Chapter 667 I Love Truth, I Love My Teacher More
After thinking for a long time, Aglaya carefully gave the answer:
"Of course you are a god, the most powerful god of origin among the five great gods!"
Luo En shook his head and smiled: "But I always remember that I am the son of man, born from my mother's womb. This is my essence."
"But you have gone through repeated trials and have long since transcended the mortal body!" Aglaya retorted.
Lorne did not comment and continued to ask:
"Then the second question is, Aglaya, what do you think 'the gods' are?"
Aglaya was slightly stunned, a trace of confusion appeared on his face, and he didn't know how to answer.
She was born a god and had never questioned her identity, and naturally had never thought about the definition of a god.
"Is it because of the powerful power, immortal life and immortal soul?" asked Loen.
Aglaya nodded subconsciously, agreeing with the answer.
"But top-level gods and monsters can do these, top-level demons can do them, and humans may be able to do them after a long period of development. It seems that there is no essential difference between us." Loen smiled and shook his head.
Aglaya opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but was speechless.
But the inherent ideas in her bones made it impossible for her to accept the argument that confused God with man.
It's a fallacy!
As if he had heard Aglaya's thoughts, Lorne smiled and said:
"Of course, in some ways, there are still some differences between the [Gods] and [Humans] in this world."
"What?" Aglaya asked impatiently.
"We are born strong, we are endowed with power, we are immortal, and therefore..."
Luo En paused and said slowly:
"We are more greedy than humans! More lustful than humans! More arrogant than humans!"
“?!”
Aglaya was in deep shock, with a mixture of astonishment and realization on his face.
It seems like something is wrong, yet it also seems to make sense.
God is this kind of life.
They are born more powerful than mortals, and therefore have stronger desires.
Whether it is the five major ages of gods: Greece, Nordic, Rome, Celtic, and Babylonian, or the five major enemy countries: Persia, Canaan, India, Egypt, and West Africa.
Lust, killing, arrogance, laziness...all the bad qualities that humans possess are also present in the gods of all kinds, and are even magnified thousands of times.
Moreover, because humans have weaker power and smaller potential, they are less destructive to the world when they do evil.
So, how can God be holy, and how can man be humble?
Are the two really not equal?
Aglaya's mind was in a mess, and he couldn't help but ask the most powerful god in front of him about his doubts.
Luo En smiled slightly and said:
"That brings us to the third question - 'What is divinity'!"
Aglaya pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head in confusion.
This time, she still didn't come to a conclusion.
Lorne did not seem to expect Aglaya to respond, so he slowly opened his mouth and gave his answer:
"Life begins with God!"
"Greed begins with God!"
"The ravage begins with God!"
"Power begins with God!"
"thus……"
Lorne paused, his voice solemn and serious:
"Sacrifice should also begin with God!"
Aglaya's body trembled, thoughts surged in her mind, and scenes from the past belonging to God emerged in her mind.
She thought of the goddess of justice in the Temple of Destiny, who dug out the divine core, placed herself on the scales, and paved the way for life to move forward;
She thought of the knight king in the utopia who gathered the will of the people, used the starlight as a sword, and brought the Celtics back to life;
She thought of the Mother of Origin in the Garden of Eden, who gave up her divine career and her homeland just to help her [beloved son] escape from the cage of doomsday;
She thought of the Lord of Gods who, on the Sea of Chaos, flapped his wings toward the sky, drove away darkness and protected light, and engraved the inscription of salvation on his body!
I see!
From the perspective of life, no matter the strength, lifespan, or soul capacity, there is no essential difference between gods and humans.
The so-called gods are nothing more than "people" in another sense, with stronger desires and more outstanding abilities than humans!
Therefore, Socrates' conclusion that "God is man" is not groundless.
But it would be a fallacy to crudely confuse the two.
The gods created the world, control the world, and ravage the world.
At the same time, they are also supporting the world, guarding the world, and continuing the world!
——God’s authority is given by destiny, and God’s obligations are carried out throughout!
——This is divinity!
When one thought arises, a hundred thoughts arise.
Aglaya wiped away the confusion and doubt on his face, proudly straightened his chest, and accepted the scrutiny of the Son of Man in front of him as a "God":
"My Lord, I understand! Whether it's gods or humans, they are all life forms of the same origin. There is no difference in bloodline, honor or disgrace, and there is no distinction between high and low. But only divinity is higher than humanity!"
"So, can humans become gods?" Loen asked with a smile.
