The knight in the big world of American TV series

Chapter 2326

"You actually associate with that kind of disgusting stuff?"

Gel looked at Thor, who had stood up, with disappointment.

To be honest, although he was defeated by Thor twice in a row (once in Jotunheim and once in the Netherworld; although strictly speaking, they did not defeat Gol in the Netherworld, Gol still lost in the end, so he is still considered to have been defeated by Thor, and he is not particularly obsessed with this thing), Gol actually has a pretty good impression of Thor.

He had seen many gods.

The Pantheon also contains anthropomorphic deities, such as the world ruled by Athena. (Many deities rule worlds independently, without needing to share followers with other deities; the Lap gods are a typical example. The planet where Gel resides is entirely inhabited by Lap gods, and these are considered their core worlds.)
In the world ruled by Athena, mortals lived quite well.

Athena is considered the most human-like of the Olympian gods.

Athena, also known as Pallas Athena, is the goddess of wisdom in ancient Greek mythology and one of the twelve Olympian gods. As the daughter of Zeus and Metis, she was born fully armed from Zeus's skull after a prophecy foretold that Metis would give birth to a son who would overthrow Zeus. She is the goddess of wisdom, military strategy, arts and crafts, agriculture, medicine, navigation, and animal husbandry. Her symbols include the owl, the olive branch, and the aegis (serpent armor). Athena taught humanity weaving, pottery, and other skills, established the first court in Athens, and was revered as the patron goddess of handicrafts and unmarried women. She is considered one of the three virgin goddesses of Olympus, along with Artemis and Hestia. Greek women called her "Erganes" (women of the workshops). She supported the Greek coalition in the Trojan War, assisted Perseus in killing Medusa, and won the competition to become the patron goddess of Athens by creating the olive tree.

Zeus married Metis, who had used various transformations to evade his advances. Gaia prophesied that Metis would give birth to a brother and sister: a bright-eyed maiden and a proud king of the gods. Fearing this, Zeus swallowed Metis whole. As her due date approached, Zeus suffered a severe headache, and Hephaestus split his head open with an axe, from which Athena sprang. Metis remained inside Zeus's head, offering him advice and counsel.

In terms of divine roles, Athena is definitely the one with the most and most positive aspects among all the Olympian gods.

At the same time, she is also a deity who symbolizes hope.

Legend has it that Prometheus, son of the Titans, stole fire from the heavens and gave it to humankind. Humans learned to use fire, which greatly angered Zeus. To counteract the immense benefits fire brought to humankind, Zeus decided to bring disaster upon humanity as well. Zeus first commanded Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking, to mix water and earth to create a beautiful woman in the image of a goddess; then he commanded Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, to sprinkle her with a fragrance that could drive men mad; Athena, the goddess of wisdom and crafts, adorned her, dressing her in clothes, adorning her with a headdress (a creation of Hephaestus), and a pearl necklace, making her as beautiful as a bride; Hermes, the messenger of the gods, taught her the gift of language; and then Zeus infused this beautiful image with malevolent intent. Hermes suggested, "Let this woman be called Pandora, a gift from the gods to all humankind." The gods all agreed. In ancient Greek, "Pan" means "all," and "Dora" means "gift." Therefore, "Pandora" means "the woman who possesses all gifts."

Zeus then commanded Hermes to take her to Epimetheus, Prometheus's brother, to be his wife. Unlike the kind-hearted Prometheus, Epimetheus had been advised, "Never accept anything Zeus gives you." But Epimetheus forgot his warning and, tempted by Pandora, immediately became infatuated with her beauty.

Zeus gave Pandora a sealed box filled with evil, calamity, and plague, instructing her to give it to the man who married her. Prometheus, convinced that Zeus harbored ill intentions towards humanity, warned his brother Epimetheus against accepting the gift. However, Epimetheus ignored the warning and married the beautiful Pandora. Driven by curiosity, Pandora opened the box, and immediately all the evil, calamity, and plague flew out. Humanity suffered greatly from then on. The precious hope that Athena, the goddess of wisdom, had secretly placed at the bottom of the box to save humanity, hadn't yet escaped when a terrified Pandora closed the box again. Pandora's box was then sealed away by the gods forever.

Therefore, among the Olympian pantheon, Athena is the most benevolent to humankind.

On Athena's personal planet, mortals lived a very happy life.

