#Babylon Oracle

[atangledfate]

Art by Pechilee @sleepytime-muses

Name: Reiven Nick Name: Rei Species: Mobian Raven Occupation: Babylon Intern Abilities/Powers Psychometry Precognition Clairvoyance Communications Expert Babylon Martial Arts Rookie Extreme Gear Rider Bio Rei is a mysterious Babylon whose past is somewhat shrouded in mystery. As a former member of GUN who never quite reached anything beyond Private, he was eventually let go do to budget cuts. Down on his luck, and losing his apartment Rei took to giving out fortunes on the street and sleeping under a bridge just to survive. After nearly a year of living down on his luck, Rei is found by Jet and Wave who initially found his readings a fun joke. Yet When those readings became reality--- Jet was quick to bring Rei on board and give him a job as an unpaid intern! Rei was happy enough to have a room to sleep in again, that he doesn't even mind the lack of pay or the awful odd jobs he is stuck with.

[atangledfate]

Rei sighed softly, he really wished his future sight was more reliable maybe he'd seen all this. No that wasn't true, he had seen the shop being closed but only in 3721 possible realities, in truth there were 100,000 other possibilities where Stone was here, and happily serving his customers. In grand scheme of things it was a low probability of Stone closing his shop. He softly cursed and put his hands in his bomber jacket pockets.

He never thought he'd miss GUN's free Espresso in the mornings...

Rei followed after the other with a jingle of his jewelry as he followed behind Leta. He was gonna be pissy till he got his coffee, even if it wasn't a delicious black beauty from Stone he guessed it was better then nothing. Stepping through the ring his body gave a shiver as the presence of Calypso had his senses running overtime! Sometimes be an Oracle sucked--- bad vibes were hard to ignore. Best not to stare, and just keep his beak clean.

He slid himself down into one of the nearby seats and fidgeted with his gloves making sure not to stare at Calypso. He didn't see anything but he could feel powerful vibes when he was near it. Still she seemed pleasant enough if only because of Leta.

He sighed and leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes...

" Just my Lousy Luck... one possible future were stone goes galivanting with that mustached freak... i need a vacation..."

He let out another deep sigh

" Thanks for the save though... i'm sure the Boss will be thankful... assuming he doesn't yeet me out an airlock "

"Probably... But if nothing else, you specifically haven't pissed me off outright. That's already a leg up on the other two brats. Anyway! This way, please." Leta gave the door a tap in passing as he walked off with his paws tucked away in his lab coat. To say he was frustrated would be an understatement, but at the very least there was an option B.

Once there was a good ways away from any traffic or people, Leta flicked out a ring from his pocket, opening a rift to Calypso's kitchen onboard Typhon.

"Stone away again? Tell me what you need..."

"Double mocha latte' with goats milk, and a bakers dozen of donuts. No flavor was specified, so chef's choice. As for me and my friend....the usual."

"Donuts, latte', and two plain blacks. Alright, sit on down. I'll be done in a little bit."

[magdalene-spirit]

There are images & archetypes of the conscious & mature feminine that have been vilified & disallowed by our culture & have been pushed under & suppressed & exiled.

But when women start to do the work to mature the mature feminine archetypes break through.

No one said others are going to approve or like it. It is a reckoning with a face of the divine that has long been forgotten.

It is time the children remember true respect & reverence for Mother; & not contempt for Mother.

It is time to reinstate the Goddess.

No, you don't always have to be nice & pleasing & start every sentence with 'I'm sorry!

Tiptoeing & acquiescing is a false-self facade, a mask behind which to hide, to be popular & to be liked, to secure false securities, because you can't stand in your own true voice.

Stepping in to the divine feminine will require you to claim your true voice, to draw your line in the sand, to voice & proclaim your yes & no's.

It is not easy, because the facade & the mask will have to be peeled off.

Layer by layer you let go of what is not true, to sink deeper into you & to reveal the true version of you that you find deep inside.

The peeling away can be brutally uncomfortable & vulnerable & exposed.

But it is a choiceless journey for those who have deeply fallen in love, with love & truth.

