Alien Space Gods Of Ancient Greece and Rome (31 page)

'Among the Etruscans who had become extravagantly luxurious, Timaeus records in his first book that the slave-girls wait on men naked. And Theopompus, in the forty-third book of his "Histories" says that it is customary with the Etruscans to share their women in common; the women bestow great care on their bodies and often exercise even with the men, sometimes also with one another; for it is no disgrace for women to show themselves naked. Further, they dine not with their own husbands but with any men who happen to be present and they pledge with wine any whom they wish. They are also terribly bibulous, and are very good-looking. The Etruscans rear all the babies that are born, not knowing who is the father in any single ease. These in turn pursue the same mode of life as those who have given them nurture, having drinking-parties often and consorting with all the women. It is no disgrace for the Etruscans to be seen doing anything in the open, or even having anything done to them, for this also is a custom of their country.  And so far are they from regarding it as a disgrace that they actually say when the master of the house Is indulging in a love-affair, and someone enquires for him, that he is undergoing so-and-so, openly calling the act by its indecent name. When they get together for companionship or in family parties they do as follows; first of all after they have stopped drinking and are ready to go to bed, the servants bring in to them, the lamps being still lighted, sometimes female prostitutes, sometimes very beautiful boys, sometimes also their wives; and when they have enjoyed these the servants then introduce lusty, young men, who in their turn consort with them. They indulge in love-affairs and carry on these unions sometimes in full view of one another, but in most eases with screens set up around the beds: the screens are made of latticed wands over which cloths are thrown. Now they consort very eagerly to be sure with women; much more however do they enjoy consorting with boys and striplings. For in their country these latter are very good-looking because they live in luxury and keep their bodies smooth. In fact all the barbarians who live in the West remove the hair of their bodies by means of pitch plasters and by shaving with razors. Also, among the Etruscans at least many shops are set up and artisans arise for this business, corresponding to barbers among us. When they enter those shops, they offer themselves unreservedly having no modesty whatever before spectators or passers-by. This custom is also in use even among many of the Greeks who live in
Italy
; they learned it from the Samnites and the Messopians. In their luxury the Etruscans, as Aleinous records, knead bread, practise boxing, and do their flogging to the accompaniment of the flute.'

Today we watch television!

Dionysius of Halicarnassus marvelled that the Etruscans were distinguished from the rest of humanity by their morals, though they could hardly have been much more licentious than the Greeks. In pagan times people were conditioned by fertility-cults, sexual license often signified some holy rite, worship of the Earth-Mother untrammelled by morality. Slowly conquered by
Rome
the Etruscans educated their conquerors giving to the stolid Romans their laws, religion, ceremonies and town-planning to fashion our Western world.

The most civilised man in all
Italy
was surely an Etruscan. Wealthy Maecenas descended through both his father and mother from the Lucumoncs, Kings of Etruria, is still honoured all over the world as the Patron of Virgil and Horace, Counsellor to the Emperor Augustus, symbol of gracious living. Such encouragement of the arts, unparalleled until the Princes of the glorious Renaissance, evokes that Golden Age of Saturn, the cosmic culture of the Spacemen, the genius of
Italy
.

‘The characteristics for which in my opinion the
Roman Empire
is superior to all others lies in its religion. This which in other nations would he considered deplorable superstition, here in
Rome
is the very comer-stone of the State.'

Polybius, the Greek historian who watched
Carthage
burn in 146 BC, was devoutly impressed by the religious feeling of the Romans, not as a morality but in constant awareness of the Gods dominating their daily lives.

A hundred years later Marcus Tullius Cicero, whose literary genius brought Latin prose to perfection, expressed the convictions of all Romans that the Gods really did exist in celestial realms ever ready to influence the affairs of men. In his profound study
'De Natura Deorum'
Cicero
vowed, ‘The voices of the Fawns have often been heard and the Deities have appeared in forms so visible that they have compelled everyone who is not senseless or hardened in impiety to confess the presence of the Gods.’

The Romans watched the skies for a thousand years like all the peoples of Antiquity world-wide; from the portents their augurs prophesied the future, proving the profound impression the heavens exerted on everyone's minds. In
'De Divinatione'
Cicero
recorded prodigies similar to our own UFO sightings today.

'But I return to the divination of the Romans. How often has our Senate enjoined the deceivers to Consult the Books of the Sibyl! For instance, when two suns had been seen or when three moons had appeared and when flames of tire were noticed in the night, and the heaven itself seemed to burst open, and strange globes were remarked in it.’

Today when luminous objects are seen in the sky our own Parliament even in our Space Age dismisses them ail as hallucinations, fireballs or the planet Venus. What flaming memories made the Ancients watch such UFOs with alarm?

The Romans believed their
Eternal
City
basked under the divine protection of the Gods; its foundation was attended by Supernatural Powers.

