Many expressions in our speech are borrowed from ancient myths, the Bible or Very often, using them in our speech, we do not think about their origin, although each deserves attention and has its own history. Many of them have firmly entered our everyday life, for example, the sword of Damocles. The meaning of this expression lies in the impending danger that can collapse at any moment, despite external well-being.
This phraseological unit is taken from ancient Greek mythology, in particular from the "Tisculan conversations" by Mark Tullius Cicero. According to this source, in one Greek kingdom, the rule was in the hands of the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse. The king had everything in abundance, the servants did not dare to disobey him, and the entire population recognized his sole rule. He ate the best food, drank exquisite drinks from golden glasses, and spent his time in amusements and feasts. From the outside, his life looked carefree, and many of his subjects wanted to be in his place.
Expression value
One of the close associates of the king was the nobleman Damocles. He did not hide his desires and intentions to taste the royal life. Dionysius decided to show him what it is like to be a ruler in reality, the burden of royal responsibility and how to live in fear, thinking about the possible betrayal of those close to him.
Putting Damocles on the throne, the tyrant ordered his subordinates to obey him in everything, unquestioningly carry out any of the orders and render honors worthy of a king. Considering himself the happiest of mortals, Damocles took his temporary stay in the king's place at face value. It seemed to him that he was at the pinnacle of bliss. Suddenly, sitting on the throne, he saw a sword hanging on a thin horsehair above his head. It was hung upside down and could break loose, hitting him at any moment.
This legend explains the origin of such phraseology as the sword of Damocles. Its meaning is reduced to a warning about the danger that can suddenly arise if the situation is misinterpreted. The realization of the impending threat brought back to Damocles an awareness of the reality from which he wanted to turn away.
What Dionysius undertook very clearly demonstrated to the nobleman that there is no bliss if the “sword of Damocles” hangs over a person. The meaning of this expression is used in a figurative sense, it denotes an existing threat and a feeling of constant danger with outward calm.
People communicate with each other, often using phraseological units in their speech, which briefly, but very capaciously characterize the situation. In Russian, there are a large number of catchphrases and expressions that make our speech concise, but not dry. The meaning of phraseological turns is to give emotional coloring to speech and significantly enhance the meaning of the words spoken. They are indivisible and make sense only when used correctly.
The meaning does not consist of the meaning of the individual words that make up their composition, and represent a single lexical unit. They do not allow word substitutions or permutations. For example, if the expression “sword of Damocles” (the meaning of the phraseological unit we already know) is used in a different form, for example, “sword of Damocles”, then its meaning will be lost. No wonder these phrases are also called stable. most main characteristic Phraseological units are considered to be their ability to briefly describe an action, situation or emotional state.
Our speech becomes more colorful if we use catchphrases. For example, if we use the expression “sword of Damocles” (the meaning of a phraseological unit is a possible threat), then it will immediately be clear that behind apparent well-being lies a real danger that can interfere with our peace and serene existence any day.
) invited his favorite Damocles, who considered Dionysius the happiest of mortals, to take his throne for one day. By order of the tyrant, he was luxuriously dressed, anointed with fragrant oil, put in the place of the ruler; all around fussed, fulfilling his every word. In the midst of fun at the feast, Damocles suddenly saw a sword without a scabbard hanging over his head, hanging on a horsehair, and realized the illusory nature of well-being. So Dionysius, who became painfully suspicious towards the end of his life, showed him that the tyrant always lives on the verge of death.
In a figurative sense - a constant threat looming over someone with apparent well-being.
This story is found, among other things, in The Tusculan Discourses by Cicero.
Who smells the sword over the neck of the criminal,
Tom is not happy with the food of Sicily
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An excerpt characterizing the sword of Damocles
“Yes, in this room, four days ago, Winzingerode and Stein conferred,” Napoleon continued with the same mocking, confident smile. “What I cannot understand,” he said, “is that Emperor Alexander brought all my personal enemies closer to him. I do not understand this. Did he think that I could do the same? - he asked Balashev with a question, and, obviously, this memory pushed him back into that trail of morning anger, which was still fresh in him.“And let him know that I will do it,” said Napoleon, standing up and pushing his cup away with his hand. - I will drive out of Germany all his relatives, Wirtemberg, Baden, Weimar ... yes, I will drive them out. Let him prepare a refuge for them in Russia!
Balashev bowed his head, showing with his appearance that he would like to take his leave and is listening only because he cannot but listen to what he is told. Napoleon did not notice this expression; he addressed Balashev not as an ambassador of his enemy, but as a man who was now completely devoted to him and should rejoice at the humiliation of his former master.
