Talk:Gordian Knot

Cornell / dogwood
Is Cornell supposed to redirect to dogwood??

Not everyone can distinguish an Emblem from a Metaphor, apparently. Perhaps it doesn't matter. Is a Symbol the same as a Simile then? (Wetman)

I believe it is Gordia's son, Midas who was driving the ox-cart, and subsequently declared king. It was the father who made the sacrifice. (Anon)
 * You haven't been reading Arrian's Anabasis of Alexander, then. (Book ii.3)

The anon above is right. I have Arrian's Αλεξάνδρου Ανάβασις in front of me, and from what I read it seems that it was Gordia's ox-cart, but the declared king was his son Midas, who dedicated his father's cart to the god. The exact passage is "καὶ τὴν ἅμαξαν τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν τῇ ἄκρᾳ ἀναθεῖναι χαριστήρια τῷ Διὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀετοῦ τῇ πομπῇ." which means "...and he offered his father's cart as a gift to king Zeus as gratitude for sending the eagle". Αλεξάνδρου Ανάβασις - Βιβλίο Β — Geraki  ✉ 2006-02-23 T 18:06 Z


 * Let me put this in the article, then, so people like me don't make over-confident errors such as mine. --Wetman 05:48, 25 August 2006 (UTC)


 * User:82.156.202.217 at 11:31, 23 October 2007 inserted the name Ahmidas. I've removed it now. --Wetman (talk) 01:39, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

I heard that the prophecy was only that you had to undo the not, and that realizing this he didn't attempt to waste any more energy trying to untie it JedG

Luo in Greek
I am not familiar with classical Greek, but I know that, in Koine Greek, the work for "to untie" is the same as "to destroy" (λυω), thus when Alexander goes to "untie the knot," he in fact "destroys the knot," those ideas being related semantically. Ierous 22:14, 17 February 2006 (UTC)Ierous

Why WikiProject Ancient Egypt?
Not to be a spoilsport, but what does this have to do with ancient Egypt? The myth is Greek, it involves Phrygians and Macedonians, even though those Macedonians did also conquer Egypt. (Perhaps an important source document was written in Hellenistic Egypt? Perhaps WikiProject Ancient Egypt is intended to be this broad?  I'm just guessing here.)  If there is a connection, it might be nice to go in the article too. --Toby Bartels 19:55, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, I looked up (on this Wikipedia) my two guesses. The main soucre, Αλεξάνδρου Ανάβασις, was written by a Hellinistic Asian who retired to Europe but spent little time (if any) in Egypt; the scope of the WikiProject is rather narrow. In fact, since "This WikiProject aims primarily to standardize chronology and spellings of proper names in Ancient Egypt related articles." and there are no Egyptian names in the article (nor dates of events in Egypt), I'm going to be bold and remove the WikiProject heading. If somebody thinks that I'm wrong, then that's OK, and I won't argue; but the WikiProject page should probably be updated to indicate its true scope. --Toby Bartels 20:12, 3 January 2007 (UTC)


 * A simpler explanation: editors with content contribute content. --Wetman 04:55, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

It was further prophesied by an oracle that the one to untie the knot would become the king of Australia.
Um...

...

I'm pretty sure that's someone vandalizing this page. Otherwise Greek history is a lot more confusing than I thought.

It is ok, somebody changed it back to Asia.

The same oracle?
"It was further prophesied by an oracle that the one to untie the knot would become the king of Asia." Was this the same oracle who made the original prediction? Was it part of the same prediction, or a separate one? Lessthanideal (talk) 01:52, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

Interpretations
Seems like the interpretations section has some problems. One paragraph was started but never finished in 01:27, 10 July 2008 edit. It's not clear how the reference to fable versus myth is relevant. Pradtke (talk) 05:17, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

A real Gordian knot
A real Gordian knot is a loop of uniform, slightly deformable material having a fixed diameter, tied upon itself tightly such that there isn't enough slack in any part to allow the knot to be untied (this reference shows an example, due to physicist Piotr Pieranski). It can be made physically by spicing rope into a loop, tying it properly while wet, then drying it. David Spector (user/talk) 22:03, 27 June 2012 (UTC)

