Uyazi ukuba ikrele likaDamocles liphi na?

Ibinzana elidumileyo elithi "ikrele lamaDamocles" libuyela kumzekeliso wokuziphatha wasendulo, owawunqandwa ngumfilosofi wamaRoma uCicero ngo-45 BC. E. UCicero uxelela ngoDionysus II, ukumkani oyingqineli, owayekade elawula kwisixeko saseSyria saseSirakuse ngexesha lekhulu lesine nelesihlanu BC.

Umzekeliso kaKumkani

UDionysius wayenotyebi kwaye unamandla, kodwa engonwabanga kakhulu. Ngenxa yobutyebi bakhe boorhulumente, wenza iintshaba ezininzi, kwaye kwinqanaba ngalinye wayesaba ukubulala. Ngenxa yoko, walala egumbini lokulala, elalijikelezwe yintlanzi, kwaye wayethembela kuphela intombi yakhe ukuze amncede ahlambe iindevu zakhe.

Ngubani owayengumdaka?

UCicero uthi ukungoneleliseki kwakhe ngobomi bakhe kwamkela inkosi emva kokuba elinye ijaji elikhazimulayo elibizwa ngokuba yiDamocles lancinca ngamancoma kwaye yatshintsha indlela ebalulekileyo ngayo ubomi bayo. "Ukuba ubomi bam buya kukuncoma," waphendula uDionysius onomsindo, "unokuzama oko kumava akho." Xa iDamocles yavuma, ukumkani wamhlalisa kwi-sofa yegolide waza wayala ukuba ininzi yabakhonzi balinde eceleni kwakhe. Wazisa iziqwenga zenyama kwaye wanikela ngamakha ecocekileyo kunye namafutha. I-Damocles ayikwazanga ukukholelwa kwinhlanhla yakhe. Kodwa ekunandipha ubomi bokumkani, waphawula ukuba uDionysius waxhoma nekrele elibukhali kwisilo. Wayekho ngqo ngentloko yeDamocles, kwaye wagcina umgca wakhe kuphela ovela kwi-horsehair. Ukususela ngaloo ndlela, ukwesaba intendelezo ebomini bakhe akuzange kumvumele ukuba avuyiswe ubuqaqawuli bomthendeleko kunye noncedo lwabakhonzi. Ukuphosa ingqungquthela yekrele elalixhonywe phezu kwakhe, uDamocles wabuza ukuba akhululwe, kuba akazange aphinde abe nomuzwa wokuthi wayenethamsanqa.

KuCicero, ibali likaDionysus kunye neDamocles liqinisekisile ingcamango yokuba kukho rhoqo ukuxhalaba nokufa phezu kwamagunya, kwaye abo bahlala besaba into engenakuvuyisa.

Intsingiselo yanamhlanje

Kamva kwincwadi ephakathi kwale mzekeliso yaba yi-leitmotif, kwaye igama elithi "ikrele lokulahla" lisetyenziswe ngokubanzi ekuchazeni umuzwa wengozi ozayo. Enye yeemeko ezidumileyo zokusetyenziswa kwayo - ngo-1961, ngexesha leMfazwe yeCold, xa uMongameli wase-United States uJohan F. Kennedy enika intetho kwiZizwe eziManyeneyo. Wathi: "Wonke umntu, umfazi okanye umntwana uhlala phantsi kwekrele lekhamkliya yeDamocles, ekwazi ukuwela nanini na ixesha ngenxa yengozi, ukungahambi kakuhle okanye ukunyaniseka."