In the hall of great Zeus, everyone was summoned by name and seated in their positions, and was served with the fat of oxen and a glass of honey wine each. It was the appraisal hour and the grey eyed Athena was reading out the appraisal in the name of gods. The appraisal was from a young guy, to whom fate had been ruthless for long, until a few days ago, when he had acted with bravery and optimism to be in a pleasant position now. The young man deeply delighted by the fair life he was enjoying, poured out a cup of wine and burnt healthy fat sheep on the coast of Potra, and spelled out the appraisal, deep from his heart.
Thus, the fair skinned goddess read out,
"Zeus, o ruler of the clouds and storms, the one to decide favors and harms, I bow to you for you rule the world, I bow in respect to your greatness, the being eternal. My life was torn a hundred pieces, and my tears tumbled off my eyes, until I found the harmony in your rule, the being eternal. Zeus, I thank you for all that..."
And would have she continued in the soothing tone, had not Olympus been shaken to its roots. "Hades" shrieked some voice trembling. "Octapatehia" hushed another. And as everyone panicked, Zeus stood fiercely on his throne, legs apart, closed eyes, clutching his sparkling thunder weapon tight in his fist, with tingling senses, he spoke frowning, "ATHESSE".
Fear crept along the spines of many, even the wise Athena dropped her jaw bewildered, and Poseidon shivered in horror. Athesse was the step brother of Zeus. Every time he visited the hall, came along with him were deadly threats and stranger warnings. He ran to Olympus, as the great rocks trembled under his stamping feet. The last time he visited the great mountain claiming that Zeus' power over the human race is just a chance; Zeus had to strike him with a bolt throwing him lonely on an unknown island.
"Zeus" he growled, "hath come your end today. The highest throne on the Olympus shall not be owned by the chance taker. Your imaginary rule shall come to an end. There is no being of a power of god. Your power hath always lied in the belief of man. Nature has never been your creation. Nature evolved out of its own sense. You are nay unique." he gasped breathing deeply, "why this offerings from the greatest kings? Why from those kingdoms where many die hungry? Thou art cruel. Aren't you driving them mad out of the wits of humanity, in the name of these senseless rituals?" cut his words, he stamped again and everyone else trembled in terror. Zeus alone stood firm, as if he was glued the marble and spoke, " O Athesse, it is true that I am not the creator, our father Cronos the great ruled the vast world before us, and above him stood a many. I never claimed the power, nor did any god over here, nor shall you and your Scientia. It was they who entitled Zeus to be the ruler of worlds. It was they who, fascinated by the vast knowledge of Athena, crowned her as the master of all skills. And similarly, the rest all of us too. The ritual was similar to us being the rulers. We never prescribed any ritual to the humans. The offering of honey, wine and meat was a custom the mankind had built over ages. In sacrifice of their share of food, and in the earnest holy devotion they show to me, I bless them; say more effectively, I wish them betterment in every task. And it is the same trust of theirs in my name that I abide by their side that helps them be unintentionally stronger and sharper than many other competitors. For the similar reason, my devotees die, and are immortal like any other. Hath I had a divine power over them, all those whom I would favor would have ruled the world. It has never been so. Mankind follows the laws of nature. I am what I am, just because they trust that this is what I am."
Everyone was startled at the words of Zeus, and so was Athesse. He spoke further, "why then you stand by this cloud rocker? You know that the truth is you are not someone unique. Yet, you apart, what about those thousands of saints out there, who speak virtuously of good deeds in the name of god, god Zeus, and yet not following them? Have you not witnessed many a preachers speaking that they were god, the god equivalent to you yourself? Why, in no summit ever held on the greatest mountain of earth had not been the false preachers' preaching been discussed? What about the thousands of priests who make money performing these rituals? And of those astrologers who predict strange happenings? And what about all those business makers around your name, the name of god? Why has . . . . "
"Evil", Zeus growled, interrupting the questionnaire, “evil, evil it is, o master of logic. God is he who has done good deeds. God was born to direct people into betterment. God is him when he shows how an ideal person ought to be. God is no ruler of human races my sibling. And if it is someone claiming them to be the god, he always is fooling around. Rituals were man-made and so were priests and astrologers. If it is the same trust as they have in me, yes, my competitors shall be the god too. And such god whose intentions are evil shall suffer the effect."