[earthcovenant]

Marduk: Patron, Destroyer - Challenging Perception of Justice in Babylonian Society

Marduk: Patron, Destroyer - Challenging Perception of Justice in Babylonian Society. #JusticeFraud #BabylonianJustice #AfghanPeoplesTruth #MardukInspiration #MotivationFromBabylon #AndrewRogersOracle #AfghanistanJustice #BabylonianSociety #BabylonGod

Marduk: Patron, Destroyer – Challenging Perception of Justice in Babylonian Society The Babylonian Society: Marduk, ‘Patron of Babylon, Destroyer’ – Oracle: Andrew Rogers. “Your perception of justice is a fraud, as the occurrences of what has occurred prior to present for the Afghan Peoples, and you stand in position and say it is justice, this is not the truth, which you also do not honour” –…

[finelythreadedsky]

6th century bce archaic greece dashboard simulator

📜 oracles-onomakritos Follow

guys you have GOT to stop sticking in extra aristeias for your faves, the iliad is getting TOO LONG

⚔️ argivehero1184 Follow

nope lmao check out my guy diomedes he stabbed aphrodite!!!

📜 oracles-onomakritos Follow

look do you want anyone to even be able to perform this whole thing bc i know rhapsodes are impressive but their memories can only go so far

#parahomerica #i spend so much time on this and is anyone remotely grateful?

76 notes

🌠 thalesmilesios Follow

it’s going to be so crazy next month when it gets dark in the middle of the day, the medes are going to have no idea what hit them

🏛️ anaxagoraintheagora Follow

lol like that would ever happen! you’d have to piss off apollo even more than agamemnon did

🏛️ anaxagoraintheagora Follow

i stand corrected.

#ok headed down to didyma to make some offerings now #ngl this has me pretty freaked out

7,264 notes

🌸 iokolpos Follow

poem for atthis 💔

like a hyacinth on the mountains the shepherds tread upon her underfoot and on the ground a purple flower

Keep reading

💐 poikilothronanaktoria Follow

sappho dm me please i won't leave you like she did

247,383 notes

💩 iambicpharmakos Follow

wealth is such a dick, he never comes to my place to go hey hipponax here’s thirty minas of silver, and some extra too! what, is he scared?

11 notes

🏺 exekias-epoiese Follow

sneak peek of my new work! process video will be up soon, and remember I am currently open for commissions!

#ajax 😭😭😭#wanted to challenge myself with the hands and i think they turned out ok #the armor was much more fun though #art tag

693,554 notes

👹 assemblerofchoruses Follow

when you think about it... maybe helen's right when she blames herself for the trojan war? she chose to run away with paris and then so many people died because of it, she even says herself that she was a shameless dog

👹 assemblerofchoruses Follow

helen if your reading this i didmt meanit im so sorry

#i cant see anythignwhat is going on

187 notes

🍃 nikostratethepythagorean Follow

that hippokleides guy is such an icon. siege of tyre? hippokleides don't care! persian invasion? hippokleides don't care! fall of babylon? hippokleides don't care! peisistratus back in athens? hippokleides don't care!

#trying to bring this energy to the new olympiad #niko speaks

326 notes

🫒 notthatmegacles Follow

and don't just automatically vote for your tribe!

💐 poikilothronanaktoria Follow

um who even are any of these guys

🫒 notthatmegacles Follow

dude they're the patron heroes for the ten new tribes, have you been living under a rock????

💐 poikilothronanaktoria Follow

believe it or not i’m one of the dozens of people worldwide that live in a polis that’s not athens

#smh #lesbian problems

28,724 notes

[hrrtshape]

hi emma!!!! i loved reading all your historical drs, have you ever considered being a writer omg!!! i was wondering if you could do one of ancient china or ancient korea! i’ve been setting up a nobility dr for each!

also, i started burning incense while i take baths, and omg if that’s even kind of like what it was in babylon im so thrilled for you. i feel like a princess.

a guide on how to survive in ancient china.

hello, intrepid time traveler. i'm emma, your self-appointed shifting guidée and general lifeline as you hurl yourself into the vast, intricate, and utterly fascinating world of ancient china. this is not for the faint of heart, OK??? you are stepping into a civilisation spanning thousands of years, shifting (pun not intended) dynasties, and mind-bending customs. you need to be prepared. the great wall won't save you, and confucius won't be there to give you a pep talk. so i will.

your survival depends on understanding the nuances of daily life, from the silk-clad heights of imperial courts to the dusty roads of peasant villages. let's get into it. how to dress, eat, navigate society, and, most importantly, how to not offend the wrong noble and end up in a very unfortunate situation (and by that, i mean executed).

