Greece brings evildoers.

Chapter 667 I love the truth, but I love my teacher even more.
After thinking for a long time, Aglaia carefully gave her answer:

"You are of course a god, the most powerful origin god among the five great divine ages!"

Lorne shook his head and smiled, "But I always remember that I am a child of man, born from my mother's womb, and that is my essence."

“But you have undergone countless trials and tribulations, and have long since transcended the mortal realm!” Aglaia retorted.

Lorne remained noncommittal and continued to ask:
"So, my second question, Aglaia, what do you think 'what is a god'?"

Aglaia was slightly taken aback, a look of confusion on her face, unsure how to answer.

She was born a god, never questioned her identity, and naturally never pondered the definition of a god.

"Is it because of powerful authority, immortal life, and eternal soul?" Lorne asked.

Aglaia nodded subconsciously, agreeing with the answer.

“But these are things that top-tier gods and monsters can do, that peak-level demons can do, and that humans, after a long period of development, might also be able to do. We don’t seem to be fundamentally different.” Lorne shook his head with a smile.

Aglaia opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but found herself speechless.

But her ingrained beliefs made it impossible for her to accept the argument that conflated God and man.

That's utter nonsense!

As if he had heard Aglaia'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?" Aglaia asked impatiently.

“We are born powerful, our authority is divinely granted, we are immortal, therefore…”

Lorne paused, then slowly began to speak:

"We are more greedy than humans! More lustful than humans! More arrogant than humans!"

"?!"

Aglaia was deeply shocked, her face showing a mixture of astonishment and realization.

Something seems off, yet it also seems perfectly reasonable.

Gods are such a kind of life.

They are born stronger than ordinary people, and therefore have stronger desires.

Whether it was the five great divine eras of Greece, Norse, Rome, Celts, and Babylon, or the five great enemy nations of Persia, Canaan, India, Egypt, and West Africa.

Lust, killing, pride, sloth... all the vices that humans possess are also present in the gods of various systems, and are even amplified a thousandfold.

Furthermore, because they are weaker and have less potential, humans are less destructive to the world when they do evil.

Then, how can God be considered sacred? And how can humans be considered humble?
Are the two really not equal?
Aglaia's mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her, to the most powerful god before her.

Lorne smiled slightly and said:
"That's the third question—'What is divinity!'"

Aglaia pondered for a long time, and finally shook her head in confusion.

This time, she still couldn't reach a conclusion.

Lorne didn't seem to expect a response from Aglaia either, and slowly opened his mouth to give his answer:

"Life began with God!"

"Greed begins with God!"

"The ravages began with God!"

"Might makes right!"

"thus……"

Lorne paused, his voice solemn and dignified:
"Sacrifice, too, must begin with God!"

Aglaia's body trembled, her mind swirling with thoughts of the past belonging to the [gods], which surfaced in her mind.

She recalled 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.

She thought of the King of Knights in the ideal world, who, with the will of the people united, used starlight as a sword to give the Celts a new life.

She recalled the Mother of Origin in the Garden of Eden, who gave up her divine work and her homeland so that her beloved son could break free from the prison of the end times;

She thought of the Lord of Gods who, on the sea of ​​chaos, spread his wings toward the sky, dispelling darkness and protecting light, and who inscribed the inscription of salvation on his body!

That's it!

From the perspective of life, regardless of strength, lifespan, or capacity of the soul, there is no essential difference between gods and humans.

The so-called gods are simply humans in another sense, with stronger desires and more outstanding abilities compared to humans!
Therefore, Socrates' conclusion that "God is man" is not without basis.

However, it would be a fallacy to crudely conflate the two.

The gods created the world, controlled the world, and ravaged the world.

At the same time, they are also supporting the world, protecting the world, and ensuring the continuation of the world!

—God's authority is bestowed by divine mandate, and God's duty is carried out to the very end!

This is divinity!
One thought arises, and a hundred thoughts become clear.

Aglaia swept away the confusion and doubt from her face, proudly straightened her chest, and, as a [god], accepted the scrutiny of the [son of man] before her:

“My lord, I understand! Gods and humans alike are all beings of the same origin. There is no difference in bloodline or honor, no distinction of high or low, noble or base. But divinity is superior to humanity!”

"So, can humans become gods?" Lorne asked with a smile.

