#gyges

[aboutanancientenquiry]

“Rhetoric and the Ring of Gyges:

Abstract:

There are two fundamental differences between the story of Gyges as told by Herodotus and by Plato. Many commentators have stressed the absence of magical elements in Herodotus’ version; but in another way Herodotus’ version is more fantastic than Plato’s. Herodotus portrays Gyges as an innocent man, forced against his will to kill the king, marry the queen, and become ruler of Lydia. This version of the story appears to be a propaganda piece circulated by Gyges and his partisans in the aftermath of the murder in order to justify Gyges’ ascension to the throne of Lydia. Herodotus’ reporting of this version of the story does not necessarily indicate a lack of historical judgement on his part, however, since he did not necessarily choose it because he believed it was true.There are indications within the story that Herodotus recognized its propagandistic character, and a similar conclusion can be derived from a comparison of his treatment of other political leaders. If Plato’s version represents a reaction to Herodotus’ version, then he too saw the story as an example of Gyges’ rhetorical genius, and fashioned the magic ring in its image.”

Gabriel Danzig  Rhetoric and the Ring: Herodotus and Plato on the Story of Gyges as a Politically Expedient Tale

The whole paper is available on https://www.academia.edu/4702511/Rhetoric_and_the_Ring_Herodotus_and_Plato_on_the_Story_of_Gyges_as_a_Politically_Expedient_Tale

Gabriel Danzig, Bar-Ilan University,  Classical Studies,  Chairman

[themetalgodsmeltdownposts]

(The Metal Gods Meltdown)

[fine-arts-gallery]

King Candaules of Lydia Showing his Wife to Gyges (1646) by Jacob Jordaens.

[floofysmallbob]

eeehhhhhh I’m not feeling this redesign but here it is

I mean, I like it better than canon, but it just doesn’t look too great, and the name I was going to use (Braires) is already the name of the guard at Tartarus, so I had to settle on this, and it’s just kinda meh, but honestly, it’s not going to be perfect, and i unfortunately have to accept that. So here’s Polymeliac Hero: Hekatonkheires

camouflage pattern

no weird eyes

more muted colors

knee pads

steel knuckled gloves

pointy ears

mask is separated from the rest of the costume

extra arms cut off at the wrist instead of having a joint where the hand would be

forgot the shading where the clothes are casting a shadow on his skin but it’s ok

COLD WEATHER VERSION:

poncho

slightly darker colors

thicker gloves(not fingerless)

thicker fabric(not visible)

WARM WEATHER VERSION:

lighter colors

lighter fabric(not visible)

thats it

this was honestly fairly rushed, but idk it turned out ok

As always, tips and advice are appreciated!

[silvershadow1711]

My paper is bigger than my scanner, so I had to scan this twice to get sharp copies of both sides.

Back when I finished The Road Not Trekked: The Ephemeral Equinox (my FE Fates Revelation rewrite), I planned for this to be... not a "cover", but kind of like a movie poster? Featuring all the "bosses" Nerr and the gang encountered in Valla, specifically to show how their designs... let's say "differed" from how they're portrayed in-game (in case you can't tell, my rewrite leans heavily into horror).

I must have spent weeks inking this behemoth (it's 9x12 inches- all my watercolor paintings are that size, while the inkwas paintings are 9x6), and scanned it for posterity... only to have to original heavily damaged by a freakish bout of humidity that hurricane season (it also damaged several electronics). So I can't paint it traditionally like I'd planned/hoped. There's always the option for digital painting, but I'm bad at digital painting and given the blurring on either side, I'd have to cobble both images together, and that would probably look horrible and... it's just so much work... and for what? That fic absolutely bombed on AO3 (it did surprisingly well on FFN, tho).

So, I guess just enjoy the body horror. It is... much worse in text form, I promise you~💖

[theherdofturtles]

England and Wales 100% have purchased a golden ring and enchanted it to turn the wearer invisible. There's no way they haven't done this.

[nupaintings]

[spacehero-23]

Tolkien: Hey, can I copy your homework?

Plato: Sure but don't make it too obvious

[lemuseum]

[leviabeat]

In total, 32 bands will be at the Næstved Metalfest 2024 spread over three stages and three days. The final program and schedule will be announced in March.

Via Naestved Metalfest on Instagram

[outlandishsblogm]

The Ring of Gyges

If you are in possession of the ring, how would you use it?

We are intrinsically wicked just as much as we are intrinsically righteous. Balanced, as all things are ought to be. It is true however that humans act just because we cannot fathom getting condemned with injustices. That we cannot bear to be judged and suffer the negative consequences of wrong doings. So, the righteousness outweighs, and we get on with it.

