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Damocles |
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Damocles (dăm`əklēz), in classical mythology, courtier at the court of Dionysius I. He so persistently praised the power and happiness of Dionysius that the tyrant, in order to show the precariousness of rank and power, gave a banquet and had a sword suspended above the head of Damocles by a single hair. Hence the expression "the sword of Damocles" to mean an ever-present peril. Damocles(flourished 4th century BC) Member of the court of Dionysius I the Elder at Syracuse in Sicily. Legend holds that when Damocles spoke in extravagant terms of Dionysius's happiness, the sovereign responded by inviting Damocles to a banquet and seating him beneath a sword suspended by a thread, thereby demonstrating the precarious fortunes of people who hold power. Damocles for his sycophancy to Dionysus, seated under sword at banquet. [Gk. Myth.: LLEI, I: 278] See : Flattery Damocles, sword of sword hung by a single hair over his head. [Rom. Lit.: Brewer Handbook, 257] See : Sword How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Otherwise, the provision hangs like a Damoclean sword above every multinational taxpayer's return. 15, which had repeatedly been suspended but had continued to hang over the heads of Adenauer and his ministers like a Damoclean sword, was officially annulled on March 27, 1952. Whether we are speaking of literature for children or education in general, the word multiculturalism is as omnipresent (and, to some, as ominous) as the proverbial Damoclean sword that hung by a thread over an ancient king, reminding him how tenuous life -- and power -- can be. |
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