In contemporary storytelling there is rarely an adventure that does not start with a few (or many) drinks. However in ancient Greece, almost every epic story stated with a visit to the Delphi oracle. Persepolis would disagree with that statement, but ignoring that story it appears to me the guidance of the Pythia was essential.
The Greek geographers had a somewhat decent understanding for their time of the shape of the world and it’s continents, and it is said that the oracle of Delphi was erected at the center of the world. Perhaps Egyptian geographers placed the oracle or Ammon as the center of their world, but how could I know.
I often end up trying to understand how did the world end up with such boring religions. Hellenism does sound like a rather interesting religion, unlike the monotheistic religion that replaced it. So could be said of some other ancient religions. Were the adherents of such religions not zealous enough to make them survive? Zoroastrianism has survived to this day, and I wouldn’t explain it on zealotry.
Is it that Christianity is simply superior because of its morals or ethics? At least that is what probably those obsessed with the notion of western civilization would argue. However western civilization was a Greek invention which prevailed over the east during the battle of Marathon. A showdown of Hellenism vs Zoroastrianism? Maybe, yet Zoroastrianism survives today and Hellenism was burned down to the ground.
I’d say Hellenism ended when the Roman empire burned the Temple of Apollo in Delphi to the ground in the name of Christianity. If only it was so easy to dismiss a religion. What is it truly that makes some religions survive and others be dismissed?