Vileness is just hidden behind our demure character. It only emerges when an external element triggers the long unwritten print of goodness engraved in our being. Or when we have a magical ring.

Even I cannot deny the presence of slightest possibility of resorting to take advantage of things if I am in possession of the ring. Just to explore the irresistible desire to disappear suddenly, as though I am to spectate life, just log off, and grasp how would the earth turn without my presence. To get hold of the ring and just twist away from disappointments, cringes, embarrassments, and every moment that dismantles my utopia.

I reckon the impulse that lingers within us to wear the ring is driven by our discontentment and fear. The continual desire to have more even though our species are not built to be more, speaks loudly about our being not of humaneness but wanting to get comfortable. And the fear that is resultative from the failure of abiding to our moral codes—eventually challenging our nobleness, engages us to maneuver an act that neutralizes the perception of our being; giving license to indulge in the idea that acting congruently is relative.

Although with all that, considerably, there would still be a piece of conscience that remains beneath our being. And the conscience is the fundamental good on how we “should” make use of the ring. That eventually, we would find ourselves constrained within a mind that is struggling with moral dilemma. That albeit we succumb to a flexible moral code as a response, we will just convince ourselves that being just is always preferable than violating our own principles; howbeit, irrepressible.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Herodotus, the tale of Gyges, and the ideology of "sacred marriage" in Ancient Near East

"In summarizing the workings of political power and its associations in the ANE one could glance at Herodotus’ most tantalizing representation of Lydian kingship, an episode of conjugal disagreement that he oddly places at the start of his universal history.22 Possibly drawing on a drama dealing with Gyges’ usurpation of the Lydian power,23 Herodotus relates how the sovereign power of the Heraclid kings fell to the Mermnadae. We are told that Candaules, the last of the descendants of Heracles and king of the Lydians, entrusted to Gyges, his bodyguard, καὶ τὰ σπουδαιέστερα τῶν πρηγμάτων (all his weightiest secrets, 1.8). Candaules held the beauty of his wife in high esteem and wished for Gyges to gaze upon her naked body to further convince him of her beauty since

ὦτα γὰρ τυγχάνει ἀνθρώποισι ἐόντα ἀπιστότερα ὀφθαλμῶν in humans ears happen to be less trustworthy than eyes.

However, by revealing the nature of his wife to Gyges, Candaules sets in motion the end of his political power. The queen discovers the plot and is enraged at her royal husband and the injustice she suffered. She gives Gyges an ultimatum: he must either kill Candaules, restoring thus her honour, or he will be executed for his indiscretion. The naked beauty of the royal consort is thus inextricably linked to the Lydian kingship and the sense of justice it promotes. The punishment, of course, that the queen exacts through Gyges results in the change of the royal dynasty. Candaules dies, and the queen now favours Gyges to become the legitimate king of the Lydians.

The tale exemplifies, I would argue, the pervasive influence of the “sacred marriage” ideology and its metaphorical value as appreciated by ancient authors and readers alike: the fact that in his initial terror at Candaules’ suggestion Gyges protests by citing the laws “discovered by human beings,” stressing the conventions of civilization with which kingship is closely associated, encourages the reading of the tale in the context of the exclusive relationship of the king with the goddess. The idea is also corroborated by the fact that the queen’s ultimatum to Gyges is placed in the middle of a debate about justice and the offence committed against her. Hence, in relating the tale, Herodotus invites the reader to fantasize about Gyges’ political cum erotic desires, stressing the familiar association of sex with good governance and death with political failure. The tale is deeply didactic in two ways: those in possession of power must be ready to honour their responsibilities, while those who dare to get a glimpse of the glory of kingship must be prepared to fight for it. The garden of the goddess comes at a cost."

Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides In the Garden of the Gods. Models of kingship from the Sumerians to the Seleucids, Routledge 2017 (pp 203-204)

[themetalgodsmeltdownposts]

(The Metal Gods Meltdown)

[metalshockfinland]

Icelandic RING OF GYGES Release New Single + Lyric Video 'Nautilus'

Icelandic Progressive rockers RING OF GYGES have released the second single/video “Nautilus” from their forthcoming album “Metamorphosis” which will be released via ViciSolum Productions on May19. Helgi Jónsson (vocalist and guitarist) about the single/video:“Nautilus is perhaps the heaviest song we’ve written, but it’s also one of the most progressive. There isn’t a single measure of 4/4 rhythm…

[fytpop]

[vexwerewolf]

What do you think is the worst frame for a SEKHMET-Class NHP? Why?

I went on more of an odyssey with this one than I thought.

I gave myself a rule here: I am not allowed to build a mech badly on purpose. As Dan Olson said, "if you build it out of malice, you inject it full of all your own prejudices. It ends up bad for reasons you created. It tells you nothing." Whenever I examine a mech for its suitability (or lack thereof) of SEKHMET, I must enter into it in good faith. I must try to build a good loadout and fail - I must not try to build a bad loadout and succeed.

