The Sword of Damocles A Story of New York Life

The short tale "The Sword of Damocles" by Anna Katharine Green is based on a myth from ancient Greece. The protagonist of the tale is a courtier by the name of Damocles who is often extolling the extravagant lifestyle and contentment of his monarch, Dionysius. Damocles accepts Dionysius' offer to let him sample this way of life for himself. Damocles, on the other hand, is reminded of the perpetual danger and instability that come with living as a king while at the meal when he notices a blade suspended over his head by a single horsehair. Damocles comes to the conclusion of the tale realizing that the life of a king is not as glamorous as he had thought. The unstable nature of power and the perils of ambition are typically symbolized by the narrative.