Chapter 20 A Tale of Two Fairies

Six years ago, when I participated in the interview of the host of "Zhengda Variety Show", one of the test questions was to retell a piece of Greek mythology: Poseidon, the god of war and sea god, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, competed for the guardianship of the capital of the Greek city republic.It was difficult for the gods to make a decision, so they asked each of them to send a gift to this emerging city to distinguish between high and low.I saw Poseidon throwing his trident with all his strength, it penetrated deeply into the rock of the Acropolis, and a stream of clear spring gushed out, causing a lot of sighs: With such power, the new city will have nothing to fear.At this time, Athena came slowly, and handed over an olive branch without any haste.The gods applaud silently: the faith of peace is better than the display of force.So Athena won the guardianship, and the new city was named after her, which is Athens.It is said that I narrated this story very vividly, so it was reported to the TV station the next day, so there was a third and fourth time, until I was confirmed as the host of the show.

Six months ago, I finally had the opportunity to come to Athens.The first day's schedule included visiting the Temple of Athena and the Temple of Poseidon.I was full of interest, as if I was going to visit two old friends who had a lot of history but never met.However, it seems that there is still a bad blood between the two friends - the two temples are more than 30 kilometers apart.The winner is proudly located on the top of the Acropolis in the urban area, while the loser is far away on the Aegean seaside on the outskirts of the city. Of course Athena is not lonely.The bustling tourists have already made the stone steps on the Acropolis Hill slippery.Layers of affiliated temples and theaters at the foot of the mountain and on the mountainside make her palace even more magnificent.Each of the stone pillars of the temple is thick at the bottom and thin at the top, and is slightly inclined inward.When you stand under the pillar, you suddenly feel that the turbid air sinks and the clean air rises.In the bright sunlight, a blue sky is held up on the top of the column, which is safe and secure. How can human beings use wisdom to build the home of the goddess of wisdom?The legendary statue of Athena is nearly ten meters high, and its body is studded with gold, jade and jewels-the light makes every believer who comes to worship dare not look at it.Back then, boys and girls stood around the temple in white clothes. People wore olive branch rings on their heads and held their best dishes in their hands. They slowly climbed to the top of the mountain to offer sacrifices to their patron saint.Unfortunately, the goddess who promised peace did not bring peace to Athens.Greece was first annexed by Alexander's Macedonian Kingdom, and then attributed to the territory of the Venetian City Republic. When the Turkish Ottoman legions surrounded Athens, Italian soldiers used the Temple of Athena as a dynamite depot.The Turkish cannon hit the top of the mountain, and the entire temple died in the deafening explosion and the raging flames, leaving only remnants of stones on the ground.The stone pillars can still be repaired, but the idols have become history.Greece did not gain independence until the end of World War I, but the only remaining works of art in the Temple of Athena were removed by the British and French.The desire for peace is sometimes so fragile. If the gods handed over Athens to the mighty Poseidon, the god of war would probably have kept the city safe and sound? !But then again, whoever conquered Greece was eventually conquered by Greek civilization.In fact, the Temple of Athena was built by Alexander the Great himself, firstly to appease the hearts of the Greeks, and secondly because he himself was a hardcore "starchaser" of Greek civilization.It seems that when Athena looked back and smiled, millions of heroes bowed their heads one after another.This spiritual superiority is probably the power of wisdom.

The Temple of Poseidon is built on a cliff 30 to 40 meters high near the sea, and there are far fewer tourists here.It was similar in style to the Temple of Athena, but only half the size.It really complies with the logic of the Chinese "the winner is the prince and the loser is the bandit".That June afternoon, the sky was a bit gloomy, and the sea breeze was blowing against my face, making it a bit cold.A lone sail passed by on the far sea, and then there was just a quiet, boundless sea. I suddenly thought of Xiang Yu, when he was defeated, he was furious, and he lamented that he was so powerful that he was overwhelming, but he was besieged on all sides, and it was hard to return to the east of the river. There was no place for him in the huge world, and he had to die.Think of Poseidon, who was brave and thought that he was the patron saint of Athens, but was won by Athena lightly and deftly.If it were a mortal, seeing other people's fireworks flourishing, and he could only settle down in this wilderness, he would very likely draw his sword and commit suicide in shame and anger.But he is a god and cannot die, so he has only patience.He is the god of war and also the god of the sea.The Greeks purposely built his temple on the Aegean Sea, presumably to comfort him, and of course, for the selfishness of asking him to bless the ship.

The seaside scenery is unique.When Athena was busy accepting the praises and sacrifices of the people in the hustle and bustle, when she enjoyed the glory and humiliation in the change of emperors and the handover of dynasties, Poseidon stood in front of the wind, facing the turbulent waves, and changing stars.The sea is his domain, the cliffs his altar.The air is fresh and the scenery is pleasing to the eye. Isn't it more free and unrestrained than Athena?Athena must have been very envious.From this point of view, good luck, bad luck?How can it happen overnight? I'm happy for Poseidon.

If I were to tell the story of Athena and Poseidon today, it must be different from six years ago.