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  1. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › DamoclesDamocles - Wikipedia

    Damocles is a character who appears in a (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.

  2. Feb 17, 2016 · Learn the origin and meaning of the sword of Damocles, a metaphor for a looming danger or threat. The phrase comes from a Roman story about a king who hung a sword over a flatterer's head to show him the risks of power.

  3. Damocles, a courtier of Dionysius I of Syracuse, in Sicily, tyrant from 405 to 367 BCE. The courtier is known to history through the legend of the ‘Sword of Damocles,’ which was related in Cicero’s Tusculanae disputationes (‘Conversations at Tusculum’), Book V.

    • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
  4. Apr 12, 2018 · Cicero used the story of Damocles, a sycophant who feared a sword hanging over his head, to illustrate the importance of virtue and indifference to death. He contrasted the miserable tyrant Dionysius with the happy philosophers Plato and Archimedes, and advised his readers to seek wisdom and avoid tyranny.

  5. May 9, 2018 · Learn about the legend of Damocles, a Greek courtier who envied the king Dionysius and was hung a sword over his head as a warning. Find out the origin, meaning, and usage of the phrase "sword of Damocles" in different contexts.

  6. In Greek mythology, Damocles (da-mo-KLEES) was a friend of Dionysus (die-oh-NIS-ee-us), the king of Syracuse from 405 to 367 BC. According to legend , when he spoke of the good life of King Dionysus, the king invited him to a banquet (large public meal).

  7. www.encyclopedia.com › folklore-and-mythology › damoclesDamocles | Encyclopedia.com

    May 29, 2018 · Damocles was a courtier who praised the happiness of Dionysius I, the tyrant of Syracuse. Dionysius hung a sword by a hair over his head to show him how precarious his situation was.