Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom in Asia Minor called Gordium. It was ruled by a wise king, but when he died he had no son to replace him. The people were without a leader so they went to the chief priest for his advice. The priest promised to consult the gods. He performed some sacrifices and then waited for a response. The next day, a farmer entered the capital with a cart full of produce for market. As he passed in front of the temple, an eagle landed on his cart. The priest noticed this strange phenomenon and immediately realized this must be the sign from the gods. He ran to the farmer and asked him if he would like to be the new king. The farmer did not have to think twice. To commemorate this great day in his life, the new king had his cart tied to a post in the middle of the city with a really intricate knot. Somehow, a legend grew that whoever could loosen the knot was destined to rule the world. A young Alexander had heard the tale and after his first victory over the Persians, he and his entourage made a special trip to Gordium to see the knot. When they were shown to the spot where the cart was still tied to the post, they were shocked at how complicated the knot was. Alexander examined the knot carefully, but he could not see where either end was, much less determine how to untie it. He turned to the current chief priest and asked if there were any rules on how you had to unloosen it. When the priest said there were no rules, Alexander dramatically unsheathed his sword and cut through the knot, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Because of this incident, the phrase “cutting the Gordian knot” came to mean solving a complex problem with a simple solution.
– maroon 35
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