the Greek courtier to Dionysius the Elder who (according to legend) was condemned to sit under a naked sword that was suspended by a hair in order to demonstrate to him that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was (4th century BC)
例句
用作名词 (n.)
The college entrance examination is like a sword of Damocles. 高考就像是一把达摩克里斯的利剑高悬的这些学生头上。