- And why did Emperor Alexander take command of the troops? What is it for? War is my trade, and his business is to reign, not to command troops. Why did he take on such responsibility?
Napoleon again took the snuffbox, silently walked several times around the room and suddenly unexpectedly approached Balashev and with a slight smile so confidently, quickly, simply, as if he was doing some not only important, but also pleasant for Balashev, he raised his hand to the face of the forty-year-old Russian general and, taking him by the ear, tugged slightly, smiling only with his lips.
- Avoir l "oreille tiree par l" Empereur [To be torn by the ear by the emperor] was considered the greatest honor and mercy at the French court.
- Eh bien, vous ne dites rien, admirateur et courtisan de l "Empereur Alexandre? [Well, why don't you say anything, adorer and courtier of Emperor Alexander?] - he said, as if it was funny to be in his presence someone else courtisan and admirateur [court and admirer], except for him, Napoleon.
Are the horses ready for the general? he added, bowing his head slightly in response to Balashev's bow.
- Give him mine, he has a long way to go ...
The letter brought by Balashev was Napoleon's last letter to Alexander. All the details of the conversation were transferred to the Russian emperor, and the war began.
After his meeting in Moscow with Pierre, Prince Andrei went to Petersburg on business, as he told his relatives, but, in essence, in order to meet there Prince Anatole Kuragin, whom he considered it necessary to meet. Kuragin, whom he inquired about when he arrived in Petersburg, was no longer there. Pierre let his brother-in-law know that Prince Andrei was coming for him. Anatole Kuragin immediately received an appointment from the Minister of War and left for the Moldavian army. At the same time, in St. Petersburg, Prince Andrei met Kutuzov, his former general, always disposed towards him, and Kutuzov invited him to go with him to the Moldavian army, where the old general was appointed commander in chief. Prince Andrei, having received an appointment to be at the headquarters of the main apartment, left for Turkey.
Phraseological units borrowed from ancient times have survived to this day in Russian and other languages of the world. "Gordian knot", "tantalum flour", "Procrustean bed", "sword of Damocles" and others.
Do we know what these expressions meant in the past? The original meaning of some of them has been forgotten by modern man, so I want to refresh those distant years in my memory.
Probably everyone has heard the expression “I carry everything with me”, which reminds us of the most important values that a person has - intelligence and resourcefulness. Historians studying ancient Rome claim that when the Persians conquered the Greek city of Priene, most of the inhabitants, taking their property, began to flee. But the weight of the load significantly reduced their speed.
The wise man followed the fleeing lightly. People asked why he didn't take anything with him. To which the sage replied: “I carry everything that is mine with me.” On the way, the refugees abandoned part of their property, as they did not have the strength to carry everything with them. The sage had to feed people with what he could get along the way or what people in other cities gave him.
If a person has received a mind from nature, he will not disappear in life, even if he is left without a roof over his head and a penny of money.
Perhaps the most common phraseological unit in our days, which came from antiquity, is the “white crow”. It never occurred to me that this expression was uttered in his satire by the Roman poet Juvenal, who lived two millennia ago.
It sounds like this: Doom gives kingdoms to slaves, delivers triumphs to captives. However, such a lucky man is less likely to be a white crow.
Albinism, that is, the absence of the pigment responsible for the color of the animal, is rarely found in nature.
It is especially rare to see a white crow. Since then, white crows have been called people who are clearly distinguished in society by their appearance, life position or behavior.
In the East there is a similar expression - "white elephant". Albino elephants are a very rare occurrence, so the white elephant is considered a sacred animal in the countries of Southeast Asia.
"Achilles heel" - this is what we say when we want to talk about the weakest and most vulnerable physical and moral sides of a person. This expression came from a myth that tells how the mother of Achilles (Achilles) decided to make the body of her son invulnerable. Holding the baby by the heel, she dipped him into the sacred river Styx.
Many years later, during the battle with the Greeks, on whose side Achilles fought, the god Apollo, knowing about the vulnerability of Achilles' heel, sent an arrow in that place. The wound was small, but it turned out to be fatal.
The idiom “Ariadne's thread”, which came from the myth of the Athenian hero Theseus, sounds beautiful, fabulous. Theseus had to fight the monster Minotaur, who lived in an intricate labyrinth from which no one could get out. The daughter of the Cretan king Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread, which led him out of the labyrinth after defeating the Minotaur.
We use this expression to indicate a means by which one can get out of a difficult situation.
