What is the Gordian knot?
The term “Gordian knot,” commonly used to describe a complex or unsolvable problem, can be traced back to a legendary chapter in the life of Alexander the Great. As the story goes, in 333 B.C. the Macedonian conqueror marched his army into the Phrygian capital of Gordium in modern day Turkey. Upon arriving in the city, he encountered an ancient ...
What was the storm that rocked Gordium?
That same night, Gordium was rocked by a thunder and lightning storm , which Alexander and his men took as a sign that he had pleased the gods.
Who was destined to become the ruler of all of Asia?
An oracle had declared that any man who could unravel its elaborate knots was destined to become ruler of all of Asia. According to the ancient chronicler Arrian, the impetuous Alexander was instantly “seized with an ardent desire” to untie the Gordian knot.
How did Alexander the Great loosen the knot?
Alexander wanted to untie the knot, but he had no idea how to do it, so he drew his sword and sliced it in half with a single stroke, or as another version says, he loosed the knot by pulling the linchpin from the yoke.
Who described the knot as a masterwork?
Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus later described the knot as a masterwork. It comprised of “several knots all so tightly entangled that it was impossible to see how they were fastened.”
What happened in the palace in Gordium?
We will never know what really happened in the palace in Gordium and whether Alexander managed to untie the complex knot. "Shortly after one of Alexander’s first victories, the Battle of Granicus, he learned that a few miles away a certain King Gordias had left as a legacy a very difficult knot to untie.
What was Alexander the Great's capital?
In the 4 th century BC, Alexander the Great reached Phrygia and Gordium, which was allegedly the capital of Midas. After taking the city of Gordium, Alexander was shown the chariot of Gordias, founder of the old Phrygian monarchy, and was told about the prophecy. Alexander wanted to untie the knot but he had no idea how to do it, ...
How many square miles did Alexander the Great have?
When he died in 323 B.C.E. at age thirty-two, his vast empire comprised more than two million square miles, spanning from Greece to India.
Who was the first to enter the gates of the city?
The first through the gates of the city was Gordias, a poor peasant who with his wife came to the city with a cart drawn by an ox. Gordias was declared king and his grateful son, Midas dedicated the ox-cart to the Phrygian god Sabazios (identified with Zeus). He tied its yoke to a post with an extremely sophisticated knot called the Gordian Knot.
Where did Alexander the Great conquer?
Alexander later went on to conquer Asia as far as the Indus and the regions of the Oxus, a major river in Central Asia. The prophecy was fulfilled.