꒰ 𝐝ynastic context . . .where are you in time?

ancient china isn't just a single moment in history but thousands of years of shifting rulers, laws, and customs. each period has its own political and cultural landscape, so research where you're landing. here's a quick guide to some of the major time periods you might find yourself in.

shang dynasty ( 1600 – 1046 bce ) : the bronze age, oracle bones, and human sacrifices. if you're here, be careful. early china was intense.

zhou dynasty ( 1046 – 256 bce ) : the age of confucius, the mandate of heaven, and the rise of philosophy.

qin dynasty ( 221 – 206 bce ) : the first emperor, legalist rule, and the construction of the great wall. harsh punishments, so keep your head down.

han dynasty  ( 206 bce – 220 ) : the golden age of china. silk road trade, confucian ideals, and thriving arts and sciences.

tang dynasty ( 618 – 907 ) : the height of chinese cultural brilliance. poetry, tea, and flourishing trade. if you're here, congratulations. you've landed in one of the best times.

song dynasty ( 960 – 1279 ) : economic prosperity, gunpowder, and great advancements in technology. just watch out for the mongols.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐰hat to wear.

fabric and style : if you're nobility, you'll be wearing silk robes with intricate embroidery. if you're a commoner, it's hemp or cotton tunics and pants. men and women both wear hanfu, the traditional robe-like attire with wide sleeves and layered skirts. hair : hair is a BIG deal. long, neatly styled hair is a sign of respectability. women will have their hair pinned up with elaborate ornaments, while men tie theirs in a topknot or wear hats. colours : certain colours indicate status. yellow is reserved for the emperor, so do not wear it unless you want serious trouble. shoes : cloth or leather shoes for commoners, embroidered silk shoes for the wealthy. lotus shoes (for bound feet) exist but are not universal.

❛ pro tip from your travel guide ! clothes often reflect rank, so don't dress above your station unless you want to get called out.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐡ygiene and personal care.

bathing : hot baths were a thing, especially for the wealthy, but commoners bathed in rivers or public bathhouses. soap existed, but herbal infusions were more common.

teeth cleaning : chew sticks made of aromatic wood or herbal pastes.

perfume and skincare : scented powders and oils made from flowers and herbs were common, especially among noblewomen.

toilets : public latrines existed, often near marketplaces. rich households had chamber pots.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐟ood and what you'll be eating.

staple foods : rice (southern china), millet and wheat (northern china), vegetables, and tofu.

meat or fish : pork was the most common, followed by chicken and duck. beef was rare due to buddhist influence.

street food : dumplings, noodles, and grilled skewers were available in bustling markets.

tea : a must-have, especially in later dynasties. if you're in tang or song china, tea culture is booming.

chopsticks : learn how to use them. forks are not an option.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐦oney and shopping.

ancient china used copper coins with square holes in the centre, strung together for convenience. paper money appears in the song dynasty.

everything from silk to fresh produce to exotic spices can be found in bustling markets. bargaining is expected, so don't accept the first price.

trade : silk, porcelain, and tea are major commodities. if you want to make money, consider trading luxury goods.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐬ocial class.

emperors or nobility : untouchable. bow deeply, avoid direct eye contact, and NEVER question them. scholars and officials : the ruling class of confucian-trained bureaucrats. respect them. merchants : despite their wealth, merchants were looked down upon as lower-class (confucian ideals valued scholars over businessmen). peasants and labourers : the majority of the population, hardworking and tied to their land. if you're asking what were women's roles, it varies by dynasty, but generally, women are expected to be modest, obedient, and skilled in household arts.

❛ pro tip from your travel guide ! bowing is essential. use honourifics, speak respectfully, and never address a superior informally.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐩ersonal safety.

crime and punishment : punishments are often brutal, especially under legalist rule (think qin dynasty). avoid breaking the law.

superstitions : witchcraft accusations or defying social norms can be dangerous, especially for women.

if you're travelling, roads are dangerous, with bandits common in rural areas. if possible, travel with an armed escort.

military : avoid battles unless you're a trained warrior. war is frequent between dynasties and neighbouring states.

