I *think* that passage might be loosely based on Lucan's Pharsalia, where the witch Erictho re-animates dead bodies to predict the death of Caesar.
Not *quite* a zombie in the sense I'm talking about here, though, as it's a return *of the soul* to the body, with all the memories of the living person intact. It's not a dead-body puppet so much as a re-animated shade, re-united with its physical form.
Here's what Erictho says:
"Let the ghost of one but lately our soldier repeat the destinies of Pompey to the son of the chieftain, if the civil warfare deserves well at your hands."
And here's what he says when he comes back:
"Called back from the heights of the silent shores I surely have not seen the sad threads of the Destinies; but, what from all the shades it has been allowed me to learn, fierce discord agitates the Roman ghosts, and impious arms disturb the rest of hell."
The promise is that All will be raised from the dead, and find themselves judged. Clear, simple doctrine to worry the Rebellious and give Hope for those without the law and for those who have tried to obey. Why is it that apparently mature , intelligent beings love to watch the tales of vampires and zombies? Maybe they are sexy or appeal to some covenant with death deep within. And then there is political commentary for the next few weeks which will try to scare us out of our wits. I will watch the changing colors of the falling leaves instead.
It surprises me that zombies are so young culturally. My friends and I were obsessed with them when we were in middle school.
A recent gore-fest movie with a soul is Terrifier 2. Happy Halloween.
I wonder about our future with robots and such. If Christ teaches us to love our neighbor and resist not evil, how should we behave towards a convincingly humanoid species?
Is Horatio talking about zombies in Rome, or have I been interpreting this wrongly? Unsure of what mythology Shakespeare is referencing in Hamlet 1:1.
“In the most high and palmy state of Rome,
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,
The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead
Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets”
I *think* that passage might be loosely based on Lucan's Pharsalia, where the witch Erictho re-animates dead bodies to predict the death of Caesar.
Not *quite* a zombie in the sense I'm talking about here, though, as it's a return *of the soul* to the body, with all the memories of the living person intact. It's not a dead-body puppet so much as a re-animated shade, re-united with its physical form.
Here's what Erictho says:
"Let the ghost of one but lately our soldier repeat the destinies of Pompey to the son of the chieftain, if the civil warfare deserves well at your hands."
And here's what he says when he comes back:
"Called back from the heights of the silent shores I surely have not seen the sad threads of the Destinies; but, what from all the shades it has been allowed me to learn, fierce discord agitates the Roman ghosts, and impious arms disturb the rest of hell."
Thank you!
Fascinating to realize I’ve been carrying a favorite passage for years, decades, without a full understanding of its reference.
The promise is that All will be raised from the dead, and find themselves judged. Clear, simple doctrine to worry the Rebellious and give Hope for those without the law and for those who have tried to obey. Why is it that apparently mature , intelligent beings love to watch the tales of vampires and zombies? Maybe they are sexy or appeal to some covenant with death deep within. And then there is political commentary for the next few weeks which will try to scare us out of our wits. I will watch the changing colors of the falling leaves instead.
A few disjointed thoughts:
It surprises me that zombies are so young culturally. My friends and I were obsessed with them when we were in middle school.
A recent gore-fest movie with a soul is Terrifier 2. Happy Halloween.
I wonder about our future with robots and such. If Christ teaches us to love our neighbor and resist not evil, how should we behave towards a convincingly humanoid species?