Gordion
/ˈɡɔːr.di.ən/noun
An ancient city in central Anatolia that served as the capital of Phrygia and was associated with King Midas and the Gordian Knot.
Did you know?Gordion’s name is linked in Greek tradition to Gordias, the peasant founder of the Phrygian royal line, but the deeper origin of the name remains uncertain rather than demonstrably magical.
Etymological Timeline
Iron Age
Phrygian
Gordion
“The ancient city’s native name; its precise etymology is uncertain.”
c. 8th–7th century BCE
Greek
Γόρδιον (Górdion)
“The city of Gordion, identified by Greek writers as the Phrygian capital.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Γορδίας (Gordías)
“Gordias, the legendary founder and king associated with the city.”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Γόρδιος (Górdios)
“Gordius, a related form of the legendary king’s name.”
16th century
English
Gordian
“Relating to Gordius or Gordion; later used figuratively for an extremely difficult problem.”
Modern English
English
Gordion
“The archaeological site and ancient city in present-day Turkey.”