In the discussion of war we should never think that it is always one religion or
sociological structure verses another. In many cases wars have been waged by the
same types of people with many of the same views.
Pausanis, a Greek writer, once wrote a description of the Temple of Hera on the
lower slopes of Euboia. As he recounted his journey into the temple proper he
wrote:
"In the pronaos of the temple are some ancient statues of the Charites, on the
right of the Couch of Hera, and a dedication of a shield that Menelaos once too
from Euphorbos at Troy. The great statue of Hera is seated on a throne of gold
and ivory, the work of Polykleitos. It's crown has the Charites and Horai worked
into it; in one hand she holds a scepter, in the other a pomegranate."
Then he noted: "As the story of the pomegranate is not to be spoken I shall omit
it."
A detail I found odd...
But later in the recount he says:
"But on the column beside the Polykleitean statue is an ancient statue of Hera.
This oldest of statues, made of pear wood and dedicated at Tirnys by Peiras son
of Argos, was brought to the Heraion when the Argives captured Tiryns. I myself
saw it there, a small seated figure. Interesting dedications include an alter
into which the legendary marriage of Hebe and Hercules is worked into the
emperor Hadrian's dedication of a peacock of gold and precious stones"
In this recount we have several societies that worshiped Hera and went to war
with each other. But not only did they fight but the victor took the enemies
statues and other things dedicated to Hera back to their temple and honored it
there beside their own.
Such descriptions that are uncovered through archeological means rather than
some modern re-constructionist confabulation are an example of why we should
speak up and write things down today as well as why we should almost obsessively
research and delve much deeper into historical fact that what we might have
otherwise been simply programmed into believing.
Is my ability of reading books still in question?
Granted, I wont be going out and purchasing any "how to" book by any modern
author looking to make a quick buck off of my faith with their bullshit cover
filler that they thought up while playing D&D and thinking themselves a High
Something-or-other simply because they know how to bullshit people into
believing them with really no original thinking taking place at all. I tend to
go a little deeper than the color of candles to use.
Back in the day it was a goal to make it to the alter of your enemy and "capture
their god". We still do the same today. We're just not as cool about it.
Angel Snowden - 2011
