The sword of Damocles is a commonly used metaphor to refer to an imminent and close danger that all those who have a position of power have to face. The expression comes from a legend supposedly told by the Roman philosopher Cicero. It was about Damocles, a courtier of King Dionysus I, who ruled in Syracuse in the 4th century BC. C.
For several centuries, the expression "being under the sword of Damocles" has been used to symbolize the fragility of positions of power. Other people use this expression to mean that happiness is always temporary.
Richard Westall's 1812 painting depicting the legend of the sword of Damocles.
Some scholars even believe that the meaning that Cicero attributed to this phrase was that life is very short and death is always stalking us. This metaphor, then, would serve to remind people that they should try to enjoy the present moment despite what is happening around them.
History of the sword of Damocles
According to Cicero, Damocles was a courtier in the reign of the tyrant Dionysus I. Legend has it that Damocles tried to win the king's favor by adoring him constantly, but deep down he was envious of his wealth and power.
However, Dionysus had a reputation for being cruel and tyrant, which is why most of his subjects secretly hated him. Damocles, focusing only on the luxuries the king was surrounded by, could not see the dangers that his position brought with it.
One day, Damocles, corroded by envy, spoke with Dioniosio and said:
- «You must be very happy! You have everything a man could want: fame, money, admirers… »
The king, tired of the constant adulation of his subject, proposed to him to change their positions. For a whole day, Damocles could live like him, reigning and enjoying all the luxuries the palace had to offer. Damocles, who thought that the king's wealth would make him happy, accepted without hesitation.
The next day, Damocles arrived at the palace, where all the servants went out of their way to fulfill his every wish. They sat him on a throne in the banquet room, where he spent the whole day surrounded by the best music, exquisite and exotic dishes, women dancing for him, the best entertainment…
Damocles felt like the happiest man in the world; he couldn't think of anything that might cloud his joy at the moment. However, when he looked up at the ceiling, he saw something that made him uneasy.
A very sharp sword hung over his head, the point practically brushing against him. It was suspended from a single horsehair, so that at any moment it could break and end her life.
From the moment he saw the sword, Damocles was unable to enjoy the pleasures that the palace offered him. Dionisio, who had been watching him the whole time, asked him what the problem was. Damocles, surprised, pointed out the danger that hung over his head.
"Yes," said the tyrant, "I know there is a sword threatening your life. But why should that worry you? I am always exposed to dangers that could make me lose my life at any moment. "
At that moment, Damocles realized his mistake, and asked the king to let him go. From that day on, he was aware that wealth and power also had a negative side; and he never again desired the money, the fame, or the position of the king.
Meaning of the story
Cicero, the creator of the legend of the sword of Damocles, was an important character in the time of Rome. Being an influential person, he received teachings from many different teachers; and one of the currents of thought that most affected his life was that of Stoicism.
The Stoics believed that the secret to living a happy life was not in circumstance, wealth, or power. According to them, to achieve happiness, you just have to accept the circumstances in which you find yourself and choose to live your life according to your own values.
Therefore, Cicero's main objective in telling this story was to show that wealth and power have the capacity to make us happy only momentarily. In this sense, the Roman philosopher believed that those in power live under constant pressure, which makes it difficult for them to achieve permanent happiness.
On the other hand, he also used the legend of the sword of Damocles as a criticism of the tyrant Dionysus, one of the most hated monarchs of antiquity. He was a very intelligent king, but one who abused his knowledge and power to live surrounded by luxury at the expense of his subjects.
Cicero often compared the life of Dionysus, which according to him could not have led him to happiness, with that of ancient sages such as Plato or Archimedes.
According to him, these two scholars would have lived a happy life because they had dedicated themselves to being virtuous, without focusing on external riches or power.
Moral
Different authors have proposed various interpretations for the moral of the sword of Damocles:
-The most obvious interpretation, and the most generally accepted, is that power and wealth do not have the ability to make us happy by themselves. This occurs because both bring their own problems, sometimes more serious than the ones they solve.
-Another possible interpretation of the story is to warn readers that they should not judge others without fully knowing the situation in which they find themselves. In the story, Damocles only wanted the king's position until he realized all that it really entailed.
-A third lesson that can be extracted from history is that death can come at any moment, so we must try to live in the present moment and enjoy it as much as possible. This moral was very common in the teachings of the Stoic philosophers.
References
- "What was the sword of Damocles?" in: Ask History. Retrieved on: February 19, 2018 from Ask History: history.com.
- "The Sword of Damocles" in: Whispering Books. Retrieved on: February 19, 2018 from Whispering Books: whisperingbooks.com.
- "Damocles" in: Livius. Retrieved on: February 19, 2018 from Livius: livius.org.
- "What did Cicero mean by the sword of Damocles?" in: Thought Co. Retrieved on: February 19, 2018 from Thought Co: thoughtco.com.
- "Damocles" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: February 19, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.