 　　　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　┊

꒰ 𝐟inal tips for a successful integration.

please.....learn basic mandarin (or classical chinese). speaking the language is key. written chinese changes over time, so be aware of your era.

adopt confucian values, such as respect for elders, duty, and harmony are essential cultural pillars.

stay in your lane, because blending in is survival. don't attract unnecessary attention.

rituals, festivals, and ancestral worship are vital parts of daily life. follow traditions.

if all else fails, claim to be a wandering scholar or lost noble (but tread carefully).

congratulations!!!! you now have the basic knowledge needed to navigate ancient china without causing a diplomatic incident. or worse, getting yourself executed. step lightly, speak wisely, and drink your tea politely. happy shifting, time traveler!!!!!

( p.s., the pretty dividers were inspired by the ever-so-lovely @solanasreality and i think @elysian-fawn 's beautiful creativity possessed as i edited this. so. )

[whencyclopedia]

Ptolemaic Egypt

Ptolemaic Egypt existed between 323 and 30 BCE when Egypt was ruled by the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty. During the Ptolemaic period, Egyptian society changed as Greek immigrants introduced a new language, religious pantheon, and way of life to Egypt. The Ptolemaic capital Alexandria became the premier city of the Hellenistic world, known for its Great Library and the Pharos lighthouse.

From Persian Rule to Alexander

In 525 BCE, Egypt was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire, beginning a period of harsh foreign rule and cultural repression. Egypt briefly regained its independence from 404 BCE until 342 BCE before it was reconquered. Discontent with the Persian government resulted in the Egyptians welcoming Alexander the Great as a liberator when he invaded in 332 BCE. Alexander had already broken the Persian army at the Battle of Issus (333 BCE), and Mazakes, the satrap of Egypt, surrendered without a fight.

Alexander demonstrated a deep respect for Egyptian culture, choosing to be crowned pharaoh according to traditional custom. He offered sacrifices to the Egyptian gods in Heliopolis and Memphis and hosted Greek athletic games to celebrate his reign. Next, he traveled south to the Oracle of Amun, whom the Greeks equated with Zeus, in the Siwa Oasis. Alexander believed himself to be the son of Zeus, which the oracle seemingly confirmed for him. The idea had precedent in Egyptian royal ideology in which kings were considered living gods, the offspring of deities like Ra or Amun. It was an unusually grandiose claim for Greek rulers, but Alexander's reputation was great enough for the Greeks to accept him as a demigod.

Alexander's grand design will slowly have come to encompass the idea that all peoples were to be subjugated for the formation of a new world order; for this purpose, the Egyptian pharaonic system presented a very suitable ideology that was well established and has been accepted for millennia.

(Hölbl, 9)

In 331 BCE, Alexander visited the fishing village of Rhakotis where he planned the foundation of a new city, Alexandria. He intended for Alexandria to be the capital of his empire, a link between Egypt and the Mediterranean. Before leaving to continue his conquests, Alexander appointed two governors, Doloaspis and Peteisis, and named Cleomenes of Naukratis, a Greek Egyptian, as his satrap. He also left a small army to occupy and defend Egypt.

After the death of Alexander the Great in Babylon in 323 BCE, his general Ptolemy I became satrap of Egypt. He was nominally the servant of Alexander's successors Philip Arrhidaeus and Alexander IV of Macedon, but in reality, he ruled on his own initiative. Ptolemy I quickly executed Cleomenes, whose exorbitant taxation was unpopular, and began establishing royal policies to modernize the country. By 310 BCE, the last of Alexander's heirs had died, and during the Wars of the Diadochi, Alexander's generals claimed pieces of his empire. Ptolemy I was crowned king of Egypt in 306 BCE, establishing the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Continue reading...

[ohdorothea]

more info about the tournament here and the lyrics for both songs are below the cut <3

us. lyrics

I know you know

It felt just like a joke

I show, you don't

And now we're talking

I know your ghost

I see her through the smoke

She'll play her show

And you'll be watching

And if history's clear, someone always ends up in ruins

And what seemed like fate becomes "What the hell was I doing?"

Babylon lovers hanging lifetimes on a vine

Do you miss mine?

Do you miss us, us?

I felt it, you held it

Do you miss us, us?

Wonder if you regret the secret

Of us, us, us

Us, us, us

Us, us, us

I know you know

It felt like something old

It felt like something holy, like souls bleeding so

It felt like what I've known

You're twenty-nine years old

So how can you be cold when I open my home?

And if history's clear, the flames always end up in ashes

And what seemed like fate, give it ten months, and you'll be past it

Babylon lovers hanging missed calls on the line

I gave you mine

Did you mind?

Us, us

I felt it, you held it

Do you miss us, us?