They have many large theaters and schools, and farmland everywhere. In addition, they have many hospitals!

This is something absolutely unimaginable in other pantheon worlds.

Theaters and schools are actually present in the worlds of many deities. For example, many deities with war-related divine roles have schools in their worlds.

Don't assume that war means barbarity and destruction.

In fact, in many cases, the military means advanced technology!

Contrary to many people's stereotypes about the military, it is actually a very advanced organization, especially in places where the country and society are not yet fully developed.

The military possesses organizational capabilities, a large number of literate officers, and a vast pool of young soldiers. In countries like Niger, without external interference and sanctions, a military government has the capacity to organize disorganized local forces, resist colonial influence, and achieve some national development. A military government, at least, consists of its own people and has the ability to promote policies; mentally, it will likely treat the country as its own territory and wholeheartedly protect its own interests. Consider other possible governments in Niger: comprador governments controlled by the French, purely traitorous—many West African countries have had this type of government for decades; religious governments (Islamic or West African indigenous religions); elite governments of local interest groups, whose influence is insufficient to control local powerful families, are prone to compromise with foreign intervention, and whose orders do not extend beyond the capital; and terrorist governments resembling local Islamic states. Compared to these, a military government is far superior, guaranteeing the interests of at least a privileged segment of the population, allowing for the development of various local mineral resources, and selling them at prices closer to market rates.

The more organized an army is, the more knowledgeable rank-and-file soldiers it needs!

Advances in military technology led to increasingly complex military organizational structures. By the early 19th century, the military field encompassed hundreds of specialties. This necessitated the training of specialists to coordinate the relationships between these various specialties. Simultaneously, as military specialization became more refined and integrated, it became increasingly impossible to cultivate individuals proficient in all military disciplines while also understanding how to coordinate effectively. These two factors contributed to the birth of military professionalism. From then on, military officers, as a profession with specific social functions, gradually distanced themselves from politicians and police officers. Becoming an expert capable of leading troops in battle, governing the country, and maintaining domestic order, as was the case in feudal society, had become increasingly difficult.

The emergence of large armies led to the rise of officers who dedicated their lives to the military. From then on, court ministers who also handled military affairs in European countries, as well as military commanders who were often nobles and large landowners, began to fade from the historical stage. Before the 18th century, smaller armies, primarily composed of soldiers serving their entire lives, began to be replaced by larger armies composed of conscripts. The emerging capitalist system imposed an obligation on all citizens to serve their country. After a few years of service, they would return to their original civilian lives. Furthermore, the emergence of large armies also changed the traditional relationship between officers and soldiers. Before the 18th century, mercenaries constituted the majority of the army; they were often social outcasts, a class rejected by society, lacking both social status and trust. Officers, on the other hand, were of noble birth and enjoyed privileged status. Entering the 19th century, the composition of the army underwent a significant change. Soldiers came from all walks of life, effectively becoming representatives of all citizens; while the officer corps became a professional group selected based on knowledge and ability, living in their own relatively closed world with less contact with social life.

The eventual establishment of bourgeois democracy in Western countries naturally demanded that the military be as closely integrated with society as possible. The democratization of the military and the election of officers represent an extreme form of this trend. For example, during the American Revolutionary War, officers in the American militia were elected by the residents. Similarly, in the early stages of the French Revolution, officers in the new army were also elected. Of course, the election of officers contradicts the spirit of professional officerdom, just as appointing officers based on aristocratic birth is unreasonable. The bourgeois democratic demand for equal representation of all social classes in all political systems, including the military, thoroughly destroyed the privileges of the feudal aristocracy in establishing the officer corps. It was precisely the power struggle between the bourgeoisie and the feudal aristocracy over the composition of the officer corps that forced both sides to compromise, ultimately leading to the appointment of officers according to new principles.

To get back to the point, those gods who hold the divine authority of war will consciously or unconsciously strengthen their armies in order to become more powerful.

This requires the dissemination of knowledge.

Therefore, many war gods establish schools in their own worlds.

Not to mention theaters, many gods have artistic duties. In fact, it can be said that this is the most widespread and scattered divine duty. For example, in the Olympian pantheon, many gods have this divine duty.

For example, Athena.