"Of course, as long as they possess divinity and their hearts are turned towards the light!"

Aglaia answered with a smile, her tone incredibly confident.

Lorne curled his lips and asked the last question:
"So, how should Socrates, this blasphemer, be punished?"

"To think that the gods are high above us, that we are ignorant of the suffering of the mortal world, that all ordinary mortals can stand shoulder to shoulder with us, the gods who shed our blood to save the world—is this not a kind of human prejudice and arrogance? For such a foolish madman, killing him with hemlock is too lenient a punishment. He should be exiled to the front lines, made to labor for the gods, and to defend Greece. Only when he understands what divinity is will this execution be over!"

Aglaia pronounced the punishment in a cold voice, but her beautiful eyes were filled with a gentle smile.

At that time, perhaps she should address this convict in a different way:

For example, the philosopher Socrates?
Noticing Aglaia's change in expression, Lorne couldn't help but chuckle:
"It seems you've gotten the answer you wanted."

"Thank you for enlightening me, my teacher."

"My teacher?"

“Compared to ‘Your Excellency,’ I feel that this title expresses my respect more and feels more intimate.” Aglaia winked and smiled, placing one hand on her chest as she offered a student’s greeting to her divine superior.

This long talk not only saved Socrates' life, but also resolved some of her doubts.

For example, how should deities interact with humans?

Since God and man belong to the same origin of life and are not fundamentally different, then putting on airs and looking down on others from a superior position is also a kind of arrogance belonging to "God".

To get close to them, understand them, and even learn from them is the measure and vision that deities should have.

Seeing that Aglaia was no longer suppressing her emotions, Lorne couldn't help but smile with relief and joked:
"You are becoming more and more like a human being, Your Majesty the Goddess of Radiance."

“There’s nothing wrong with that, my teacher. After all, you were the first to infuse humanity into us gods. So if we’re going to hold someone accountable, you are the one who bears the primary responsibility.”

Aglaia spoke fluently, her gestures no longer showing the restraint and trepidation she had before.

Lorne feigned anger and said:

"So, humans don't learn the good things, but they do learn to shirk responsibility, huh?"

"It's because you taught me well."

Aglaia lightly covered her lips, a bright and mischievous smile appearing on her face like that of a young girl.

Lorne rolled his eyes at the "new student" and snorted:
"Nothing else?"

"And one more thing."

When the topic turned to work, Aglaia immediately switched to a serious expression and talked about another headache she had encountered on this trip.

It is still related to the democratic resolution of the citizens' assembly.

However, this time the one who suffered was not the great philosopher Socrates who published heretical doctrines, but a naval commander who had just achieved great military exploits—Themistocles.

Several months ago, the two great pantheons of Egypt and West Africa assembled a fleet and embarked on an expedition to the five great pantheons of Europe.

This is not only a war of gods, but also a war of men.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian and West African troops, along with hundreds of ocean-going warships, broke through the chaotic seas and appeared along the coast of the Athenian city-states.

The army, led by several pharaohs including Ramses II, Nitocris, and Cleopatra, landed in Thrace with the blessing of the gods and then conquered more than ten city-states of the Panhellenic League, including Macedonia, Corinth, and Mycenae. For a time, the whole of Greece was filled with fear and a sense of impending doom.

In this time of crisis, Aglaia appointed Themistocles, an Athenian naval commander with extensive experience in naval warfare.

Themistocles did not disappoint Aglaia's expectations. He organized the navy, lured the Egyptian fleet into the Gulf of Salamis, and, taking advantage of the terrain and the speed and small size of the Athenian fleet, launched a pack attack on the large Egyptian ships. 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 was an astonishing one to ten, making it an unprecedented victory.

"Winning with fewer troops, isn't that a good thing?" Lorne asked, somewhat puzzled. "What's bothering you? Don't you know how to reward him?"

Aglaia shook her head, a wry smile appearing on her face:
"On the contrary, after the naval battle, the Assembly of Citizens voted unanimously to strip Themistocles of all his honors and titles, and intended to expel him from Athens and exile him overseas..."

"why?"

"Although Themistoclemi won the naval battle, he was hindered by the sea winds and the rescue was not timely, allowing many Athenian citizens who fell into the water to die at sea. The citizens' assembly felt that this was Themistoclemi's responsibility and that he should be held accountable for it."

