Sword of Damocles. Meaning, origin, examples of the use of phraseological units

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Winged words, phraseological units. Meaning, history of origin, examples of use

Winged words, phraseological units

Directory / Winged words, phraseological units

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Damocles sword

Mark Tullius Cicero

Phraseologism: Sword of Damocles.

Meaning: About the constant danger threatening someone.

Origin: From the essay "Tusculan Conversations." Roman statesman, orator and writer Cicero (Mark Tullius Cicero, 106 - 43 BC). In this work, he reports an ancient Greek oral tradition about the Syracusan tyrant (that is, the ruler) Dionysius the Elder (432-367 BC) and his courtier named Damocles. Everyone knew that Damocles was passionately jealous of the tyrant, spoke of him as the happiest person who had achieved everything that one could wish for. Dionysius himself knew about this. And, wanting to teach the envious man a lesson, he arranged a magnificent feast, invited Damocles to it and even seated him in his place. In the midst of the feast, Damocles saw that a heavy sword was hanging right above his head, which was held in the air by only one horse hair ... Then Dionysius the Elder told all those gathered that now his envious Damocles felt that he, Dionysius, was the ruler of the city , experiences constantly - a feeling of constant fear for his life. So Damocles should not envy him. Hence the expression "sword of Damocles", which, presumably, gave birth to other similar images - "hanging by a thread", "being a hair's breadth from death", etc.

Random phraseology:

Wise Oedipus, let me!

Meaning:

Serves to express irony in the face of a strange, confusing, ridiculous situation.

Origin:

Primary source - quatrain (1829) A.S. Pushkin (1799-1837) written on the occasion of the publication of "Poems of Baron Delvig". Pushkin in it so, allegorically, described his lyceum friend: "Who on the snows raised Feokritov's tender roses? // In the Iron Age, tell me, who guessed the golden one? // Who is a young Slav, a Greek in spirit, a German by birth? // Here is my riddle : cunning Oedipus, let me!" Oedipus is the legendary Greek hero, the wise and insightful ruler of the city of Thebes, the only one who was able to solve the riddle of the Sphinx.

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