Luke's Iron Crown
Preserved but no longer current.
A symbol of political tyranny. The lifted axe, the agonising wheel, Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel, To men remote from power but rarely known, Leave reason, faith, and conscience all our own. GOLDSMITH: The Traveller* 435.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Luke's Iron Crown” mean?
A symbol of political tyranny. The lifted axe, the agonising wheel, Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel, To men remote from power but rarely known, Leave reason, faith, and conscience all our own. GOLDSMITH: The Traveller* 435.
Is “Luke's Iron Crown” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.