Gordian << GAWR dee uhn >> knot, in Greek mythology, was a skillfully tied knot. A Phrygian peasant named Gordias used it to tie an ox yoke to his chariot. According to the myth, Gordias became king of Phrygia because an oracle advised it. A legend said whoever could loosen the knot would rule Asia. Many tried and failed. Finally, Alexander the Great cut it with his sword and claimed he had fulfilled the prophecy. The expression cutting the Gordian knot means solving a hard problem easily. Gordias was the father of Midas, whose touch turned everything to gold.
