Damocles' sword - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Damocles' sword Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,737,323,503 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Damocles
(redirected from Damocles' sword)

    Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.

Damocles (lived 4th century BC)

In classical legend, a courtier of the elder Dionysius, ruler of Syracuse, Sicily. When Damocles made too much of his sovereign's good fortune, Dionysius invited him to a feast where he symbolically hung a sword over Damocles' head by a single horse-hair to demonstrate the precariousness of the happiness of kings.



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.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
It's like Damocles' sword hanging over their heads.
BATTLE OVER L.A.'S HOMELESS SUPPORT STALLS FOR SKID ROW FAMILIES ... by Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
The specter of eviction hangs like Damocles' Sword over the tenant's head throughout the process.
Demolition non-renewal--fair or foul? by Gammino, Thomas / Real Estate Weekly
More results
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.