Damocles

Damocles is remembered primarily through a cautionary tale known as "the sword of Damocles," which illustrates the constant danger that accompanies positions of power. The story takes place in the court of Dionysius I, the ruler of Syracuse in ancient Sicily.

According to the tale, which may be apocryphal, Damocles served as a courtier to Dionysius. The story first appeared in the now-lost historical writings of Timaeus of Tauromenium from the 3rd century BC. It reached a wider audience through Cicero's Tusculanae Disputationes, where the Roman philosopher and orator included the anecdote, likely drawing from the works of Greek historian Diodorus Siculus. Through Cicero's retelling, the "sword of Damocles" became a lasting metaphor in European cultural tradition for the perils and anxiety that accompany great power and responsibility.