The frequently used expression "rise from the ashes" appeared thanks to the fabulous Phoenix bird.
Interestingly, the Phoenix was known in many countries: Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and others.
This amazing bird is described in the ancient Russian book "Golden Mother". When the Phoenix grew old, it rose high into the sky, took fire there and burned itself along with the nest. From that ashes, he was soon reborn. And so it happened.
If they wanted to say that what had perished, fallen into decay, was reborn, flourished again, then they said: "Rise from the ashes."
The expression "Gordian knot" comes from ancient Greek mythology. Here is how it was. Phragia was left without a ruler. The oracle predicted that the king would be the one who was first met by the Thracians on the road leading to the temple of Zeus. This man turned out to be a simple farmer Thrace, who was riding a wagon to the temple.
Having ascended the throne, Thrace set up a wagon in the citadel of the city he founded, thanks to which he became the ruler. He entangled the yoke of the wagon with the most complicated knot of dogwood bast.
The legend said: whoever unravels that Gordian knot will become the ruler of all Asia. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the capital of Thrace. Ancient historians write that Macedonian cut the Gordian knot with one blow of the sword. The priests interpreted this event as follows: he will conquer the whole world not with diplomacy, but with a sword. According to other sources, Alexander took out the hook from the front end of the drawbar and thus easily released the yoke.
Be that as it may, no one could unravel the Gordian knot, therefore, in a figurative sense, this phrase refers to a complex, confusing matter. And the expression "cut the Gordian knot" means to find a solution in a quick, straightforward way.
Phraseologism "sword of Damocles" appeared from the ancient Greek legend about the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius. The favorite of Dionysius, Damocles, considered his master the happiest man in the world. Once Dionysius invited the favorite for the day to take his place on the throne.
Damocles was seated in the place of the sovereign. The servants fulfilled his every wish. In the midst of the feast, Damocles saw a sword hanging over his head, hanging on a horsehair. So Dionysius made it clear that the ruler always lives on the verge of death.
In a figurative sense, the “sword of Damocles” means: a constantly looming threat with apparent prosperity.
Phraseologism "Procrustean bed" is used when they want to say that a person is placed in a rigid framework that does not allow him to take the initiative. Having learned about the origin of this expression, it is unlikely that anyone will want to use it.
In ancient times, when the gods lived on Olympus, the cruel robber Procrustes was operating in Attica. They would call him a maniac these days. Procrustes lured travelers to his house with cunning, where two beds were prepared for them - a large and a small one. He laid tall travelers on a small one and, so that they corresponded to the size of the bed, chopped off with an ax the parts of the body that did not fit. On the big bed, he laid the undersized ones and stretched them so that they occupied the entire bed.
Procrustes had to answer for his crimes. The Greek hero Theseus caught him and executed him in the same way that he treated travelers.
It is often said to "burn the ships", which means to take a decisive step, after which it is impossible to return to the previous one.
Ancient Troy was besieged by the Achaeans for ten years. Finally they broke into the city and opened the gates. The Trojan warriors took to flight. Then their wives, in order to stop the shameful flight, burned all the Trojan ships that were in the harbor.
"Draconian measures" - this is what they say about the harsh measures used in punishment. It has nothing to do with the dragon (animal).
In the first millennium BC, the famous legislator Dragon, or Dracon (stress on the first syllable), lived in Athens. He became famous for compiling a set of very severe laws for the Athenian state. The death penalty occupied a dominant place in the punishments determined by the laws of the Dragon.
The list of phraseological units that came into our language from antiquity can be continued, but within the framework of one article this is an impossible task.
In our life, we often use various phraseological units and colorful idioms, sometimes even without thinking about the origin of these. Every self-respecting intellectual and, in general, any literate person should understand this issue. Today we will talk about the phraseological unit "Sword of Damocles". This is a fairly common concept. We all know the expression that came into our everyday life from ancient Greek myths - "Sword of Damocles" - is very popular in modern culture and politics.
"Sword of Damocles". Legend
According to legend, a long time ago a certain Greek state was ruled by a famous tyrant named Dionysius, who had immeasurable power and wealth. Dionysius was the sole ruler, the autocratic king, and he had everything in abundance: he had a good environment, loyal and obedient subjects, a prosperous state, incalculable wealth, which was measured in tons of gold and everyday feasts. The existence of Dionysius was not much different from the existence of all the tyrants of those times: he spent time on the battlefield, drinking a glass of good wine, and having fun. From the outside, the life of Dionysius seemed cloudless, easy and carefree.