For example, Apollo, the Greek god of light and prophecy, one of the twelve Olympian gods, is associated with music, poetry, medicine, disaster relief, and law. His symbols include the lyre, bow and arrow, and laurel wreath. Apollo is known for his image as a handsome young man holding a lyre, often accompanied by the nine Muses, and is considered the epitome of masculine beauty. After slaying the serpent serpent Pindola, he founded the Temple of Delphi, establishing the oracles' system. He also served as a shepherd, city-builder, and protector, and his rituals encompassed agricultural festivals and city-state regulations. Related titles include "God of Rat Exterminators," "Lord of the Wolf," and "King of the Golden Sword," with the laurel wreath being his iconic headdress.

In addition, the nine Muses, who were Apollo's attendants, also held related divine positions.

The Muses are the collective name for nine ancient goddesses of art and science in Greek mythology. They represent the myths and legends expressed through traditional music and dance, and through poetry passed down through the ages. Originally, they were nymphs who guarded the springs of Helicon, belonging to the nymph family. Later, Apollo from the Olympian pantheon was made their leader. The Muses often appeared at gatherings of gods and heroes, singing and dancing gracefully, bringing much joy and happiness to the occasions.

In short, theaters were practically a necessity, at least for the Olympian gods!
But hospitals... are very, very rare.

In both the East and the West, ancient people viewed serious illnesses as a curse from the gods, thus medical treatment was often inextricably linked to religion. Many ancient Egyptian temples contained "Houses of Life," where priests prayed, and others performed procedures such as hypnosis or bloodletting. Ancient Greece also primarily used temples for medical activities. These temples, under the conditions of the time, already possessed the rudimentary function of providing medical services to patients, while also serving as shelters. To preserve its fighting strength, ancient Rome placed great emphasis on the construction of hospitals. In the 3rd century BC, the number of wounded Roman soldiers increased, and military hospitals gradually appeared within the army. Of course, these were not comparable to modern military hospitals; they were simply specialized tents. Some strategic fortresses even built permanent medical buildings, containing wards, pharmacies, and nursing rooms, with good ventilation and drainage facilities. In 2004, German archaeologists unexpectedly discovered an underground site in Neuss, a city on the lower Rhine River, which turned out to be a fortress built by the ancient Romans that could accommodate 6500 soldiers. One room contained dozens of medical and pharmaceutical instruments. These hospitals were usually located dozens of kilometers behind the front lines, treating mostly ordinary patients rather than wounded soldiers. Some smaller fortress hospitals, such as Frundoch in Scotland, only housed wounded soldiers and were not open to the general public. The size of these fortress hospitals gradually decreased, and around 220 AD, armies shifted to relying on field hospitals, thus ending the mission of fortress hospitals.

Christianity was initially suppressed by Roman emperors and was not recognized until the reign of Constantine the Great. A subsequent synod of bishops called for the establishment of a shelter in every city with a church. These early shelters were also known as "almshouses" or "poor homes," essentially hospitals. Their most important function was to care for and treat the sick, and to provide shelter or accommodation for the poor and believers from other places.

The St. Basel Asylum, built in Caesar's city in 368 AD, is the first recorded hospital established after this conference, and it included an isolation ward for lepers. Subsequently, asylums were established in Constantinople, Alexandria, and other places. After the 12th century, such asylum hospitals developed rapidly in Europe, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the "hospital movement." Hospitals could be found in almost every small town in Europe, varying in size from hundreds of beds to only a few patients. The Latin word "hospitalia" originally meant inn, initially only accommodating the elderly, orphans, and abandoned children, but later evolved into a place specifically for patients, hence the English word "hospital."

The Grand Palace Hospitals of medieval France had a significant impact on the history of Western hospitals. The most famous is the Grand Palace Hospital in Paris, founded in the mid-7th century, which is the oldest hospital still in use today. These hospitals were often associated with charitable organizations or directly established by religious groups, and doctors were selected and paid by the municipal authorities.

In the 13th century, with the expansion of the Church's influence, hospital facilities improved, and most were built in quiet, well-ventilated locations. Furthermore, some hospitals offered specialized treatment, such as those specifically for the long-term care of the blind, disabled, elderly, or mentally ill. There were also specialized infectious disease hospitals; for example, near Canterbury, England, there was a large leper colony that could accommodate hundreds of people in wooden houses.

Because the responsibilities of religious sites and hospitals often overlap, no deity would specifically establish a hospital to serve mortals.

But Athena wouldn't.

But this is already the best she could do; Athena is still cruel in many ways.