Wonder if you regret the secret

Of us, us

Us, us, us

Us, us

That night, you were talking false prophets

And profits they make in the margins of poetry sonnets

You never read up on it

Shame, could've learned something

Robert Bly on my nightstand

Gifts from you, how ironic

A curse or a miracle, hearse or an oracle

You're incomparable, fuck, it was chemical

You plus me was

You plus me was

Us, us

Us

I felt it, you held it

Do you miss us, us?

Wonder if you regret the secret

Of us, us

Mistaken for strangers

The way it was, was

The pain of, the reign of, the flame of

Us, us

The outline, well sometimes

Do you miss us, us?

The best kind, well sometimes

Do you miss us?

Gasoline (Remix) lyrics

You took me back but you shouldn't have

Now it's your fault if I mess around

I took a drag but I shouldn't have

Now I'm coughing up like I've never smoked a pack

Gasoline, pretty please

I want to get off but you're such a tease

Throw the keys back to me

Go on and kick off your boots

In the passenger seat

I get sad, you know I get sad

And I can't look past what I'm sad about

You did me bad (Did me bad, did me bad)

And I did it back (Did it back, did it back)

You needed ass, well

What's wrong with that?

Gasoline (Gasoline)

Pretty please (Pretty please)

I want to get off (Gasoline)

But you're such a tease

Throw the keys (Throw the keys)

Back to me (Back to me)

Go on and kick off your boots (Gasoline)

In the passenger's seat

(Strike a match, strike a match, watch it blow)

We're watching the sunrise from the kitchen counter

(Want you bad, want you bad, don't you know?)

When you're lying between my legs it doesn't matter

(Strike a match, strike a match, watch it blow)

You say you want to go slower but I want to go faster

(I want you bad, want you bad)

Faster and faster

Gasoline, pretty please

I want to get off but you're such a tease

[longstoryshort22]

well something looks familiar

I think us is abt a secret love in the past that was very intense passionate sacred and sparkling “It felt like something holy, like souls bleeding”

It felt like everything that’s right, but also too good to be true “Babylon lovers hanging, lifetimes on a vine”

“And if history's clear, someone always ends up in ruins/the flames always end up in ashes” historically, queer couples have often been exiled or unalived in some ways.

The “I felt it, you held it, do you miss us” kinda reminds me of “and I felt you and I held you for a while” in Hits Different! Anyways, she keeps asking if the former love misses them or regrets the secret of them, which to me means that their relationship wasn’t supposed to happen but was “incomparable, fuck it was chemical” ahhh that person was the love of her life and she really misses them. Also “a curse or a miracle, hearse or an oracle” is very queer coded and she’s haunted by their past selves.

Lastly, “mistaken for strangers, the way it was” bc people who don’t really know her would mistake them as friends not loves.

(this is just my interpretation, you don’t have to agree)

[letterful]

If people know any portion of Herodotus, they almost certainly know the story of Croesus, the immensely rich king of the Lydians, who asked the oracles at Delphi whether he should go to war against the Persians: “The answers both oracles gave to the question were perfectly consistent with each other: they told Croesus that if he made war on the Persians, he would destroy a great empire.” Thus reassured, Croesus attacked and was utterly routed: The empire he would destroy was his own. Herodotus is a treasure chest of such stories and of what he calls thomata, or wonders. He tells us about temple prostitutes in Babylon, the Scythians’ use of cannabis to get high, fathers inadvertently feasting on the flesh of their own sons; he shows us the oases of North Africa (the Ethiopians, he says, “are the tallest and most attractive people in the world”), giant ants that bring up gold from underground, and Amazons who must first kill a man before they can marry; we even glimpse a high-born Persian who cuts off his nose and ears to accomplish a daring undercover military operation, a circumnavigation of Africa, and a foolish king so infatuated with his wife’s beauty that he insists that one of his counselors see her naked. With his usual charm, Herodotus notes that there are so many aromatic spices in Arabia that the entire country “gives off a wonderfully pleasant smell.” His book’s famous second chapter alone, a long excursus on Egypt, describes the use of mosquito netting, how to hunt a crocodile, the legend of Helen in Egypt, the building of pyramids, and three ways to embalm a corpse. After the mortuarial details, he gruesomely adds, “When the wife of an eminent man dies, or any woman who was particularly beautiful or famous, the body is not handed over to the embalmers straight away. They wait three or four days before doing so. The reason for this is to stop the embalmers having sex with the women.”

