King Therakles looked over at his Sister Sparta who sat forward, leaning in, hanging on his every word as he spoke. Now normally he felt uncomfortable sharing the secrets he kept concerning his worship and the ancient rituals he practiced to be in closer communion with the gods, however, due to her new found enthusiasm for religion and out of the love he held in his heart for his twin, Therakles told her of the prophesy. For, true it was, he was obsessed with the Cult of Apollo and Artemis and the Mystery Cults of Hades, and so it was, he wholly believed that the gods know all things. So through his sacrifices he hoped to be granted access to power, and sacred omens, voices, visions and dreams, yet he was fully aware that the secrets of the gods are only given, with fore-warning to whomsoever they please. Thereby setting King Therakles to his eternal task of pleasing the pantheon of deities, sacrificing to them for protection and divine favor. So it was he set forth, daily, in his life trusting in the divinity of his priests and ephors to cast lots, and animal bones to interpret the meaning of his dreams, looking for guidance from his seers and soothsayers who relied on Nature for signs in the: stars, storms, lightning, thunder, the four winds, and eclipses of the sun and moon, as well as strange cloud formations and color of oak leaves. Such was the depth of his devotion and even to plot strategies of war he would slit open the bellies of animals, reading the gory spilling out of entrails looking for good omens to proceed.
When it came to pass that the young king wanted to commune directly with the gods and goddesses he, like 1000's upon 1'000's of Greeks made the pilgrimage to Mt.Parnassus, just to the north west of Attica to meet with the Oracle of Delphi, where the gods spoke directly humans. "We arrived safely in Delphi in fair weather, with the warm sun on our faces, the ocean wind at our backs, whereupon, after having made the proper sacrifices and paying tribute in gold coins, I was summoned within that monumental Temple of Apollo, the columns towering above my head like a colossal forest of trees, the wooden roof, like a canopy, blotting out the harsh rays of the sun. There I spied, directly behind the golden altar, jagged rocks jutting up from the ground with a black hole like a cave in the center, where the young Oracle sat, half-naked, on a three legged chair made of metal set directly over the gaping pit; from which I beheld vapors, resembling invisible waves of flames, of unknown origin, perhaps the mouth of the gods itself, did waft up as the girl drifted in and out of consciousness, as she breathed in deeply the fumes which smelled of sulphur and brimstone. So it was I submitted my question to the Ephors, there that day, in that holy place as quite as a tomb, then in silence the Ephors of the temple, in black hooded robes, did approach with caution the Oracle, who sat, as if blind." For this was the most sacred place in Greece, where the voice of their gods spoke through the hidden veil between the world of the living and the dead, where reverence and silence were duly required to proceed with the ancient ceremony.
"What, pray tell me! Of what question did you put forth unto the mouth of the lord, god Apollo?" Sparta asked overwhelmed with intrigue.
Here her brother paused for dramatic effect, as he was a master storyteller having learned at the knee of Captain Amarra, who was sadly killed in battle when he was thirteen. "I asked her to tell me.., Will I die in Battle or grow old and elderly." Now, unknown to Therakles, this was very same question, asked of by their father King Vyakles, whom was told he would rule many years but would eventually fall in battle, the Fates seeing to it that he fulfilled the Oracle's prophesy.
"What was the reply?" she waited on baited breath her heart racing palms sweating as she sat rocking back and forth a little in her seat.
"Here I waited for what seemed like an eternity.., then, finally, she spoke, though it was in a foreign tongue to me. And there, for that moment, she was in silent commune with Apollo and she appeared intoxicated, in a trance, and I felt as if I were in a dream, then came the divine response in a language I did not understand nor recognize. So it was, I was brought before the Pythia of the Altar, the high priestess who could interpret the true meaning for me." here he paused further taking a long cool sip of water.
"Tell me brother! Tell me!" she said anxiously.
"Here is what she said to me.. 'The storm clouds of my mind shall be calmed only by the kindness and love of my people. My happiness will not be separated from me That I shalt be far from oppression, That fear shall flee in Terror from my thoughts, for Fear shall not come near me.'" then as he spoke further with the revelation a spark of fire rising in his eyes as he spoke with boldness "The Pythia said unto me 'Whomsoever gather together against me shall fall for my sake. No weapon that is formed against me can prosper and every tongue that rises up against me in judgement I shall condemn.' These are the words she said" King Therakles said with a sigh closing his eyes.
To this Queen Sparta smiled her clear green eyes shining in the sun as she beamed with glowing pride saying "Blessed are we, your loyal subjects, your great and glorious people who love you and live to serve you shall praise all the gods and goddesses for this divine prophesy! Surely goodness and victories shall be your legacy as you rule over this nation in your ripe old age upon your throne surrounded, by your children and grandchildren!" Sparta proclaimed as she embraced him, kissing him upon the cheek again and again. "Your glory shall be achieved, NOT in the tumult of War, but, instead, you shall attain glory in your long life and the prosperity of your family that has yet to be! You shall lead a dynasty into the Eternity of History! In this you will find GLORY only a warrior could dare hope to dream to achieve, a LEGACY, TO RULE AS KING!" she reassured him for a warriors death on the battlefield was not, alas, set in the stars by the Fates for King Therakles "But surely, I feel, you have much more to tell me."