After a moment of silence, Lorne said with a dark face:

"Have these people in the Citizens' Assembly eaten too many olives and their brains have sprouted?"

What war doesn't result in death? Just because people weren't rescued first during the fighting, this so-called citizens' assembly vote is going to exile a general with outstanding military achievements? And this is at a critical time when the flames of war haven't even been completely extinguished!
What a joke!
Aglaia replied helplessly:

"I also think this verdict is unreasonable, but it's the result of the Assembly's vote. Socrates is relatively safe; it only concerns his personal honor and the spread of his doctrines, so the scope isn't large, and a little leniency wouldn't be a big problem. But the Themistocles case has a far-reaching impact, almost touching on the very foundation of Athens. 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 citizens have such a strong sense of belonging to Athens. I worry that repeatedly rejecting the Assembly's verdict could very well provoke collective opposition from the citizens and dampen their enthusiasm for defending their homeland."

Since I really can't think of a solution that satisfies both sides, I'd like to hear your opinion.

Lorne pondered for a moment and asked:
"Aglaia, do you think the majority's choice is always right? Are all their votes based on reason, a serious adherence to the law, and a commitment to the principles of fairness and justice?"

Aglaia shook her head and said:

"That's not the case. The Athenian citizens who participated in the vote came from all walks of life—bakers, tailors, playwrights; and from all social classes—commoners, nobles, and even the divine. Those who were educated and had military experience were fine, but some had never even been to sea many times. Expecting them to understand the dangers of naval warfare, or to know the priorities on the battlefield, was simply impossible. Perhaps the only thing they knew when they voted was that many Athenians had died, and someone needed to be held accountable, making this a channel for the anger of bereaved families."

"Therefore, this is not a fair and just trial, but a tyranny of collective venting of anger."

After saying that, Lorne let out a sneer:
"If this is the democracy that the Athenians were so proud of, then it should be swept into the dustbin of history."

“But what if we forcibly overturn the verdict and the citizens stage a collective protest?” Aglaia frowned, somewhat hesitant.

"Is your divine authority, your sword, merely for show? Gods may be merciful, but they should never be weak!"

Lorne snorted and reprimanded:
"As I told you, divinity originates from humanity, yet transcends it. Therefore, we, as gods, have an obligation to govern and guide humanity! To fail to correct obvious errors and the tyranny of the masses is tantamount to aiding and abetting evil!"

“I understand. I will protect that general and do my best to suppress the dissenting voices in the citizens’ assembly.”

Aglaia answered in a deep voice, her tone still gentle.

Clearly, she still doesn't intend to resort to overly violent methods.

Excessive contact with humans enriched this radiant goddess's emotions and made her kinder, but it also made her more vulnerable.

Lorne shook his head and said:

“A serious illness requires strong medicine. Only democracy exercised within the bounds of law deserves to be called legitimate freedom and power. The Athenians have been too comfortable and too detached from turmoil for too long. Persuasion with words alone may not be enough to convince everyone. If reasoning fails, you may need to explain physics. However, as the current leader of the Greek city-states, mediating is the best course of action; personally engaging in fighting is rather undignified. Therefore, I will summon several divine heroes from the Pure Land of Elysium to serve you and become your sharp sword.”

Aglaia did not refuse, and asked curiously:

"Who do you plan to choose as the team leader?"

"Kines, let her work for you."

A subtle smile appeared on Lorne's face as he explained:

"That woman has a bad temper and hates evil like poison; she's perfect for making a knife."

But for some reason, Aglaia sensed a hidden wickedness in those words.

After dealing with these two matters, Lorne waved his hand, signaling them to leave:
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back now."

However, Aglaia did not leave. Instead, she bit her cherry lips and made a request:
"There are some other matters I would like to discuss with you. If you don't mind, I plan to stay here for a few more days."

“Alright, with the great battle imminent, I just happen to need some time to check Tirispios and Nero’s academic level. Why don’t you stay and listen in with us?”

"Yes, Master!"

Aglaia, having achieved her wish, nodded respectfully, her golden eyes subtly rising from the shadows to gaze upon the warm light and burning truth, a captivating blush spreading across her face.

I love the truth, but I love my teacher even more!

I will follow this divine wisdom until the end of my destiny!
(End of this chapter)