Gordian knot
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The Gordian Knot is a legend of associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for a problem which has no easy or obvious solution.
Myth story
In Phrygia (modern Turkey), there was a legendary prophesy about a unique knot which could only be loosened by the man who would rule all of Asia.[1] It was called the "Gordian" knot because it was preserved in Gordium. It supposed to have been created by a man named Gordius.[2]
The knot was complex and tangled. This mythical knot was tied around the part of a wooden cart or wagon.[3]
According to traditional version of the story, Alexander the Great cut the knot with his sword.[4]
In another version of the story, Alexander took away the wooden part which was at the center of the knot; and in this way, the knot was undone.[5]
Alexander solved the problem in a way no one had expected.[6] Then he went on to lead Greek armies which conquered much of the known world.[7]
Meaning
Today the phrase implies "make it happen" or "get things done".[5]
"Cutting the Gordian knot" has come to mean resolving a difficult problem with one forceful action.[8]
It may mean a problem that has no solution.[9]
Gordian Knot Media
Alexander the Great cuts the Gordian Knot by Jean-Simon Berthélemy (1743–1811)
Alexander the Great Cutting the Gordian Knot (1767) by Jean-François Godefroy
Related pages
References
- ↑ Johnson's (revised) Universal Cyclopaedia: A Scientific and Popular Treasury of Useful Knowledge. (1890)A.J. Johnson & Company. p. 542.
- ↑ Grote, George. History of Greece (1857)John Murray. p. 140–141.
- ↑ Zimmern, Alice. Greek History for Young Readers (1908)Longmans, Green, and Company. p. 397.
- ↑ Kirkman, Marshall Monroe. History of Alexander the Great: His Personality and Deeds (1913)Cropley Phillips Company. p. 155–156.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kurke, Lance B.. The Wisdom of Alexander the Great: Enduring Leadership Lessons from the Man Who Created an Empire (2004)American Management Association. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-8144-2837-5.
- ↑ Snicket, Lemony. A Series of Unfortunate Events #3: The Wide Window (2000)Harper Collins. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-06-440768-7.
- ↑ Parkin, Margaret. Tales for Coaching: Using Stories and Metaphors with Individuals & Small Groups (2001)Kogan Page Publishers. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7494-3521-9.
- ↑ Daly, Kathleen N.. Greek and Roman Mythology A to Z (2004)Infobase Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-4381-1992-2.
- ↑ Mathematical Association of America (MMA), Untying the Gordian Knot Archived 2012-06-16 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-5-31.
Other websites
Media related to Gordian Knot at Wikimedia Commons