Solving the Gordian Knot
As I understand the legend of this item, Alexander the Great 'solved it' by using a sword and destroying it. It was I believe tied around a piece of wood with no visible ends showing. #ANSWER# It wasn't a knot at all - but a loop made by splicing the ends of a single rope together before looping, and re-looping ad-nauseum over the wood till it was tight. No need to cut or even touch it - just solve it by logic and walk away - no wise one would ever want to 'Rule the Known World', just because it is already 'known'. **Edit Suggestions of it being tied to a tree aren't logical as trees gain girth as they age and a knot would constrict or be overgrown by the tree. Besides which ropes need repairing/renewing over time so a 'knot' would need to be untied often. Alexander was fortunate that there was no knot, his sword sliced through a strand and when it was unravelled, lo and behold no knot was found, there is no other way that his desecration of a 'holy Site' would have been permitted. I have no citations to reliable sources as this is simply an exercise in logic for me.

Respectfully, Badger, of Water. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.105.106.82 (talk) 01:15, 17 February 2023 (UTC)


 * Edit: The whole concept behind the Gordian Knot was to draw the brightest and best from the known world, be they philosopher or king to test themselves against a common puzzle - if they all failed then they Must accept that the solver was 'wiser' than them. Therefore they had a mediator 'above' them. This would make that individual 'a Solomon' or 'an Enlightened One'. Mediator not Monarch. Thats all. 92.6.57.167 (talk) 21:21, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

Trefoil knot
Shouldn't the knot in question (Trefoil knot) be somewhere other than the see also section? Maybe in the lede? Anna Frodesiak (talk) 17:36, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

And maybe at Gordian Knot (disambiguation) too? Anna Frodesiak (talk) 17:37, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Lewis Henry Morgan??
Seems to me it's missing; you might find it HERE [] and here []--187.233.233.166 (talk) 01:25, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Legend Section Problem
I like wikipedia and support it and all that but am nervous to edit anything because over the years I always seem to upset someone (and who needs that?). But there are two problems in the Legend Section... like maybe the page was hurriedly edited.

Two things: First: Paragraph One talks about an ox-cart and then there is a non sequitor reference to a chariot. Something happened here. Second: We are told about a knot being tied and then reminded that the knot was "untied" or otherwise destroyed and that is good. But where is it explained WHY the knot needed to be untied. Why did Alexander do it? Again, something has been deleted.

It is my hope that someone who has the authority or whatever to fix this will do so... and that I won't receive any nasty email on the subject. Good luck Hank01 (talk) 04:17, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

WWE mention
No relevant, not important, not cited in the slightest. I'm getting rid of this and requesting semi-protection; whoever keeps adding it back needs to realise it's not relevant to the subject at all.TheNeutroniumAlchemist (talk) 05:02, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Article locked please at RGM
Rube Goldberg machine

seems very similar as in a complicated thing that can be solved more simply. I do not add it as the article is locked dunno why? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.190.193.52 (talk) 10:54, 11 August 2015 (UTC)


 * A Rube Goldberg machine has almost nothing in common with a Gordian Knot, in my opinion. If you want to edit the article to reflect your opinion as a fact, you will have to provide a Reliable Source. WP does not permit Original Research or opinions because it is an encyclopedia. David Spector (talk) 21:01, 12 August 2015 (UTC)

Phineas & Ferb episode "Knot My Problem"
That episode was practically all about the Gordian Knot. That's where I learned what the Gordian Knot was, was that episode of Phineas & Ferb. Like, Buford told the story, and they all make a giant replication of the Gordian Knot, with themselves inside of it, and then they untie it, and it's made of licorice, and Candace gets hit with Doof's Eat-it-all-inator and so she's really hungry and she eats all the licorice ropes. Pretty sure that this episode needs a mention here! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.26.114.98 (talk) 21:56, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

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Bad message
The quality standards message at the top is bad, it gives the whole article a bad tone, it should not be used. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.56.88.202 (talk) 03:18, 9 June 2019 (UTC)