Play@YSDC

"Thank you, my lady," said Scaevola. "These are the Pharaoh Akhenaten and his wife Queen Nefertiti. They were sculpted by the famed sculptor Thutmose. I found them during a visit to Egypt and purchased them at great price. Akhenaten was best known for introducing the belief in a single god to the exclusion of all others. After his death, the Egyptians attempted to erase all references to him from history. As you can see, they were not entirely successful."

Caelia Alba,[b]Caelia[/b] felt there was something odd about the idol of Thoth. While he was not the head of the Egyptian pantheon, [b]Scaevola[/b] had given him the most prominent place. In addition to being the god of wisdom and magic, Thoth was originally the god of the moon and was said to have power over time. He was regarded as the scribe of the gods (and also the scribe of the underworld) and advisor to Ra, the sun god. The Greeks equated Thoth with the god Hermes, which was Mercury in the Roman pantheon. Interestingly, the name of the sculptor of the busts, [b]Thutmose[/b], meant "son of Thoth."

Artemis looked back at the two sculptures and then back at the Senator. "The varied faiths across the Republic never cease to bewilder me. Yet, in the end all reflect the challenges of the Light to overcome the potential of destruction by the Dark."

"And Egypt has the biggest plethora of them all. May I ask why you have placed Thoth above all the others here? He is akin to our Mercury who is certainly not lord of the Gods, but merely a messenger."

"Thoth is similar in many ways to Mercury," said Scaevola, "but he is more than a mere messenger, which is more Hermanubis's job. He is scribe to the gods, and he has many other roles as well. He maintains the balance, he is the inventor of writing, he created himself, and he is the master of laws and oratory - very fitting, considering I am a Senator. He is the fount of science, philosophy, wisdom, and the divine. This is why I have given him pride of place."

Caelia Alba,[b]Caelia[/b] already knew everything that [b]Scaevola[/b] mentioned, and she recalled further details that he hadn't. Thoth was also a god of magic and said to be the originator of it. She also knew of a religious cult in Egypt dedicated to Thoth, centered around the temple to Thoth in Khmun, which the Greeks called Hermopolis Magna after Hermes. Both Thoth and Anubis were often conflated with Hermes/Mercury.

Artemis nodded at the explanation and the references. To him, there were the old gods of his youth with the Treveri and then there was the god of Light in his eternal struggle with the dark.

"And is he not also the God of magic?" Caelia asks innocently, she knows that Thoth is the god of magic and surely Scaevola knows this too but would he admit it. She casts a pointed glance at Artemis to make sure he is listening.

"Indeed he is," agreed Scaevola with a nod. "Your knowledge of Thoth is excellent. Have you ever visited the temple to Thoth at Khmun?"

OOC,Everyone may roll Insight.

Spurius wasn't sure what to make of the conversation.

OOC,[b]Spurius[/b]'s Insight roll (5% base skill) speaking to [b]Scaevola[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

"I'm afraid my travels didn't take me that far. Tell me about it- what was it like? You have certainly been lucky to have delved into the deepest parts of Egypt. It must help having the finances for such exploration. Do you know any other people who have explored Egypt as much?" Caelia takes a sip of wine and looks carefully into the shadows.

Spot hidden,roll:89

"No Senator, this soldier never went across the Mare," Artemis added in response to the Senator's question to Lady Caelia and nodded in agreement with Caelia's request.

"I don't know of any other Romans who have explored so deep into Egypt," replied Scaevola, "but doubtless their are Egyptians who know their own country better than I do. The Temple to Thoth is a wondrous and beautiful place. My meager collection pales in comparison to the astounding treasures there. It was ancient when Rome was new built. I had the pleasure to visit it during my journeys. The priests of Thoth are very wise, and I learned much from them."

"Journeys? So did you visit there often Senator? I would think that the travel would have taken you far from Rome for too long?" Artemis spoke with some surprise for the idea of traveling repeatedly across the Mare was of such a risk, he had never met someone who had done it often before.

"I've been to Egypt a several times on business for the Republic over the decades," said the Senator, "but I've only been to the Temple to Thoth in Khmun twice. I've had a couple of long stays in Egypt as a result of that business, during which I had time to travel and explore the land."

Mr. Handy wrote:"I've been to Egypt a several times on business for the Republic over the decades," said the Senator, "but I've only been to the Temple to Thoth in Khmun twice. I've had a couple of long stays in Egypt as a result of that business, during which I had time to travel and explore the land."

"Then it must be safer to travel there than I thought. ALso safer to travel about too. May I ask what this temple was like and the country about it? Artemis' geniune interest was evident in his tone as he looked about at the statues and artifacts.

"I never said it was safe," said Scaevola, "but I have no fear of danger. Travel across the Mare Nostrum, though not without its hazards, has become routine. It takes about a week for a ship to sail from Ostia to Alexandria. Travel into Egypt's interior is more perilous, but I was not unescorted, nor was I without my own ability to protect myself. Khmun, which the Greeks call Hermopolis, rests almost exactly on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt, not far from the east bank of the Nile. The city itself is luxurious and majestic, rivaled only by Thebes for its beauty and wealth. It is close enough to the river that the land is fertile and verdant, though the desert is not far away. The Ptolemies built many great structures there, but the Temple to Thoth predates and excels over them all. It is constructed of great stones, and its magnificent portico is flanked by two rows of six pillars each. The pillars are connected to each other at their centers by architraves of five stones each. The two columns on either side of the entrance are the widest of all, with a huge stone over the tops of both of them. They are painted in yellow, red, and blue stripes. The portico also has excellent sculptures of Thoth himself, as well as of the ibis and the ape.

"It sounds like something one would find in their dreams," Artemis said in fascination. "I have to ask then was the draw to the Temple of Thoth?"

"I have to ask then, what was the draw to the Temple of Thoth?"