The sword of Damocles
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, February 21, 2024
It is good not to forget the legend of Damocles, which Cicero recounts in his Tusculanae Disputationes. One day, Damocles, a courtier of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, praised him “for his wealth, the majesty of his dominion, the splendour of his royal palace”. “Damocles — the tyrant replied — since this life pleases you so much, I want you to taste it yourself and make trial of my fortune”. He made him sit on a couch covered with a finely embroidered drape, placed precious pottery before him, and ordered youths of extraordinary beauty to fulfil any of his commands. Damocles believed himself he was happy, until he noticed that a sharp sword was hanging over his head from the ceiling, suspended by a single horse-hair. At that point, the unwary eulogist renounced riches and power and begged Dionysius to let him go away, because he no longer wanted to be happy in that way.
Today we see that the sword hanging over the heads of the tyrants is about to fall. The horse-hair that holds the sword hanging over Zelenskyy’s head is now frayed and worn and perhaps, tomorrow, even the sword hanging over others, whether accomplices or enemies of him, may fall. But, for us, the lesson of the legend is not just this. It is not enough to abstain from the praise that everyone fearfully lavishes on tyrants, we must also remember that it is up to us, to the extent of our strengths, if not to sever, at least to scratch and erode the horse-hair which still holds the sword hanging over their heads. The thread that holds it up — we must not tire to show it, if the tyrant is the first to know it — is thin, and only the consensus and fear of the many prevents it from breaking.
Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, February 21, 2024
It is good not to forget the legend of Damocles, which Cicero recounts in his Tusculanae Disputationes. One day, Damocles, a courtier of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, praised him “for his wealth, the majesty of his dominion, the splendour of his royal palace”. “Damocles — the tyrant replied — since this life pleases you so much, I want you to taste it yourself and make trial of my fortune”. He made him sit on a couch covered with a finely embroidered drape, placed precious pottery before him, and ordered youths of extraordinary beauty to fulfil any of his commands. Damocles believed himself he was happy, until he noticed that a sharp sword was hanging over his head from the ceiling, suspended by a single horse-hair. At that point, the unwary eulogist renounced riches and power and begged Dionysius to let him go away, because he no longer wanted to be happy in that way.
Today we see that the sword hanging over the heads of the tyrants is about to fall. The horse-hair that holds the sword hanging over Zelenskyy’s head is now frayed and worn and perhaps, tomorrow, even the sword hanging over others, whether accomplices or enemies of him, may fall. But, for us, the lesson of the legend is not just this. It is not enough to abstain from the praise that everyone fearfully lavishes on tyrants, we must also remember that it is up to us, to the extent of our strengths, if not to sever, at least to scratch and erode the horse-hair which still holds the sword hanging over their heads. The thread that holds it up — we must not tire to show it, if the tyrant is the first to know it — is thin, and only the consensus and fear of the many prevents it from breaking.
(English translation by I, Robot)
Sin Yun-bok, Dance with two swords, presumably after 1805. Courtesy of WikiArt. |
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