In my past books and writings, I have talked about the incident at the Battle of Marathon where the Greeks defeated the outnumbering Persian army and saved the Western World, more specifically, it was the Athenians. During the battle, soldiers reported seeing a man whom they described as Theseus. Some say He rose from the ground, others that he simply appeared, and led the charge. It became more than just a rumor, it became documented, as the event was witnessed by several people. After the battle had been won, the Oracle of Delphi instructed the finding and return of the bones of Theseus to the City of Athens. The General Cimon went to the island of Skyros, where Theseus had been killed, and exhumed a grave that he interpreted to be Theseus, and took the remains back to Athens where a Sanctuary of Theseus was built on top of it. But the exact location of this sanctuary, The Theseion, is unknown.
When I first started studying Theseus, I was fascinated with this event in His history and timeline, but recently, I came across a similar story regarding the history of my own country, and paired with the fact that I am a lover of history, I had to write about it. At the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War, the second Day became imperative for the Union, as the Confederacy was charging up the high ground hills in an attempt to flank the Union line and destroy it. Colonel Chamberlain and his shattered 20th Maine regiment made it to the top of Little Round Top just in time and beat back charge after charge of Confederate soldiers, eventually taking out their swords and bayonets after running out of ammunition and charging down the hill, halting the last Confederate charge and effectively ending the threat against the Union flank. Had the 20th Maine failed, the Union army might have been destroyed. The Battle of Gettysburg was considered to be the turning point of the war. The objective of the South was to destroy the Union Army and force Lincoln to negotiate peace. Because of people like Chamberlain and the 2oth Maine, that goal was never achieved.
But during this struggle on Little Round Top, soldiers on both sides reported seeing the ghost of who they could only describe as George Washington on a white horse leading the Union soldiers, and some Confederate soldiers even shot at the ghost, only for the bullets to have no impact. The experience was so vivid for those fighting the battle that it made it into postwar memoirs of veterans. From ancient times to modern, soldiers tell accounts of their Heroic leaders from the past returning to help them. Skeptics claim that it is the result of things like battle fatigue. I understand that hallucinations can happen to people, but I don't buy that the exact same affliction would happen to multiple people and simultaneously cause them all to see and report the exact same thing.
When we have our Heroes, they remain with us, and they come when we need them, give us the spirit and power we need to overcome, and fight for us.
In the Goodness of the Gods,
I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,
Chris Aldridge.