— MICHAEL DIRDA, from Bound to Please.

[atangledfate]

" Coffee is the only thing that keeps me from losing my fucking mind..."

Sips coffee from his cup

" Gaia's greatest creation... this right here...no sugar... no cream--- black like my soul..."

[theoryfan205]

For Black beacon I can't quite do my Cassandra OC idea yet, as I know there's Greek myths in this game at some point (I got hephea I think her name was from the gacha, plus my friend told me where was a group called I think the Delphi oracles?) so I have to wait to get to that point. But, I have discovered something.

The tower of babel was said to be in our world from Babylon, which in modern day would be iraq. Fun fact about nasir and Prometheus! His ass is from Persia, and checking a map... Shows them to appear to be very fucking close to each other. Basically if Prometheus was in Black beacon along with roya the beacon of the tower of babel would be the closest one for his ass to interact with and do his mad scientist shit. unless he only does that after he flees his home in which case it might be the Greek one because Rome and all that. But I'm leaning towards Prometheus used to be one of the people studying the library of babel in eme-an, but his personal experiments with the beacon and the libraries effects leaned more and more towards unethical until eventually he was kicked out, perhaps fleeing into the no return trial or whatever it's called I can't remember rn, when he reemerges from the path he's fully become Prometheus and mastering his craft, making grand advancements in science, making his own clones who perfectly copy his personality, and fully becoming more of a villain.

[magdalene-spirit]

Path of the Priestess Part 2

Reaching a point of apathy & despair with this sick culture, sinking deep into timelessness, we call out Oh Goddess...I can't live like this anymore....

We know something is missing, that something has been taken & buried- that aching & longing is the call & the knowing of the eternal feminine breaking through into your awareness.

Goddess alone knows what is true in the heart.

She knows who is ready & who is not.

She knows who is still playing & who is willing.

There is no getting around the eternal, true eyes of the omnipresent Mother Goddess.

There are & always have been priestesses & witches who abuse the intuitive arts & powers to seduce & corrupt, who work with outer glamour & manipulation for personal profit & power.

On this path of self-enrichment there is reckoning with the apocalyptic face of the Mother Goddess.

She balances materialism with apocalyptic Natural forces sweeping through, rising with swift left footed destruction to restore balance within the flow of her almighty powers.

[worldhistoryfacts]

Some artifacts from the practice of haruspicy, the practice of examining sheep livers to divine the future.

This practice went back even farther in time than oracle bones, and it was quite widespread. The oldest evidence we have of liver-based divination dates back almost 4,000 years, and the practice eventually spread all over the Near East and Mediterranean, from Mesopotamia to Rome.

Priests used clay or metal guides to help them find the will of the gods in the livers of animals. Here's a clay guide from ancient Babylon:

And an Etruscan one, made of bronze:

Much more on liver analysis, palm-reading and more here:

{Buy me a coffee} {WHF} {Medium} {Looking Through the Past}

[kaleb-is-definitely-sane]

Tell me about Destiny - Manifesting

Heyyyy Ellie <333

Okay first thing I'll need to do is tell you about Manifest Destiny. "Manifest destiny" is a phrase that represents the belief in the 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand westward across North America, and that this belief was both obvious ("manifest") and certain ("destiny"). The belief is rooted in American exceptionalism and Romantic nationalism, implying the inevitable spread of the republican form of governance. It is one of the earliest expressions of American imperialism in the United States of America. According to historian William Earl Weeks, there were three basic tenets behind the concept: The assumption of the unique moral virtue of the United States. The assertion of its mission to redeem the world by the spread of republican government and more generally the "American way of life". The faith in the nation's divinely ordained destiny to succeed in this mission.

In other words: it was a bullshit ideology that they made up to justify the mass genocide of indigenous people and the theft of their land, the complete obliteration of animal species (which aside from just not caring about the animals was also an attempt to kill of the indigenous people who lived off of those animals), and the expansion of the slavery and oppression of black and Chinese people (the latter of whom is sadly forgotten a lot. Yes, the North did have slavery. They were just Chinese. And that slavery would last into the 20th century).

It's personified pretty well in this painting, American Progress by John Gast.

This woman is Columbia, the national goddess/personification of the United States, crowned with "the Star of the Empire". She represents progress and the perfection of the America, which goes west to push nature itself off the western edge into extinction.

