Gordian knot

knot in Greek mythology, used as a metaphor for difficult problems with little or no solution

AI overview

The Gordian knot is a knot from Greek mythology that has become a famous metaphor for a problem that seems impossible to solve or untangle. It's used today to describe situations where straightforward approaches won't work and creative or bold action may be needed to cut through the difficulty.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Article

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 Alexander the Great Cutting the Gordian Knot by André Castaigne (1898–1899)

The cutting of the Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend associated with Alexander the Great in Gordium in Phrygia, regarding a complex knot that tied an oxcart. Reputedly, whoever could untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. In 333 BC, Alexander was challenged to untie the knot. Instead of untangling it laboriously as everyone expected, he dramatically cut through it with his sword. This is used as a metaphor for inventing an unexpected method to solve a seemingly intractable problem.