Latro

Lee · 24 Apr 2015, 15:15 · from 2015-April.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee)
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 11:15:24 -0400
Subject: (urth) Latro
Message-ID: <BLU175-W37CA29E25B09D2D052D20BCFEC0 at phx.gbl>

>Marc Aramini: ... a trial run full of human suffering which will lead to the shifting from pagan gods 

>to Christian monotheism as the pagan gods are reconciled to a new divine order)

Sounds also like a summary of the entire Sun series to me.

>Mo Holkar: Of course Wolfe was thinking of the play on latro in Latin meaning thief, while 
>latreia in Greek means worship: but it seems a bit of a stretch of inference to see hidden 
>meaning in the "mono-" prefixed version specifically?

I think David was just providing an example to direct our attention to the Greek root word with the

prefix tagging along for the ride. [Edit- ah yes, David confirms this]

Since, as Dan'l mentions, "latria" is an important word in Catholicism, I find it completely plausible that Wolfe

had both the thief and worship meanings in mind. 

>Dan'l Danehy-Oakes: Latria is the worship to which only God is entititled; what we offer to the saints in general 

>is "dulia," respect or reverence, and to Mary, "hyperdulia," extreme reverence.

>David Stockhoff: Yes: thief/mercenary + worship(er) seems an interesting combination. Especially given how Latro 

>seems to have received his head wound: despoiling a shrine after a battle, IIRC.

Was Jesus, who had his own head wound, not crucified, flanked by two "thieves"? Jesus' ministry was an attack on

the prevailing Judaic religion of his time. And Jesus had his own fit of anger in the Temple. Wolfe has cited this

episode, where Jesus whips the moneychangers, as evidence The Saviour had spent some time as a torturer.

>David Stockhoff:  I didn't know that meaning of "-dule," which I have always seen rendered as "slave." 

>Hierodules need not be slaves at all. In fact, if they are analogous to saints, it might be debatable 

>whether they are meant to give reverence or receive it. Or both

"Both" is the perfect description of the relationship between Barbatus & Famulimus and Severian. Not to mention

that Tzadkiel him/herself owns to having been Severian's acolyte in a previous iteration.

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