"Well.., I.., being pleased with the prophesy, felt a surge of strong energy whirling around me as I knelt before the altar, in the Temple of Apollo, when suddenly I felt like a man possessed, for I wanted to be able to hear the voice of the god, himself, for myself. So I paid, and prayed with, the Pythia to lead me in a sacred, secret bloodletting ritual, there in the darkest hour of the night, underneath the light of a pale blue moon and in the distant woods I heard the wind roar and the wolves howling."
"What ritual my brother? What in the name of Hera did you do?" she asked the little hairs standing up on the back of her neck as an icy chill crept over her skin.
When it came to pass that the young king wanted to commune directly with the gods and goddesses he, like 1000's upon 1'000's of Greeks made the pilgrimage to Mt.Parnassus, just to the north west of Attica to meet with the Oracle of Delphi, where the gods spoke directly humans. "We arrived safely in Delphi in fair weather, with the warm sun on our faces, the ocean wind at our backs, whereupon, after having made the proper sacrifices and paying tribute in gold coins, I was summoned within that monumental Temple of Apollo, the columns towering above my head like a colossal forest of trees, the wooden roof, like a canopy, blotting out the harsh rays of the sun. There I spied, directly behind the golden altar, jagged rocks jutting up from the ground with a black hole like a cave in the center, where the young Oracle sat, half-naked, on a three legged chair made of metal set directly over the gaping pit; from which I beheld vapors, resembling invisible waves of flames, of unknown origin, perhaps the mouth of the gods itself, did waft up as the girl drifted in and out of consciousness, as she breathed in deeply the fumes which smelled of sulphur and brimstone. So it was I submitted my question to the Ephors, there that day, in that holy place as quite as a tomb, then in silence the Ephors of the temple, in black hooded robes, did approach with caution the Oracle, who sat, as if blind." For this was the most sacred place in Greece, where the voice of their gods spoke through the hidden veil between the world of the living and the dead, where reverence and silence were duly required to proceed with the ancient ceremony.
"What, pray tell me! Of what question did you put forth unto the mouth of the lord, god Apollo?" Sparta asked overwhelmed with intrigue.
Here her brother paused for dramatic effect, as he was a master storyteller having learned at the knee of Captain Amarra, who was sadly killed in battle when he was thirteen. "I asked her to tell me.., Will I die in Battle or grow old and elderly." Now, unknown to Therakles, this was very same question, asked of by their father King Vyakles, whom was told he would rule many years but would eventually fall in battle, the Fates seeing to it that he fulfilled the Oracle's prophesy.
"What was the reply?" she waited on baited breath her heart racing palms sweating as she sat rocking back and forth a little in her seat.
"Here I waited for what seemed like an eternity.., then, finally, she spoke, though it was in a foreign tongue to me. And there, for that moment, she was in silent commune with Apollo and she appeared intoxicated, in a trance, and I felt as if I were in a dream, then came the divine response in a language I did not understand nor recognize. So it was, I was brought before the Pythia of the Altar, the high priestess who could interpret the true meaning for me." here he paused further taking a long cool sip of water.
"Tell me brother! Tell me!" she said anxiously.
"Here is what she said to me.. 'The storm clouds of my mind shall be calmed only by the kindness and love of my people. My happiness will not be separated from me That I shalt be far from oppression, That fear shall flee in Terror from my thoughts, for Fear shall not come near me.'" then as he spoke further with the revelation a spark of fire rising in his eyes as he spoke with boldness "The Pythia said unto me 'Whomsoever gather together against me shall fall for my sake. No weapon that is formed against me can prosper and every tongue that rises up against me in judgement I shall condemn.' These are the words she said" King Therakles said with a sigh closing his eyes.
To this Queen Sparta smiled her clear green eyes shining in the sun as she beamed with glowing pride saying "Blessed are we, your loyal subjects, your great and glorious people who love you and live to serve you shall praise all the gods and goddesses for this divine prophesy! Surely goodness and victories shall be your legacy as you rule over this nation in your ripe old age upon your throne surrounded, by your children and grandchildren!" Sparta proclaimed as she embraced him, kissing him upon the cheek again and again. "Your glory shall be achieved, NOT in the tumult of War, but, instead, you shall attain glory in your long life and the prosperity of your family that has yet to be! You shall lead a dynasty into the Eternity of History! In this you will find GLORY only a warrior could dare hope to dream to achieve, a LEGACY, TO RULE AS KING!" she reassured him for a warriors death on the battlefield was not, alas, set in the stars by the Fates for King Therakles "But surely, I feel, you have much more to tell me."
"Well.., I.., being pleased with the prophesy, felt a surge of strong energy whirling around me as I knelt before the altar, in the Temple of Apollo, when suddenly I felt like a man possessed, for I wanted to be able to hear the voice of the god, himself, for myself. So I paid, and prayed with, the Pythia to lead me in a sacred, secret bloodletting ritual, there in the darkest hour of the night, underneath the light of a pale blue moon and in the distant woods I heard the wind roar and the wolves howling."
"What ritual my brother? What in the name of Hera did you do?" she asked the little hairs standing up on the back of her neck as an icy chill crept over her skin.
No comments:
Post a Comment