Toto

Tektonics is an apologetics site. I would not expect enlightenment there, although I haven't read that essay.

There are many elements of Christianity that seem to mimic Mithras. Part of the reason for this is that the Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity, but as one of three official religions in the Roman Empire, the others being Mithraism and the worship of Sol Invictus. The three religions were melded together because Constantine's main motive was to create unity in the empire with common rituals and celebrations.

Bede

Hi there,

The link between Hypatia and the Great Library is a modern myth populised by Carl Sagan at the end of Cosmos. It has no historical basis at all and the Library was almost certainly gone before Jesus was born (see <a href="http://www.bede.org.uk/library.htm" target="_blank">here</a>). The great rage of Christians smashing up everything is sight is also largely mythological as is the idea they were worse book burners than anyone else (see <a href="http://www.bede.org.uk/literature.htm" target="_blank">here</a>). The reason that the original Greek statues are so rare is most were bronze which doesn't last whereas the copies were marble that does. I would be surprised if Gombrich overlooks this. Perhaps the Sojourner could tell us exactly what he says. Also, they clearly missed the Parthenon freize and Pergamon altar which is odd if they were out to destroy the best in pagan sacred art. Probably their survival owes to their being marble too.

Yours

Bede

<a href="http://www.bede.org.uk" target="_blank">Bede's Library - faith and reason</a>

CX

I've been studying comparitive religion, ancient Near East history, Xianity, ancient Greek and related topics for going on 10 years and I still consider myself a mere dilletante with only the barest rudimentary understanding of the subjects. People spend a lifetime studying nothing else and still don't get it all. But I wouldn't get discouraged. It's a fascinating group of subjects and frankly it's time well spent.

Bede

Well, I've checked and Gombrich says exactly what the sojourner says he does but without a reference.

Could someone explain to me why these Christians smashed up the Greek statues but not the Roman copies. This is very weird. Either they objected to them, in which case they'd smash up the lot, or they didn't in which case they would have treated the Greek bronzes like the Roman marble.

Most likely, of course is the smashing is just anti-Christian myth (based on a few anecdotal cases) and in fact the losses were due to the perishability of bronze compared to marble, plus the fact that you can melt down and reuse bronze.

Did these Christians think they had a pious duty to smash? No, they just couldn't care less. A shame but hardly the same thing.

Yours

Bede

<a href="http://www.bede.org.uk" target="_blank">Bede's Library - faith and reason</a>

Kosh

Maybe they needed the bronze to make weapons for
"converting" the rest of the population...

Anunnaki

Please don`t get Bede started. I was enjoying this thread until Bede starting up his "early Christians were little angels" crusade again.

Past experience has shown that you can`t say anything about Mithra or the destruction of classical culture withouit waking up the Yoda of internet Christian apologetics.

Bede

If you atheists persist with your myths I'll persist in debunking them. I only started when someone mentioned the Great Library and other such silliness.

B

Anunnaki

Uh huh. And this is coming from a guy who persists with the biggest and silliest Christian myth of them all!

Toto

Here's a fix for Sojourner's last link:

<a href="http://mac-2001.com/philo/crit/BIRTH.TXT" target="_blank">http://mac-2001.com/philo/crit/BIRTH.TXT</a>

FunkyRes

Bede-
Thanks for clearing up Alexandria.

I had always been taught the Library at Alexandria was destroyed by Rome before christ.

This was secular history.

I thought maybe they were referring to a rebuilding of that library or a tribute to that library.

I was feeling a bit confused, as I had never heard that it was rebuilt.

Thanks for clearing that up!