First Appearances

I was initially going to say a Death's Head. There are a lot of frames that aren't well-suited to melee combat, but prima facie, I don't think there's a frame that by its traits and stats is more antithetical to the ethos of SEKHMET.

However. When I decided to go to COMP/CON and map out a Melee SEKHMET Death's Head for a laugh, I discovered... actually, if you disregard its traits, the Death's Head isn't the worst frame for SEKHMET. It's certainly not good - none of its traits support the playstyle - but the Death's Head is fast. It's base speed 5, just like the Blackbeard, and it has higher Evasion and E-Defence. With three ranks in an SSC mech, you can get Full Subjectivity Sync and boost its evasion to 14 with just 2 Agility, which is pretty nimble.

Also, with three ranks in an IPS-N frame - which by necessity you must have if you have SEKHMET - you can get Reinforced Frame. At LL6, with 4 points in Hull and 1 SP for Personalisations, you can get this little bastard to 26 HP, which combined with its high Evasion gives it pretty hefty staying power.

Also, a bizarre interaction that I had previously never thought of - and had to check with #rules-discussion on PilotNET - SEKHMET can use Core Siphon. There's nothing in the rules that says SEKHMET can't use protocols, and Core Siphon applies to all attacks, not just ranged ones. This can be useful if, for instance, you're close to demolishing an enemy with your first attack, and the next nearest target is an ally - your first attack roll will be buffed, and all the other attacks you make this turn will be debuffed.

This is my janked-up build:

-- SSC Death’s Head @ LL6 -- [ LICENSES ] IPS-N Blackbeard 3, SSC Death’s Head 2, SSC Mourning Cloak 1 [ CORE BONUSES ] Reinforced Frame, Full Subjectivity Sync [ TALENTS ] Duelist 3, Executioner 3, Skirmisher 3 [ STATS ] HULL:4 AGI:2 SYS:0 ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 HP:26 ARMOR:0 STRESS:4 HEATCAP:8 REPAIR:4 TECH ATK:0 LIMITED:+1 SPD:6 EVA:14 EDEF:8 SENSE:20 SAVE:13 [ WEAPONS ] MAIN/AUX MOUNT: Charged Blade / Fold Knife HEAVY MOUNT: Nanocarbon Sword [ SYSTEMS ] Personalizations, SEKHMET-Class NHP, Synthetic Muscle Netting, Core Siphon, High-Stress Mag Clamps

It's not... great. But it could work!

So, if it's not the Death's Head, what frame really is the worst for SEKHMET?

The Big Boy

The next stop on my journey was to think about what made the Death's Head not the worst choice, and look for a frame that didn't have those upsides. This led me - as many "worst frame for X" deep dives do - to the Barbarossa.

The Barbarossa isn't just slow, it's fucking slow. I can't express to you just how much of a drawback 2 Speed is. I had to pump Agility to 4 just to hit Speed 4, the base speed of an Everest. But when I did, the unsuitability of the Barbarossa sort of melted away as well.

The Barbarossa's Threat is huge, and if you're eligible for an IPS-N core bonus - which, again, I will remind you, you must be if you have SEKHMET - you can get Gyges frame, which buffs weapon Threat by 1. A Barbarossa with a Threat 3 Nanocarbon Sword threatens an absolutely absurd 36 spaces around it, so who gives a shit if it's not the quickest? Speed 4 isn't great for SEKHMET but if you've got move assist from your team it basically doesn't matter.

Moreover, the Barbarossa is functionally immune to most sources of forced movement. It can't be knocked prone by anything smaller than itself, already always wins grapples even before you add Synthetic Muscle Netting, and can just march over obstacles that would force a smaller mech to go around them.

Again, it's pretty jank, but this build works surprisingly well:

-- HA Barbarossa @ LL6 -- [ LICENSES ] HA Barbarossa 2, IPS-N Blackbeard 3, IPS-N Vlad 1 [ CORE BONUSES ] Gyges Frame, Heatfall Coolant System [ TALENTS ] Duelist 3, Executioner 3, Combined Arms 1, Nuclear Cavalier 2 [ STATS ] HULL:2 AGI:4 SYS:0 ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 HP:19 ARMOR:2 STRESS:4 HEATCAP:10 REPAIR:5 TECH ATK:-2 LIMITED:+1 SPD:4 EVA:10 EDEF:6 SENSE:10 SAVE:13 [ WEAPONS ] Integrated: Apocalypse Rail MAIN MOUNT: Impact Lance MAIN MOUNT: Chain Axe HEAVY MOUNT: Nanocarbon Sword [ SYSTEMS ] Personalizations, Synthetic Muscle Netting, SEKHMET-Class NHP, Reinforced Cabling

Reinforced Cabling - by the end, you will believe a mountain can fly.

