The common interpretation of the Damocles’ sword is to convey a sense of impending danger.
As the ancient Greek story goes, Damocles was an obsequious courtier under the tyrannical King Dionysius. One day Damocles comments to the king how glorious it must be to hold such great power. Dionysius responds by offering Damocles the throne for a single day. The next morning when Damocles arrives to assume the throne he finds a sword has been hung overhead, dangling from a single horse hair, which Dionysius has placed there to ensure Damocles understands the precariousness of his power.
Later, in the Roman era, Cicero recounts the story and explains that the lesson from the story isn’t about the impending danger Damocles faces from the sword. The lesson was about the tyranny of Dionysius, for the reason he experienced his reign in this way was a function of how Dionysius acquired his power. It was about the long stream of enemies he’d made in his quest for the throne.
The title above borrows from Rene Magritte’s painting, The Treachery of Images, where the artist paints an image of a pipe with the words “This is not a pipe” below it. In Magritte’s work the image is a lie. It is not a pipe. You cannot smoke it. It is a painting deceiving the viewer into believing it to be something it’s not. In this interpretation of the story, Damocles is not to be pitied for the predicament he finds himself in. He is not a victim. His position adjacent to power is a lie. He is a courtier because he doesn’t challenge the ruler. He is there merely to flatter and enable. Tyranny from a single individual has no effect; it has no power. The treachery is created by those who lack the courage to speak truth in the face of tyranny. The power held by Dionysius is a lie. His reign is held together only for the likes of those who fear him or are willing to act on tyrannical orders. It is Damocles who enables Dionysius’ tyranny.
The essential truth is, there are no swords except for the ones we forge.
(This writing is framing for an artwork I’m preparing to make.)