Tilting at windmills Tilting at windmills Tilting at windmills is an English idiom that means attacking imaginary enemies. The expression is derived from the 1605 novel "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes, and the word "tilt" in this context comes from jousting. The phrase is sometimes used to describe either confrontations where adversaries are incorrectly perceived, or courses of action that are based on misinterpreted or misapplied heroic, romantic, or idealistic justifications. It may also connote an importune, unfounded, and vain effort against adversaries real or imagined for a vain goal. The phrase comes from an episode in the Cervantes novel wherein protagonist
Marcus Corvinus (fictional character) and has crossed paths with the Imperial family on several occasions. He was instrumental in the fall of Sejanus, acting on posthumous instructions from a member of the Imperial family. Although he is happiest in Rome, Corvinus travels frequently. He has been up and down Italy, and has spent years in Athens, particularly in the days surrounding the death of Sejanus. He and Rufia are childless, a source of sorrow to them, but have adopted a daughter, the child of a man who was executed for crimes uncovered by Corvinus. Marcus Corvinus (fictional character) Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus is a