What was the name of the legendary knot that Alexander cut with his sword?

The legendary knot Alexander cut with his sword was the Gordian knot.

The story is set in Gordium, a city in ancient Phrygia, where an ox-cart was tied with an elaborate knot. An oracle supposedly foretold that whoever could undo it would rule Asia. Alexander encountered the challenge in 333 BC during his campaign against the Persian Empire.

The popular version says he drew his sword and sliced through the knot, creating the modern expression “cutting the Gordian knot” for solving a difficult problem boldly and decisively. Ancient accounts are not identical, however: Plutarch and Arrian preserve a version in which Alexander removed the cart’s linchpin and exposed the ends of the cord rather than literally cutting the knot.

The cart was associated with Gordias, the founder of the Phrygian royal line. Alexander later continued his conquests across Asia, helping the legend appear prophetic in retrospect.