saying, and which is apparently attributed to Timaeus of Tauromenio between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Are you ready to know it? Join us!
The context of the story of the Sword of Damocles
The expression «Being under the sword of Damocles» has a direct implication in our modernity. It refers to the fragility that positions of power can and in fact usually have, in which panoramas can change from one day to the next. It is also interpreted by some as a reference to the fact that happiness is always temporary. But, what is behind the legend of the Sword of Damocles? Where does the symbolism of this curious saying originate?
Let’s put ourselves in context: we are in Syracuse, 4th century BC Damocles was just another courtier who lived in the palace of Dionysius II, the tyrant and authoritarian king who ruled the country at that time. And what did this character do? Well, Damocles did the same as the rest of the courtiers, that is, flattered and entertained his monarch in the hope that one day she would elevate his position within the court, thus gaining a little more power. Until one day, his praise was perhaps too blatant, denoting more envy than sincere admiration.
What is the legend of the Sword of Damocles?
The legend of the sword of Damocles materializes when a distant and dreamed fantasy for the courtier also comes true. Expert in flattery, he put into practice his verbiage to flatter the king in the following way: «As a man of power and authority surrounded by magnificence, he is the majesty of him, a truly fortunate man.» To this, and apparently not in absolute agreement, the monarch responded: Since this life dazzles you, Damocles… Would you like to savor it yourself for a day to judge the reality of your words? And what did good Damocles say? Of course, he didn’t hesitate for a second!
And indeed, The next day, when Damocles woke up, he was already in the position of monarch. From one day to the next he was a proud king, surrounded by luxuries and pleasures. He suddenly saw how all the courtiers treated him with total normality, as if he had always been the only true monarch. But something was happening… Something that Damocles didn’t really know how to explain. He had a feeling, as if there was something chasing him. He looked up and there he was. How could it be him? What was that? It was a sword, a magnificent and threatening sword that hung above his head supported only by the mane of a horse., which would serve for the later construction of the legend of the sword of Damocles. At that moment, the newly minted king suffered a terrible panic attack, to which Dionysus reacted by calming him down.
Damocles, terrified, could only ask Dionysus the reason why that immense sword was hanging above his head from something so fragile. The king calmly explained to him that That sword that he could see came to symbolize nothing more and nothing less than power. Damocles wanted it, he wanted power because it gave him great privilege and a sense of superiority. But This power, in turn, was associated with a risk, with an immense responsibility of which he had to be aware. At the slightest mistake, at the slightest misstep, the monarch explained, punishment could fall on him in the form of that heavy and sharp sword… He did not hesitate. The story of the Sword of Damocles tells how the courtier’s aspirations for royalty were taken away, as if by magic.
Cicero’s moral for history
Although it is considered that the story of the sword of Damocles was originally collected by the Greek historian Timaeus of Tauromenio, the version that has come down to us is that of Cicero. This appears in Book V of his «Tusculanas». In them, Cicero performs rhetorical exercises around different philosophical themes, which revolve around what is necessary to be «happy» in life. Cicero highlights: indifference to death, the ability to endure pain, relief from grief, resist other spiritual disturbances and, finally, opt for virtue.
The legend of the Sword of Damocles presents Dionysus as a ruthless king, but at the same time very unhappy. He was capable of governing his people and directing the actions that took place, but he did not have the affection or consideration of his subjects, or even of his family. He didn’t trust anyone, and feared that death could come at any moment. So, heCicero’s idea by promoting the legend of the sword of Damocles was to demonstrate that fear of death leads us to misfortune. and it is better to seek a goal than to follow, as Plato or Archimedes did. According to Cicero, Archimedes was «happy» because he was not worried about death, which, in the end, comes to us all no matter what.
So, as you see, There is not only the reading that great power implies great risk and arousing the envy of people who will want you badly, but also the one that highlights that the fear of dying, of being betrayed, of things that you do not control, It will bring you nothing but unhappiness. If we remember that Cicero wrote the «Tusculanes» shortly after his daughter died, we can understand his desire to live in peace, to overcome grief and search for a meaning in his existence that would make it more positive.