#BUT. you cannot act like ancient societies didn't have moral questions and discussions about their own gods. they absolutely did

[kareenvorbarra]

...I must confront Apollo with his wrongs. To force a girl Against her will and and afterward betray! To leave a child to die which has been born In secret! No! Do not act thus. But since You have the power, seek the virtuous path. All evil men are punished by the gods. How then can it be just for you to stand Accused of breaking laws you have yourselves Laid down for men? But if--here I suppose What could not be--you gave account on earth For wrongs which you have done to women, you, Apollo and Poseidon and Zeus who rules In heaven, payment of your penalties Would see your temples empty, since you are Unjust to others in pursuing pleasure Without forethought. And justice now demands That we should not speak ill of men if they But imitate what the gods approve, but those Who teach men their examples.

Ion (from Ion by Euripides, translated by R. F. Willetts)

#okay i FINALLY read this play and i liked it a lot. there is so much going on here #but right after i read it i found some discourse that i sometimes stumble across in conversations about paganism #about how you can't treat gods like characters who do good or bad things #and that's sort of true? it doesn't really make sense to look at gods in (for example) greek mythology and treat them as wholly good or bad #and i think this applies whether you engage with them as literary characters or as gods (or both). adaptations that do this annoy me! #BUT. you cannot act like ancient societies didn't have moral questions and discussions about their own gods. they absolutely did #ion #apollo #euripides #queue