>>5491198“Then all you can do is aid him and hope that the afterlife recognizes him as such. And should he be condemned to an unworthy fate, perhaps the tale of Orpheus is due for another chapter.”
> “Speaking of which, are there any stories you can tell me of the gods? <span class="mu-s">Your</span> gods?”“Plenty.”
He regales you with stories about the fierce bravery of Ares, the wisdom and guidance of Athena, the cold justice of Hades, the watery temper of Poseidon, and the brash might of Zeus. Many of his stories are ones that have yet to be recorded by modern historiography.
It’s all interesting stuff, but you desire knowledge about one goddess in particular.
> “How about the goddess of magic, Hecate?”“An interesting choice. She was not a particularly popular goddess in my household, so I have only a few inklings of memory.
Are you familiar with the story of Hades and Persephone?”
You give him a nod.
“In some tales, she was the one who guided Demeter to the trail that would lead her to her daughter, yet refused to reveal Hades’ complicity.
From what little I know of her, she was viewed as either a cruel sorceress that reveled in bewitching the innocent, or as the protective guardian of those dealt unforgivable harm. Like many gods and goddesses, the stories are rarely consistent.”
> What of the Romans? Does it bother you that they’ve copied your culture and beliefs?”“If you had asked me this question some weeks ago, I would’ve complained bitterly that they were little more than upstarts that rode the coattails of our fallen glory to undeserved prominence. But after my frequent arguments with Gaius, I found myself being swayed by some of his arguments.
After all, can any man dictate his legacy once he is gone? In a way, they are the ones responsible for picking up our torch and carrying it in our stead. Even if it has been molded into a form that differs from the original, I can still recognize the foundational tenets that dwell deep within.
Even if some of our traditions were sacrificed in the process, some would argue that the empire built from our corpse was worth the sacrifice.
When I was exploring the city earlier, I saw a sign with an interesting quote that stated “good artists copy, great artists steal.” While I will not pretend to be enthused at the association of Greece and Rome, there is a certain pride in knowing that we were the ones to blaze the trail of civilization and that our cherished beliefs still exist in some form to this day.”
