Le nganekwane yadalwa nguCicero, isazi sefilosofi esikhulu sombhalo ngezikhathi zamaRoma.
Indaba idlula embusweni waseSirakuse, IV century BC.
UDamocles wayengumphathi ohlonishwayo ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaDionysus I umashiqela.
Inganekwane ithi uDamocles wazama ukuthola umusa enkosini ngokumthopha kaninginingi, yize ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yakhe wayemonela amandla akhe nengcebo yakhe.
Kwakunabaningi ababeyizonda ngasese iNkosi uDionysus ngenxa yedumela layo lokuba nguzwilakhe nonya. Kepha UDamocles akazange abone ukuthi kungaba nzima kanjani ukuba sesikhundleni senkosi, wabona imali yakhe kuphela.
Ngakho ngelinye ilanga wamtshela.
- Inkosi yami, yeka ukuthi ufanele ukujabula kanjani! Unakho konke okulangazelelwa yindoda… amandla, imali, abesifazane.
Inkosi esivele ikhathele ukukhulekelwa okungaka, yaphendula ngokuthi usuku olulodwa bangashintsha izikhundla zabo. IDamocles ekugcineni ingajabulela konke ukunethezeka okuhle kwenkosi, uma kungaba ngamahora ambalwa kuphela. UDamocles uqhume ngenjabulo futhi ujabule kakhulu.
Ngakusasa ekuseni wafika ejabule kakhulu esigodlweni, zonke izisebenzi zakhothama phambi kwakhe, wakwazi ukudla ukudla okumnandi kakhulu embusweni futhi wakujabulela abesifazane abahle bemdansela. Kwakuwusuku oluhle kakhulu empilweni yakhe, nokho into ethile yashintsha ngokungazelelwe lapho ebheka phezulu ophahleni. Ngenhla kwekhanda lakhe kwakulenga inkemba enkulu futhi ebukhali, ilenga emgodini wehhashi ongawa nganoma yisiphi isikhathi noma nini futhi ubangele ishwa.
Kwakungaleso sikhathi ngqo lapho IDamocles ibivele ingaqhubeka nokujabulela yonke injabulo yokuba yinkosi, okungenani usuku olulodwa ngendlela efanayo. UDionysus wabona ukuthi wayebone inkemba ilenga wabe esethi: MaDamocles, kungani ukhathazekile ngenkemba? Nami ngichayeka ezingozini eziningi usuku nosuku ezingenza nginyamalale.
UDamocles akazange afune ukuqhubeka nokushintsha kwezikhundla futhi watshela uDiniosio ukuthi kufanele ahambe.
Ngalesi sikhathi ngqo uDamocles ubengabona ukuthi amandla nengcebo eningi kunengxenye enkulu embi, ukuthi ikhanda lakhe linganqunywa ngenkemba nganoma yisiphi isikhathi. Ngakho-ke akazange afise ukuphinde abe sesikhundleni senkosi.
Ukuziphatha:
- Masingahluleli abanye, asazi ukuthi bakuphi. Mhlawumbe kusuka ngaphandle kubonakala sengathi bangcono kakhulu kunathi kodwa asazi isisindo abangasithwala.
- Amandla noma ingcebo ngeke ikwenze ujabule kakhulu futhi uma ikwenza iyoba yesikhashana. Konke kungokwesikhashana, ngisho nokuphila.