Thus listening, Athesse questioned back, "Trust, trust, trust. If being god is always about trust, why Zeus, had you not been unique? Why did Poseidon, cupid, Athena, Hercules, and a thousand more come into the scenario? Why are gods, the ones prayed by the mankind so many? Religions apart, why in the followers of just one epic of the Ilium, are so many gods? And for each god are a thousand statues, each carved in its own way? Why had so many gods evolved out of just belief?"
Athena, the daughter and of Zeus, fair in attire, sharp in word, stood up as if to answer, and looked for all her colleagues, as if were representing them, and spoke in a melodious tone, "sir Athesse, why question the nature? Was nature not made of the sea and cloud? Was love and anger the same emotion? Did wind blow the way one wished? Or did grass grow as someone wanted it to? Had the entire world been the same? Had the cold night been alike in May and November? Nay, nay. The nature is made of an infinite variety. The trust in each of such existence and the control of a power higher than humane and out of reach of mankind had been assigned to one god. And so are a thousand gods. Never had they seen me in my true existence, and so had they ever seen my father, or the sun god. The residents of the divine rock had the power to assume the image they wished to, the priests say. My father would say, and so would I that the image one wishes a god to be in, shall be the attire in which that one would see god.
And every great king who had been victorious in the trust of the wave maker had a smooth and safe journey had built his own temple for Poseidon. In each of this temple, is a sculpture carved as the king saw him or the sculptor imagined him to be. And so, a thousand of a thousand idols for a thousand gods, as you said. An idol had to be carved, to make a record of the memory. For the mankind believes, in the idol shall rest the story, and a look at it shall remind of you all the great and the deadly happenings of the past. The wrecked ships they remind you of, and the victorious ones too. The jealous in laws they remind you of, and the honest soldiers." everyone was drawn deep into memories of their idols and temples as the fair goddess spoke and a chatter rose as her speech ended. Zeus and Athesse shot into each other’s eyes fiercely and the crowd's chatter apparently fell, if not for a giggle.
The annoying giggle came from low behind Hercules. Athesse snarled in anger, "who is it?" everyone was terrified by this act of Cupid who slowly slides out from behind the chair, shutting his giggle in fear.
"Zeus, o ruler of the clouds and storms, the one to decide favors and harms, I bow to you for you rule the world, I bow in respect to your greatness, the being eternal. My life was torn a hundred pieces, and my tears tumbled off my eyes, until I found the harmony in your rule, the being eternal. Zeus, I thank you for all that..."
And would have she continued in the soothing tone, had not Olympus been shaken to its roots. "Hades" shrieked some voice trembling. "Octapatehia" hushed another. And as everyone panicked, Zeus stood fiercely on his throne, legs apart, closed eyes, clutching his sparkling thunder weapon tight in his fist, with tingling senses, he spoke frowning, "ATHESSE".
Fear crept along the spines of many, even the wise Athena dropped her jaw bewildered, and Poseidon shivered in horror. Athesse was the step brother of Zeus. Every time he visited the hall, came along with him were deadly threats and stranger warnings. He ran to Olympus, as the great rocks trembled under his stamping feet. The last time he visited the great mountain claiming that Zeus' power over the human race is just a chance; Zeus had to strike him with a bolt throwing him lonely on an unknown island.