Undoubtedly, such a life caused great envy of others: everyone wanted to be "in the shoes" of the king, dreaming of the pleasure of possessing unlimited power and wealth. And to our times, alas, this misconception has survived that the life of politicians is easy and carefree, like a boat sailing on a golden ocean. And there was one person closest to Dionysius - Damocles, who dreamed of becoming the sole king. Damocles did not hide his desires and openly expressed his intentions to the king. Then Dionysius decided to teach Damocles a lesson and show that to be a king means to bear a heavy burden of responsibility, to be in constant fear and eternal expectation of a trick or attacks from close or foreign enemies. He wanted to destroy the illusory perception of the royal life of Damocles and, in general, of all the courtiers who compare it with boundless happiness.
So, Dionysius, in order to prove this, decided to conduct an unusual experiment.
He put Damocles on the throne instead of himself and obliged the entourage to render him royal honors and obey him undividedly. Damocles was beside himself with happiness and at the same hour believed everything unconditionally. And now, enthusiastic, he rolls his eyes to heaven, as if thanking the gods for such mercy. But it was not there. What did he see above his head? A sword hanging from a horsehair right above him, point down! This sword at any moment could fall and pierce the head of Damocles. It was called the "Sword of Damocles" - an obstacle to pleasure and serenity.
In this way, Dionysius clearly demonstrated to everyone who was watching the true position of any ruler of the state. This is where the expression "Sword of Damocles" comes from. This myth, by the way, is included in the general education program. So any average citizen must know this story.
Now the expression "Sword of Damocles" is used in the case when a person is in danger of a possible danger, ready to fall on him at any time.
Traditions of antiquity deep
The expression "sword of Damocles" appeared in our everyday life from the myths of ancient Greece. What does it mean? According to Greek tradition, the cruel tyrant of Syracuse, Dionysius the Elder, ruled in a certain kingdom.
A bit of history
The ruler Dionysius the Elder came from the lower class. After the victory of the Carthaginians, the Agrigentians decided that the reason for the defeat was the inability of the commanders sent to them from Syracuse. Dionysius, in order to shield himself, accused the latter of treason and achieved the election of new commanders. Soon he managed to throw off his comrades and became the sole commander in chief. At the age of 25, with the help of the army he had bribed, the ruler married the daughter of Hermocrates, who was very respected at that time. He managed to pacify two uprisings and make peace with the Carthaginians. But wars continued throughout his reign. He dreamed of driving the Carthaginians out of Sicily forever. In 367 Dionysius died without fulfilling his intention. His memory in history is tarnished by his inhuman cruelty and suspicion.
Legend of the Tusculan Talks
He was the only ruler, everything the king had in abundance. The kingdom prospered, the subjects were faithful and devoted to him. Dionysius ate and drank from gold, fought and spent time in feasts and amusements. In general, he lived as it was supposed to be the first person of the state in those days. From the side it seemed that the life of Dionysius is simple, easy and carefree. And the emperor had an approximate grandee (favorite) Damocles, who considered Dionysius the happiest of mortals and dreamed of taking his throne at least for one day. Damocles envied his king, but at the same time he flattered him in every possible way.
Sword of Damocles - legend
And then one day Dionysius decided to teach a lesson to a flatterer who believed that becoming king, he would become the happiest person on earth. During the feast, the ruler ordered that the envious nobleman be luxuriously dressed, anointed with fragrant oil and put in the place of the ruler. The subjects began to fuss, following the order of Dionysius. Damocles was incredibly happy, but in the midst of the fun, he saw a sword without a scabbard above his head, which the ruler ordered to be hung on a horsehair. Every minute a sword could fall on the head of a nobleman. And then he realized how illusory his apparent well-being is now. This sword has become a symbol of the dangers that constantly threaten the ruler. Thus, Dionysius, who became overly suspicious at the end of his life, wanted to show his envious that the tyrant is always on the verge of death, and his whole carefree life is not as easy and beautiful as it seems from the outside.
Essence of the legend
The sword of Damocles is a myth that, with apparent prosperity (throne and royal honors, luxurious clothes, etc.), a constant threat looms over someone (sword over head). The tyrant asked the frightened nobleman: "Well, what do you say now, Damocles? Am I calm and happy on my throne?"
Use
Since that time, the expression “sword of Damocles” has been pronounced when it comes to an impending threat that can collapse at any moment. This sword symbolizes inevitability, fate, the illusory well-being. It shows how fragile earthly happiness is.