In the ninth century BC the Latin city of
Alba Longa
was ruled by Tiberinus descended from Aeneas; he lost his life by drowning in a river called Albula, which was renamed the
Tiber
on which
Rome
was destined to stand. His son, Amulius, versed in the secret lore of the Etruscans, dabbled with electricity, using techniques alien to us. Dio Cassius states,

'Amulius, a descendant of Tiberinus, displayed an overweening pride and dared to make himself a God; he went so far as to match the thunder with artificial thunder, lo answer lightning with lightning, and to hurl thunderbolts. He met his end by the sudden overflow of the lake beside which his palace was built; it submerged both him and his palace.'

This astounding revelation suggests that about 800 BC Initiates in Old Italy utilised forces like nuclear-bombs! Such a claim evokes our ridicule yet dispassionate reflection recalls those Celestials with annihilation-weapons mentioned in the 'Mahabharata' and the fantastic wars blasting ancient
China
. Moses probably learned much of his magic from Jehovah. Amulius no doubt attempted to copy the wonders of visiting Spacemen just as our own scientists are striving to do today. Amulius was not the first man or the last to tamper with some cosmic force and in ignorance destroy himself.

Later
Alba Longa
was ruled jointly by Numitor and his brother, another Amulius. The brothers quarrelled; Amulius wrested the kingdom from Numitor; fearing the latter's daughter, Rhea Silvia, might have children, he made her a. Priestess of Vesta, sworn to five unwedded, a virgin all her days. Soon afterwards Rhea Silva found herself with child, fathered, she alleged, by the God, Mars. Vestal Virgins who lost their chastity were buried alive in an underground chamber; Rhea Silvia was spared this fate possibly because she became delivered of two boys in size and beauty more than human, suggesting divine parentage. Amulius more fearful than ever ordered the twins to be put into a basket and thrown into the
Tiber
; they drifted down stream and were washed ashore near a fig-tree, where they were found and suckled by a 'she-wolf'. The Latin 'lupa' also meant 'prostitute', the 'she-wolf' probably referred to Larentia, wife of the shepherd, Faustulus, who adopted the infants.

On attaining manhood
Romulus
and Remus returned to
Alba Longa
, killed Amulius and restored the city to their grandfather, Numitor. With fellow-adventurers, the twins decided to found a city of their own amid the scenes of their childhood. Today our own town-planners seek guidance from those Deities in
Whitehall
, in ancient times the founding of a city was a most solemn enterprise needing the blessing of the Celestials in the skies; some societies buried prisoners alive with the foundation-posts to appease the Gods. Recognition that the building of a
new city
first required the goodwill of the Gods was no vague superstition; this belief proved the Ancients to be instinctively conscious that affairs on Earth were always dominated by Overlords in the stars, who could - and sometimes did - destroy their cities.
Romulus
chose the Palatine Hill, Remus, the
Aventine
; like the Etruscans they agreed to settle their argument as to precise place and name of the projected city by divination from the flight of birds. Remus first saw six vultures on his left, then
Romulus
saw twelve, although some people alleged he had cheated. The brothers quarrelled. Remus is said to have taunted
Romulus
by jumping over a trench he was digging,
Romulus
in wrath killed him, although Ovid in 'Fasti' IV attributes the deed to Celer, friend of
Romulus
.

On
21st April 753 BC
Romulus
founded
Rome
!

The city soon became filled with a mob of pioneers and outlaws like those future townships of the American Wild West; women were scarce so
Romulus
invited his Sabine neighbours to a festival; suddenly at his signal, young Romans rushed among the guests with drawn swords and ravished away the Sabine maidens. Plutarch adds that since the Sabine women were carried into their new homes by force Roman husbands continued to carry their brides over the threshold, a custom followed by bridegrooms ever since.
Romulus
championed the cause of the people against the grasping patricians; beloved by the soldiers he became greatly honoured. In 716 BC while Romulus was delivering judgment on the Palatine Hill thunder and lightning rent the skies, a black cloud blotted out the sun, when the storm ceased the assembly were astonished to discover that Romulus had vanished from their midst, miraculously transported to the skies. Ovid poetically describes how Mars with Jupiter's consent swept down in his chariot to carry
Romulus
to heaven; later Juno sent her Messenger, Iris, on a gaily coloured rainbow to seek
Romulus
's wife, Hersalis; together they ascended the Palatine Hill, a star fell from the sky then bore her to
Romulus
among the stars.

Shortly afterwards Julius Proculus,147 a man of noblest birth, swore by the most sacred emblems before all the people that he had seen Romulus suddenly descend from the sky and appear to him radiantly transfigured in bright and shining armour. The hero told Proculus that it was the pleasure of the Gods that after founding a city destined to be the greatest on Earth, he should dwell in heaven. The Romans all fervently believed this miracle and honoured
Romulus
as their God, Quirinus.