Damocles' Sword

ITALIAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS

DIONYSIUS II

Damocles’ Sword

The story of Damocles' Sword took place in Italy during the 4th century and centered around Dionysius II, a tyrant. He was ruthless in his oppression of the Syracusans. He was also obsessed with power, and would use any means to rise to the top. While he gained much wealth and power, the Syracusans hated him.

A man called Damocles frequented the Dionysius' court . He greatly envied the wealth and power that Dionysius had amassed. As such, he constantly sang the tyrant's praises, while hoping to be rewarded favorably. However, as Damocles' flattery became more exaggerated, so did Dionysius' annoyance. The tyrant knew he was unpopular. He was also in a precarious position — the tyrants in other cities were eyeing his city, and would strike in a heartbeat if he showed any weaknesses.

Eventually, Dionysius' patience reached breaking point. He decided to teach Damocles a lesson and let him experience first-hand — a tyrant’s life isn't a bed of roses. He gave Damocles a chance to sit on his throne — a surprisingly kind gesture. Naturally, Damocles was more than happy to oblige. While he was elated at first, Damocles soon felt a sense of danger. He looked up — and found a huge sword above, held only by a single strand of horse hair. Terrified, Damocles learnt his lesson quickly, and the sword was aptly named Damocles’ Sword. 

'Damocles’ Sword' became an allegory that is used to describe the fear faced ironically by people in positions of power — especially those who have fallen out of public favor due to unscrupulous tactics. In Dionysius’ case, his fear came true — he was overthrown by his people, and died miserablely.