The history of phraseology “Gordian knot” originates in ancient times. In the first millennium BC in the territory of modern Turkey there was a powerful state - Phrygia. Its inhabitants were mainly engaged in cattle breeding, agriculture, folk crafts flourished in the country, Phrygian rulers pursued an active foreign policy, took part in the Trojan wars against Greece (8th century BC).
In the ninth century BC the capital of the kingdom - the city of Gordion - was shocked by a wave of internecine wars. It was during this period of time that the concept of “Gordian knot” arose. Its significance is connected with the oracle's prediction that a person will soon appear who is able to take control of the country into his own hands. According to the prediction, the new ruler will enter the city in an open cart. The first to enter Gordion after the prediction was the peasant, whose name was Gordius. Residents of the city immediately declared the newcomer their new king. In gratitude, Gordius presented his cart to the god Zeus, tying her shafts with a complex intricate knot to a pillar sticking out of the ground near the temple. Soon the oracle announced that the person who untied this knot could become the ruler not only of Phrygia, but of the whole East. However, over the centuries of the existence of this prediction, not one craftsman was able to untie the wagon of the Phrygian king from the pillar. In connection with this given term, they began to call any situation unsolvable in the usual way. By the way, the name Gordian was very common on the territory of the Phrygian state. That was the name of the first king of the country, who laid the foundation of the Gordia dynasty and built a new capital - the city of Gordion (instead of the then existing Kelen).
In the third century BC Emperor of Macedonia, Alexander the Great, goes to the East in order to conquer the Persian state. In 333, he approaches the ancient, still preserved (despite the fact that Phrygia itself ceased to exist about three centuries ago) city of Gordion and visits the temple of Zeus. Alexander of Macedon was very curious, however, like all Greeks, so he certainly wanted to visit this ancient sanctuary and see if there really is a legendary “Gordian knot”. When the inhabitants of the defeated city brought the ruler of Macedonia to the temple of Zeus, he drew his sword and with the words “That's how I solve this problem” cut the knot. After this event, another phraseological expression arose - “cut the Gordian knot”, which means that with the help of physical force, any seemingly unsolvable problem can be solved.
According to the explanatory dictionary, the term “intricate” is considered a synonym for the “Gordian knot”, which means a complex construction and further presentation of one’s thoughts or an insidious plan. In modern Russian, this expression is rarely used, most often in fiction or historical literature.
Whether the “Gordian knot” actually existed is not known for certain. No scientific evidence of this has been found to date. Some historians claim that this legend is just a folk invention and an attempt to explain the origin of the winged expression. The main evidence of the existence of the prosperous country of Phrygia two millennia ago is the ruins of the oldest cities found on the territory of modern Turkey (namely, according to myths, the Phrygians lived there).
In the concept of modern man, “Gordian knot” is a difficult, overwhelming task, which cannot be solved in a standard way. To cut the Gordian knot means to find an extraordinary creative solution to this problem.