"Of course, as long as they have [divinity] and their hearts are oriented towards light!"
Aglaya also answered with a smile, her tone extremely firm.
Lorne raised the corners of his lips and asked one last question:
"So, how should Socrates, the blasphemer, be punished?"
"Thinking that the gods are high above us, that we do not understand the sufferings of the world, and that all mediocre mortals can stand shoulder to shoulder with us gods who shed blood to save the world, isn't this a kind of [prejudice] and [arrogance] that belongs to humans? For such a dull lunatic, killing his body with hemlock wine is too light a punishment. He should be exiled to the front line, let him work for the gods and defend Greece. Only when he understands what [divinity] is, this execution will be over!"
Aglaya announced the punishment in a cold voice, but there was a smile in her beautiful eyes.
By that time, she should probably call this prisoner something else:
For example, the god of philosophy - Socrates?
Noticing the change in Aglaya's expression, Lorne couldn't help but smile:
"It seems that you have got the answer you wanted."
"Thank you for enlightening me, my teacher."
"My teacher?"
"Compared to [Sir], I think this title can better express my respect and is closer."
Aglaya blinked and smiled, put one hand on his chest, and made a gift to the divine boss in front of him like a student meeting a teacher.
This conversation not only saved Socrates' life, but also cleared up some of her doubts.
For example, how gods get along with humans.
Since God and man are of the same origin and there is no essential difference between the two, then putting on airs and looking down on others from a superior position is also a kind of arrogance belonging to God.
Approaching them, understanding them, and even learning from them is the measure and pattern that gods should have.
Seeing that Aglaya no longer suppressed her emotions, Lorne couldn't help but smile with relief and joked:
"You really are becoming more and more like a human, Lady Radiant Goddess."
"There's nothing wrong with that, my master. After all, you were the first to inject humanity into us gods. So if we have to investigate, you are the first person responsible."
Aglaya spoke eloquently, and his every move was no longer as reserved and nervous as before.
Lorne pretended to be angry and said:
"Well, humans don't learn good things, so they learn to shirk responsibility, right?"
"You taught me well."
Aglaya covered her lips slightly, revealing a bright and mischievous smile like a young girl.
Luo En rolled his eyes at the "new student" and snorted:
"Nothing else?"
"One more thing."
When talking about work, Aglaya immediately switched to a serious expression and talked about another headache he had during this trip.
It is still related to the democratic resolution of the Citizens' Assembly.
However, the victim this time was not the great philosopher Socrates who had expressed heresy, but a naval general who had just made great military achievements - Themistocles.
A few months ago, the two great Ages of Gods, Egypt and West Africa, assembled their fleets and set out on an expedition against the five great Ages of Gods, Europe.
This is not only a war between God and man, but also a war between man and man.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian and West African troops and hundreds of ocean-going warships broke through the chaotic sea and appeared along the lines of the Athenian states.
The army was led by several pharaohs including Ramses II, Nitocris, and Cleopatra. With the blessing of the gods, they landed in Thrace, and then conquered more than a dozen city-states of the Pan-Hellenic Alliance, including Macedonia, Corinth, and Mycenae. For a time, everyone in Greece was in danger, with a depressing feeling as if the building was about to collapse.
In times of crisis, Aglaia appointed Themistocles, an Athenian admiral with rich experience in naval warfare.
Themistocles did not disappoint Aglaia's expectations. He organized the navy and led the Egyptian fleet into the Bay of Salamis. Relying on the geographical advantage and the small and fast ships of the Athenian fleet, he launched a diagonal attack on the Egyptian ships. Finally, after a fierce battle, he successfully won the naval battle.
According to the results, the Egyptian fleet lost more than 200 warships, while the Greek allies lost only more than 30.
The casualty ratio between the two sides reached an astonishing one to ten, which can be regarded as an unprecedented victory.
"To defeat the enemy with fewer people, isn't that a good thing?" Luo En was puzzled. "What's bothering you? Don't you know how to reward him?"
Aglaya shook his head and showed a bitter smile:
"On the contrary, after the naval battle, the citizens' assembly voted unanimously to deprive Themistoclemi of all his honors and titles, and planned to expel him from Athens and exile him overseas..."
"Why?"
"Because although Themistoclemi won the naval battle, he was blocked by the sea wind and failed to provide timely rescue, allowing many Athenian citizens who fell into the water to die at sea. The Citizens' Assembly felt that this was Themistoclemi's responsibility and he should be held accountable for it."