Wait, Is Lancer Just That Flexible?

So far we've looked at two mechs I was sure would be a simple answer to this question and they were actually astoundingly viable given their respective downsides. Sure, they're not anywhere close to being top picks, but Lancer's game design seems to be tight enough that it basically never entirely locks you out of a role even if your mech isn't suited to it.

But there's still got to be a worst mech, right? Even with Lancer's legendary build flexibility, there still has to be a worst mech for the job of housing the Murder Cat, right? By definition, there has to be.

So what is it? It has to be a mech that's some combination of slow, fragile, doesn't have trait support for melee or traits that would otherwise be advantageous for a melee fighter, does have traits that would actively disadvantage it in melee, or has traits that are rendered unusable by not being on SEKHMET's permissible action flowchart. Moreover, I realised that any mech that has a Heavy slot can put a Nanocarbon Sword in it, and that weapon is so good that it can make up for most of a frame's deficiencies by itself. Therefore, we also need to exclude any frame that has a Heavy Slot.

We have two somewhat viable options here: the HORUS Lich and the SSC Emperor.

Ghost Warrior

The HORUS Lich is absurdly fragile on its base stats (although this can be easily circumvented via HASE and core bonuses), and it can't use its survival reaction while using SEKHMET if doing so would cause it to move away from an enemy. It lacks a Heavy slot, and it also lacks any traits that non-Heavy frames like the Nelson and the Mourning Cloak have to improve melee damage.

Even so, you can easily make a 22 HP, Evasion 10, E-Def 12 Lich by LL6.

-- HORUS Lich @ LL6 -- [ LICENSES ] IPS-N Blackbeard 3, HORUS Lich 2, IPS-N Nelson 1 [ CORE BONUSES ] Reinforced Frame, Overpower Caliber [ TALENTS ] Duelist 3, Skirmisher 3, Hunter 3 [ STATS ] HULL:4 AGI:2 SYS:0 ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 HP:22 ARMOR:0 STRESS:4 HEATCAP:5 REPAIR:7 TECH ATK:+1 LIMITED:+1 SPD:6 EVA:10 EDEF:12 SENSE:15 SAVE:14 [ WEAPONS ] MAIN/AUX MOUNT: War Pike / Tactical Knife // Overpower Caliber [ SYSTEMS ] SEKHMET-Class NHP, Personalizations, Synthetic Muscle Netting, Armament Redundancy, Reinforced Cabling, Bulwark Mods, Wandering Nightmare

This boy can do some work. The War Pike gives it excellent threat, OpCal boosts its damage per turn, and the TacKnife lets it do Hunter shenanigans, such as essentially attacking twice with its Knife. It's still not great, but it... works.

Sword of Kings

The Emperor is probably what we're looking for. It has only one Main Mount (worse even than the Lich's Main/Aux, which at least lets it do Knife Crimes), and its survivability and sustain comes entirely from Overshield, which it can't interact with at all while using SEKHMET. Even at 4 Hull, its Repair Cap is only 4, meaning it can't afford to take much damage.

-- SSC Emperor @ LL6 -- [ LICENSES ] IPS-N Blackbeard 3, SSC Emperor 2, IPS-N Nelson 1 [ CORE BONUSES ] Reinforced Frame, Overpower Caliber [ TALENTS ] Duelist 3, Skirmisher 3, Pankrati 3 [ STATS ] HULL:4 AGI:2 SYS:0 ENGI:2 STRUCTURE:4 HP:17 ARMOR:0 STRESS:4 HEATCAP:7 REPAIR:4 TECH ATK:+1 LIMITED:+1 SPD:6 EVA:12 EDEF:8 SENSE:15 SAVE:14 [ WEAPONS ] Integrated: Marathon Arc Bow MAIN MOUNT: War Pike // Overpower Caliber [ SYSTEMS ] Personalizations, Synthetic Muscle Netting, SEKHMET-Class NHP, Reinforced Cabling, Armament Redundancy, Bulwark Mods

Now, to be clear, this guy does start every fight with 9 Overshield, and regains it every time they take Structure damage, giving them 26 effective HP per Structure. But the Emperor needs to be constantly applying Overshield to allies to recharge their Storm Shield, and this is essentially impossible while SEKHMET is active!

And yet this build is still... at least remotely playable. I think we've found the worst frame for SEKHMET. I don't think SEKHMET likes the SSC Emperor very much.

And yet. You could field this. It wouldn't be good, but you could field this. It would probably die quite fast but it's not completely unplayable.

Damn, Lancer's pretty good.