"Zeus" he growled, "hath come your end today. The highest throne on the Olympus shall not be owned by the chance taker. Your imaginary rule shall come to an end. There is no being of a power of god. Your power hath always lied in the belief of man. Nature has never been your creation. Nature evolved out of its own sense. You are nay unique." he gasped breathing deeply, "why this offerings from the greatest kings? Why from those kingdoms where many die hungry? Thou art cruel. Aren't you driving them mad out of the wits of humanity, in the name of these senseless rituals?" cut his words, he stamped again and everyone else trembled in terror. Zeus alone stood firm, as if he was glued the marble and spoke, " O Athesse, it is true that I am not the creator, our father Cronos the great ruled the vast world before us, and above him stood a many. I never claimed the power, nor did any god over here, nor shall you and your Scientia. It was they who entitled Zeus to be the ruler of worlds. It was they who, fascinated by the vast knowledge of Athena, crowned her as the master of all skills. And similarly, the rest all of us too. The ritual was similar to us being the rulers. We never prescribed any ritual to the humans. The offering of honey, wine and meat was a custom the mankind had built over ages. In sacrifice of their share of food, and in the earnest holy devotion they show to me, I bless them; say more effectively, I wish them betterment in every task. And it is the same trust of theirs in my name that I abide by their side that helps them be unintentionally stronger and sharper than many other competitors. For the similar reason, my devotees die, and are immortal like any other. Hath I had a divine power over them, all those whom I would favor would have ruled the world. It has never been so. Mankind follows the laws of nature. I am what I am, just because they trust that this is what I am."
Everyone was startled at the words of Zeus, and so was Athesse. He spoke further, "why then you stand by this cloud rocker? You know that the truth is you are not someone unique. Yet, you apart, what about those thousands of saints out there, who speak virtuously of good deeds in the name of god, god Zeus, and yet not following them? Have you not witnessed many a preachers speaking that they were god, the god equivalent to you yourself? Why, in no summit ever held on the greatest mountain of earth had not been the false preachers' preaching been discussed? What about the thousands of priests who make money performing these rituals? And of those astrologers who predict strange happenings? And what about all those business makers around your name, the name of god? Why has . . . . "
"Evil", Zeus growled, interrupting the questionnaire, “evil, evil it is, o master of logic. God is he who has done good deeds. God was born to direct people into betterment. God is him when he shows how an ideal person ought to be. God is no ruler of human races my sibling. And if it is someone claiming them to be the god, he always is fooling around. Rituals were man-made and so were priests and astrologers. If it is the same trust as they have in me, yes, my competitors shall be the god too. And such god whose intentions are evil shall suffer the effect."
Thus listening, Athesse questioned back, "Trust, trust, trust. If being god is always about trust, why Zeus, had you not been unique? Why did Poseidon, cupid, Athena, Hercules, and a thousand more come into the scenario? Why are gods, the ones prayed by the mankind so many? Religions apart, why in the followers of just one epic of the Ilium, are so many gods? And for each god are a thousand statues, each carved in its own way? Why had so many gods evolved out of just belief?"
Athena, the daughter and of Zeus, fair in attire, sharp in word, stood up as if to answer, and looked for all her colleagues, as if were representing them, and spoke in a melodious tone, "sir Athesse, why question the nature? Was nature not made of the sea and cloud? Was love and anger the same emotion? Did wind blow the way one wished? Or did grass grow as someone wanted it to? Had the entire world been the same? Had the cold night been alike in May and November? Nay, nay. The nature is made of an infinite variety. The trust in each of such existence and the control of a power higher than humane and out of reach of mankind had been assigned to one god. And so are a thousand gods. Never had they seen me in my true existence, and so had they ever seen my father, or the sun god. The residents of the divine rock had the power to assume the image they wished to, the priests say. My father would say, and so would I that the image one wishes a god to be in, shall be the attire in which that one would see god.
And every great king who had been victorious in the trust of the wave maker had a smooth and safe journey had built his own temple for Poseidon. In each of this temple, is a sculpture carved as the king saw him or the sculptor imagined him to be. And so, a thousand of a thousand idols for a thousand gods, as you said. An idol had to be carved, to make a record of the memory. For the mankind believes, in the idol shall rest the story, and a look at it shall remind of you all the great and the deadly happenings of the past. The wrecked ships they remind you of, and the victorious ones too. The jealous in laws they remind you of, and the honest soldiers." everyone was drawn deep into memories of their idols and temples as the fair goddess spoke and a chatter rose as her speech ended. Zeus and Athesse shot into each other’s eyes fiercely and the crowd's chatter apparently fell, if not for a giggle.
The annoying giggle came from low behind Hercules. Athesse snarled in anger, "who is it?" everyone was terrified by this act of Cupid who slowly slides out from behind the chair, shutting his giggle in fear.
(To be continued...)