After a moment of silence, Luo En said with a dark face:
"Have these people in the Citizens' Assembly eaten too many olives and their brains have sprouted?"
There are always casualties in war. Just because he didn't save people first, the so-called citizens' assembly voted to exile a general with great military achievements? And this was at a critical time when the flames of war had not yet been completely extinguished!
What a joke!
Aglaya replied helplessly:
"I also think that this judgment is unreasonable, but this is the result of the vote of the Citizens' Assembly. Socrates is fine, it only concerns personal honor and disgrace and the spread of doctrines, and the scope of involvement is not large, so it is not a big problem to make appropriate concessions. But the incident of Themistoclemi has a wide impact, almost involving the foundation of Athens. The Athenians have always regarded [democracy] as the most superior system and are proud of it. It is precisely because of this sense of honor that the citizens have a very high sense of belonging to Athens. I am worried that repeatedly rejecting the judgment of the Citizens' Assembly is likely to provoke collective opposition from the citizens and dampen their enthusiasm for defending their country.
Since I can't think of a solution that satisfies both parties, I would like to hear your opinion."
Lorne thought for a moment and asked:
"Aglaya, do you think the majority's choice is necessarily correct? Are their every vote rational, conscientiously practicing the law, and implementing the principles of fairness and justice?"
Aglaya shook his head and said:
"That's not the case. The Athenian citizens who voted came from all walks of life - bakers, tailors, playwrights; they also came from all classes - commoners, nobles, and descendants of gods. Those who were educated and had military experience were fine, but some had only been to sea a few times. It was impossible to expect them to understand the dangers of naval warfare and the importance of things on the battlefield. I'm afraid that the only thing they knew when they voted was that many Athenians had died and someone had to be held responsible for this, and they became an outlet for the anger of the bereaved families."
"So, this is not a fair and just trial, but a tyranny of collective venting of anger."
After saying this, Loen sneered:
"If this is the democracy that the Athenians were so proud of, then it should be swept into the dustbin of history."
"But if we forcibly reject the verdict, the citizens might protest collectively." Aglaya frowned, a little hesitant.
"Your divine authority, your sharp sword, are they vegetarian? Gods can be merciful, but they should never be weak!"
Luo En snorted coldly and scolded:
"Just as I told you. Divinity is derived from human nature, but it is also higher than human nature. Therefore, as gods, we have the obligation to manage and guide people! In the face of obvious mistakes and group tyranny, if we do not correct them, it is tantamount to aiding and abetting evil!"
"I understand. I will protect the general and try to suppress the voices of opposition in the Citizens' Assembly."
Aglaya replied in a deep voice, her tone still gentle.
Obviously, she still didn't intend to take overly violent measures.
Too much contact with humans made this glorious goddess' emotions richer and her character kinder, but it also made her weaker.
Luo En shook his head and said:
"Serious illnesses require strong medicine. Only democracy that is exercised within the law can be called reasonable freedom and power. The Athenians have been at ease for too long, and have been out of turmoil for too long. Not everyone will listen to you if you only use your mouth to persuade them. If you can't make sense, you may need to talk about physics. However, as the leader of the Greek states today, mediating is the kingly way. It is not decent to fight and kill in person. So I will transfer a few heroes of divine blood from the Pure Land of Bliss, let them obey your command, and become your sharp sword."
Aglaya did not refuse and asked curiously:
"Who do you plan to choose as the leader?"
"Katniss, let her work for you."
A subtle smile appeared on Lorne's face, and he explained:
"That woman has a bad temper and hates evil, so she is most suitable to be made into a knife."
But for some reason, Aglaya heard a kind of hidden evil taste in these words.
After dealing with these two matters, Luo En waved his hand and ordered them to leave:
"Okay, if there's nothing else, you can go back first."
However, Aglaya did not leave. Instead, she bit her lips and made a request:
"There are some other things I would like to ask for your advice. If you don't mind, I plan to stay here for a few more days."
"That's fine. The war is imminent, and I just need to take some time to check the academic level of Tirisipius and Nero. You might as well stay and listen."
"Yes, Master!"
Having gotten what she wanted, Aglaya nodded respectfully, and her golden eyes quietly raised in the shadows, looking at the warm light and burning truth, with a hint of intoxicating blush on her face.
I love the truth, but I love my teacher even more!
May I follow this divine wisdom until the end of my destiny!
(End of this chapter)
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