All that context is important because it is that imperialistic mindset (which is as old as dirt and which America very definitely has not lost) that my poem "Destiny - Manifesting" is criticizing and demonizing.

Because like I told my history teacher: that "angel" is a demon. Even the devil masquerades as an angel of light (also that woman could not be any whiter i fucking swear like racist colonizers were not even subtle).

The poem is an oracle of woe, spoken from the perspective of a prophet (don't think fortune teller; think moreso social critic who speaks with the authority of God). The prophet condemns the imperialism of the Democratic Empire as being the bloody triumph of dark spiritual powers and the victory of mortal folly and hubris. They are like Greece and Babylon and Rome before them: a great glorious golden city filled with bright and brilliant people who are decadent and greedy; freedom loving - but not for women or slaves; a city established on bloodshed where the rich drink innocent blood; bewitched by the tempting and beautiful, enticing lands allotted by "Providence". They've dedicated themselves to the goddess of war, perfection, and "progress", and so they will get nothing but prophecies of woe and terror.

The chariot of Death is headed for them and just as they have pushed their sister (Nature) off the edge of the world and into the deep abyss of decreation, so they to will be pushed off the edge of the world and into the deep abyss of decreation. This is the prophecy of woe and terror. The only deliverance for the doomed ones will be to fly to the ends of the earth and leave the city heights. Because all who remain in and of the city will perish.

May we live to see Babylon fall. May we be resurrected into Eden if we do not.

[whencyclopedia]

Ptolemaic Egypt

Ptolemaic Egypt existed between 323 and 30 BCE when Egypt was ruled by the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty. During the Ptolemaic period, Egyptian society changed as Greek immigrants introduced a new language, religious pantheon, and way of life to Egypt. The Ptolemaic capital Alexandria became the premier city of the Hellenistic world, known for its Great Library and the Pharos lighthouse.

From Persian Rule to Alexander

In 525 BCE, Egypt was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire, beginning a period of harsh foreign rule and cultural repression. Egypt briefly regained its independence from 404 BCE until 342 BCE before it was reconquered. Discontent with the Persian government resulted in the Egyptians welcoming Alexander the Great as a liberator when he invaded in 332 BCE. Alexander had already broken the Persian army at the Battle of Issus (333 BCE), and Mazakes, the satrap of Egypt, surrendered without a fight.

Alexander demonstrated a deep respect for Egyptian culture, choosing to be crowned pharaoh according to traditional custom. He offered sacrifices to the Egyptian gods in Heliopolis and Memphis and hosted Greek athletic games to celebrate his reign. Next, he traveled south to the Oracle of Amun, whom the Greeks equated with Zeus, in the Siwa Oasis. Alexander believed himself to be the son of Zeus, which the oracle seemingly confirmed for him. The idea had precedent in Egyptian royal ideology in which kings were considered living gods, the offspring of deities like Ra or Amun. It was an unusually grandiose claim for Greek rulers, but Alexander's reputation was great enough for the Greeks to accept him as a demigod.

Alexander's grand design will slowly have come to encompass the idea that all peoples were to be subjugated for the formation of a new world order; for this purpose, the Egyptian pharaonic system presented a very suitable ideology that was well established and has been accepted for millennia.

(Hölbl, 9)

In 331 BCE, Alexander visited the fishing village of Rhakotis where he planned the foundation of a new city, Alexandria. He intended for Alexandria to be the capital of his empire, a link between Egypt and the Mediterranean. Before leaving to continue his conquests, Alexander appointed two governors, Doloaspis and Peteisis, and named Cleomenes of Naukratis, a Greek Egyptian, as his satrap. He also left a small army to occupy and defend Egypt.

Statue of Alexander the Great as Pharaoh

Carole Raddato (CC BY-SA)

After the death of Alexander the Great in Babylon in 323 BCE, his general Ptolemy I became satrap of Egypt. He was nominally the servant of Alexander's successors Philip Arrhidaeus and Alexander IV of Macedon, but in reality, he ruled on his own initiative. Ptolemy I quickly executed Cleomenes, whose exorbitant taxation was unpopular, and began establishing royal policies to modernize the country. By 310 BCE, the last of Alexander's heirs had died, and during the Wars of the Diadochi, Alexander's generals claimed pieces of his empire. Ptolemy I was crowned king of Egypt in 306 BCE, establishing the Ptolemaic dynasty.

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