latro's greek and combat competence

maa32 · 19 Jun 2003, 20:16 · from urth-v0306.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (urth) latro's greek and combat competence
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 13:16:06 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0306-3506 at digest.urth.net>
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I don't know if this is worthy of posting, but oh well.  If we accept that =
the=20
minor gods of the pantheon can immerse themselves in human flesh for a time=
,=20
Latro's great fighting ability and his facility in speaking Greek are quite=20
easily explained.  He's always known how to fight - it is his very nature. =
 Of=20
course the God of war would be up on the latest trends in armed combat - an=
d=20
might even innovate a few himself, or know them anachronistically.  And he'=
s=20
always heard the greek words of his worshippers, but never had to write for=20
himself - minor gods only need to speak to followers, not to write for=20
themselves.

There is one point I want explained before I abandon my "Latro is Ares"=20
theory.  The high priest of Pleistorus indicates that his god, the god of w=
ar,=20
has been missing for some time.  Where has he gone?  Why is he missing?  I=20
think that he's missing because he's been trapped in mortal flesh - divine=20
light ensconced in the guise of a soldier - "Latro".

I think we are approaching Latro's abilities from a far too "realistic"=20
standpoint - I just don't think these Soldier novels embedded in harsh=20
empirical realism, where everything can be explained through historical=20
contiguity and cultural history.  I don't think Latro is fully human, so he=20
exhibits some qualities which are inexplicable, like the ability to touch=20
human beings and make them susceptible to the touch of other gods.  That se=
ems=20
a little odd to me, and it seems to indicate that Latro can do that because=
 he=20
is both fully god and fully man - sharing both worlds, making divinity real=
 to=20
man and men real to the divine.  Of course, that could just be my misreadin=
g=20
of his power.

Marc Aramini

--=20

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