Line In The Sand (phrase)
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Line in the sand is an idiom, a metaphorical (sometimes literal) point beyond which no further advance will be accepted or made. Related terms include unilateral boundary setting,
red lines ''Red Lines'' is a documentary film produced by Spark Media in 2014. It depicts the ongoing civil war in Syria and the efforts of activists Mouaz Moustafa and Razan Shalab-al-Sham to raise international support for the revolution and to promote d ...
and
ultimatum An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...
s to define clear consequences if a line is crossed.


Origin

Biblical link to
John 8 John 8 is the eighth chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It continues the account of Jesus' debate with the Pharisees after the Feast of Tabernacles, which began in the previous chapter. Verses 1-11, a ...

John 8:6
. Some have (perhaps erroneously) interpreted Jesus' writing in the sand, as drawing a line in the sand in order to address those who are about to stone a woman caught in adultery. However, the literal translation is not that he drew a line in the sand, but that he "wrote" (or "drew lines" in some translations) in the sand, an important distinction. The exact origin of the phrase is unknown: the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'' suggests a transitional use from 1950, but a definitely figurative use only as late as 1978: There is reference to an actual line being drawn in several historical, or legendary, military events: *One of the earliest recorded instance is in Indian
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
''
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
'' where
Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...
draws a line around the dwelling to protect
Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...
. This phrase is often used in India even today, and is called
Lakshman Rekha Lakshmana Rekha (), in some later versions of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'', is a line in the soil drawn by Lakshmana. This line is drawn around the cottage and dwelling in the forest that he shared with his elder brother, Rama, and Rama's wife, ...
. *In 168 BC, a Roman Consul named
Gaius Popillius Laenas Gaius Popillius Laenas ( 172–158 BC) was a politician and general of the Roman Republic. He was Roman consul, consul two times, once in 172 and once in 158 BC. He was sent as an envoy to prevent a war between Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Sele ...
drew a circular line in the sand around King
Antiochus IV Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( 215 BC–November/December 164 BC) was king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. Notable events during Antiochus' reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of ...
of the
Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great ...
, then said, "Before you cross this circle I want you to give me a reply for the Roman Senate" – implying that Rome would declare war if the King stepped out of the circle without committing to leave Egypt immediately. Weighing his options, Antiochus wisely decided to withdraw. Only then did Popillius agree to shake hands with him. * In 1527, during the second expedition for the conquest of
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, the Governor of Panama sent two ships to Isla de Gallo to rescue
Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Trujillo, Spain, to a poor fam ...
and his troops. Pizarro drew a line in the sand, saying: "There lies Peru with its riches; Here, Panama and its poverty. Choose, each man, what best becomes a brave Castilian." Only thirteen men ( The Famous Thirteen) continued with Pizarro, the others left for Panama. *In 1807 or 1808, the
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
tribe
Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa ...
won a battle against their
Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...
enemies on a beach at
Moremonui The battle of Moremonui (, or , ) was fought between Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi, two Māori ''iwi'' (tribes), in northern New Zealand in 1807 or 1808. The Ngāpuhi force had a few muskets, making this the first occasion Māori used muskets in ...
in the Northland of
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. One of the victorious chiefs, Taoho, drew a line in the sand with his spear and ordered that no Ngāpuhi were to be slain beyond that point. This battle, the first of the
Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori people, Māori between 1806 and 1845, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an inte ...
, was called Te Kai a te Karoro (the Feast of the Black-backed Gull) due to the number of bodies left on the beach and eaten by gulls. This battle is also known as Te Haerenga-o-te-one (the Marking of the sand), named after Taoho's act of drawing a line in the sand. *In the United States, the phrase is most commonly associated with
Texas history Indigenous people lived in what is now Texas more than 10,000 years ago, as evidenced by the discovery of the remains of prehistoric Leanderthal Lady. In 1519, the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors in the region of North America now k ...
surrounding the
Battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a siege of the Alamo, 13-day siege, Mexico, Mexican troops under president of Mexico, President Antonio L ...
, as it is attributed to Colonel
William Travis Lieutenant-Colonel William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a Texian Army officer and lawyer. He is known for helping set the Texas Revolution in motion during the Anahuac disturbances and defending the Alamo Missio ...
, commander of the Alamo defence forces.Mike Cox
"Line in the Sand"
/ref> In the waning days of the Battle (somewhere during March 3–5, 1836), with Mexican General
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...
having the Alamo completely surrounded, Santa Anna sent a messenger to Travis demanding surrender, or else everyone in the compound would be killed. According to the legend, Travis called the Alamo defenders together, explained that defeat was almost certain, and read the letter of surrender; Travis then (having chosen to die instead of surrender) reportedly pulled his battle sword, used it to draw a line in the ground of the Alamo, and asked for volunteers to cross over the line and join him, understanding their decision would be irreversible. The legend states that all but one of the defenders (including
Jim Bowie James Bowie ( ) (April 10, 1796 – March 6, 1836) was an American military officer, landowner and slave trader who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of him ...
and
Davy Crockett Colonel (United States), Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennesse ...
) joined Travis on his side of the line; Tapley Holland would be the first over the line.
Moses Rose Louis "Moses" Rose, sometimes written as Lewis Rose, (1785? – 1850/1851?) was according to Texas legend the only man who chose to leave the besieged Alamo in 1836, rather than fight and die there. He was illiterate and many believe that his tale ...
was the only defender choosing to leave the compound. Travis then responded to Santa Anna's letter with cannon fire, whereupon Santa Anna replied by playing El Degüello.


Recent uses

*In 1990, US president
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
described the initiation of the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
as drawing "a line in the sand". *In 1997, American progressive metal band
Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Dream Theat ...
released a song named "Lines in the Sand" on their album '' Falling into Infinity''. *In 2003, British rock band
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
released a song named "Evolution (Line in the Sand)", which was used as entrance music by
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
wrestling stable
Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
. *In 2004, an
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club, in the Australian Football League *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington United Kin ...
Hawthorn game of
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
, unofficially known as the
Line in the Sand Match The Line in the Sand Match is the unofficial title given to the round 11, 2004, match between Australian Football League (AFL) clubs and , which was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 5 June 2004. A number of incidents in the ...
, ended up in a large-scale melee that resulted in 16 weeks' worth of player suspensions and A$70,700 in fines. *In 2014, American rock band
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
released a song named "A Line in the Sand" on their album '' The Hunting Party''. *In 2016, English singer-songwriter and musician
PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...
released a song named "A Line in the Sand" on her album ''
The Hope Six Demolition Project ''The Hope Six Demolition Project'' is the ninth studio album by the English singer-songwriter and musician PJ Harvey, released on 15 April 2016 on Island Records. It followed her acclaimed Mercury Prize-winning album ''Let England Shake'', releas ...
''.


See also

* * * * * * * * * *


References

{{Reflist, 30em English phrases Antiochus IV Epiphanes