Sharon Kennedy: The Sword of Damocles

Sometimes watching a BBC soap opera from 1994 is not as silly as it sounds especially when a character refers to the “sword of Damocles.” One doesn’t usually hear something remotely scholarly spoken on a soap, British or otherwise. I had no choice but to leave the comfort of my chair and reach for my well-worn copy of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, but, alas, Mr. Bartlett disappointed me. I found no mention of Damocles or his sword so I did what many of us do. I consulted Mr. Google and discovered the “sword” was part of a parable credited to Cicero in a story regarding Dionysius II.

You might ask what in the world does a “tyrannical king” from centuries ago have to do with societies’ ills today? Perhaps nothing, but then again, perhaps a lot. Stick with me and make up your own mind. Although Dionysius was rich and powerful, he was not happy. He had enemies. He was afraid they would kill him.

Then one day Damocles, a member of Dionysius’ court who was noted for his ability to flatter, told the king he was a lucky man. He heaped praises on him and showered him with compliments. The king was stunned at the stupidity of the man and asked him if he would like to swap places. Damocles was delighted. He thought he had found paradise as he sat before a table loaded with good eats and good-looking staff members anxious to fulfill his every desire.

However, Damocles’ joy was short-lived. The king had suspended a sword over his head. One strand of horsehair held it in place. Any miss-move would prove fatal. According to the story, “there can be no happiness for one who is under constant apprehension.” The flatterer suddenly lost his appetite for the better things in life. He went home a contented man knowing the weight of being rich and powerful wasn’t worth the price wealth and power demanded. I’m not sure who represents Damocles in today’s America, but I have no doubt which segment of the population represents Dionysius.

Morbidly rich and powerful people are the most terrified among us. A poor man has nothing to lose. He has no home, no job, no money and no power. He doesn’t care what the stock market does. If the Dow tanks, he’s not worried. Ditto for the S&P and Nasdaq. It’s the one percent who cringe when the market whisks away their billions and threatens the loss of their luxurious lifestyles. They live with an invisible sword directly above their skulls.

During my Googling, I came upon a quote from a 1961 speech by President Kennedy regarding the Cold War. “Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident or miscalculation or by madness.” Although we no longer worry about a “cold war,” there’s no doubt another “civil war” is brewing in the United States. Peace appears to be hanging by a thread.

A former president voted out of power is stirring pots filled with anxiety and doom. He’s miserable. The sword dangling above him is a metaphor for the razor-sharp trials he faces. While feigning strength, he quakes with fear, knowing Lady Justice will avenge his wrongs. In the “Iliad” Homer wrote, “Surely there is nothing more wretched than a man, of all the things which breathe and move upon the earth.” Despite his cries to the contrary, Donald Trump is one wretched man.

— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy's new book, "View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories," is available from her or Amazon.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sharon Kennedy: The Sword of Damocles