Walls of Nessus

James Jordan · 19 Jun 2003, 19:02 · from urth-v0306.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at cox.net>
Subject: (urth) Walls of Nessus
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 14:02:03 -0500
Message-ID: <urth-v0306-3503 at digest.urth.net>
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         At a symbolic level, we should remember that ancient cities=20
(before cannon fire) were always walled. Especially Jerusalem (book of=20
Nehemiah). We're symbolically in Byzantium, of course, but are we also in a=20
fallen Jerusalem? I can't think of any clews along the latter lines, so I=20
don't think so. But the walls of Byzantium would fit thematically.
         Which brings up another possibility: Perhaps the walls were not=20
set up as a blast shield, but to protect Typhon's project from angry armies=20
of insurgents -- and we can be sure there were such: Who wants to be=20
drugged and dragged off into space? These are walls that surely COULD=20
withstand cannon fire, and much else. And even apart from Typhon, we know=20
that Urth is divided into warring nations, so a strong wall might have been=20
needed long before Typhon.
         Ancient cities usually had two walls: outer and inner, the=20
inner-city or "citadel" on a high place for even better defense. In=20
Russian, the citadel is called "Kreml[in]" and all older cities have them,=20
not just Moscow. In London, it is the "Tower of London." In time of seige,=20
the people living around the walls could crowd inside the citadel, where=20
the palace and temple were, for protection if the outer walls were=20
breached. Is this the original relationship between the Citadel of the=20
Autarch and the outlying city of Nessus?
         But I can't remember. The Citadel is within the outer walls of=20
Nessus, isn't it? Even if not, the walls of Old Port could also function as=20
a place of refuge for Nessusians under attack from Ascians or whomever.
         So, maybe the wall as blast-shield is not the best answer.

Nutria


--=20

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