Mission Briefing: The Children of Perikoi

Transcription

1 Mission Briefing: The Children of Perikoi Federation influence is expanding beyond our current borders. Public pressure to expand Federation control and settlements has resulted in the creation of the Federation Colonization Survey (FCS). The FCSʼs mission is to determine the best strategies for placing future settlements and industries on newly discovered planets. The FCS must also coordinate the creation of new settlements with Starfleet, the military branch of the United Federation of Planets. Starfleet would be required to provide protection to the newly formed settlements. The exploration of deep space begins with unmanned probes. If the probes find suitable planets, the FCS sends manned science ships to determine if the newly discovered planet would be good to use as a home for mankind. The inhabited solar system of PCX-2214 was discovered two years ago by an exploration probe. The population of the fourth planet are humanoids, very similar in appearance to Earth humans. Their current level of development is similar to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians from Earthʼs history. This makes them a Class 3 civilization on the Standard Industrial Scale.

2 Six months ago the Earth Science Ship Copernicus, with a crew of 120, was sent o continue the study of PCX From orbit, the Copernicus studied the planetʼs population, ecosystem, and resources. Surface teams gathered date on the planetʼs water and soil, as well as the planet, insect, and animal life. Exoantropological teams studied the planetʼs population. Because of PCX-2214ʼs Class 3 rating it is protected by the Prime Directive, which is the first law of exploration and held sacred by Federation exploration teams. The Prime Directive forbids interference and/or contamination of a primitive culture discovered by a Federation ship or other advanced civilization. The planet and its population must be studied from orbit until we have a better understanding of the people, their language and way of life. Once that understanding is achieved, science teams can disguise themselves to look like the native population and go down to that planetʼs surface to study the people more closely. Field officers working directly with the native population must speak their language well enough not to draw attention or suspicion to themselves. In addition to the language, the field teams must dress and act like the local inhabitants. This level of interaction has been approved for PCX The natives of PCX-2214 call their planet and themselves Perikoi. They have created a society remarkably similar to ancient Greece. They have a form of democracy, independent city-states, and power struggles which sometimes result in occasional dictatorships. They worship multiple gods, representing the forces of nature and the planet around them. Temples, built to honor these gods, can be found in all the major city states and dot the country side. Temple rituals stress the importance of compete obedience. Through obedience and devotion, the natives believe a home in the afterlife will be prepared for them when they die. This type of temple worship is common to many ancient cultures in the galaxy. Temple rituals are not the only similarity. The people of Perikoi use a Spartan-like method of educating their young. This educational system- established by the gods, according to the people- emphasizes physical fitness and military training for the boys and homemaking for the girls. Academic training is composed of five subjects- math, reading, philosophy, history, and temple language. The temple language is different from the native language. It is highly structured with a complicated grammar. It is spoken only in temple worship and in the schools. Scientific inquiry of any kind is forbidden by the High Priests. Questioning the nature of why things do what they do is questioning the wisdom of the gods. The penalty of scientific inquiry is death.

3 According to the religion of Perikoi, the gods visit the temples in chariots of fire every twelve years. During the visitation, the best and brightest of the children are chosen to return with the gods to the Fields of Perikoi to serve them for eternity. In the native culture it is considered a great honor to be selected. It is the childʼs ultimate reward for seven years of preparation in school. The families of the chosen children are given a place of high honor in society. Each family that sacrifices a child to the service of the gods is given the Light of Perikoi. The Light resembles a common house lamp from Earth and appears to have solar panels on their base. During the day, the lamp is placed outside to gather the godsʼ light from the sun. In the evening, the lamp is taken indoors to light the home. This Light is a constant reminder to the family of the gift they have given to the gods. The chosen children are taken from the twelve year old class at the temple schools. Those not chosen return to their homes- their education is complete. They are taught a trade, grow up, marry, and raise children of their own, hoping they will be special enough to be chosen by the Gods in a future visitation. Males become members of the city-state warrior and political classes. Females care for the home and children. The Perikoiʼs fear of science and the selection of children to leave the planet to serve the gods is unique to this planet. There are myths in ancient Greece of multiple visits of the gods to mortals and even the odd ʻkidnappingʼ, but such visits were rare and usually witnessed by very few. We have never seen a culture in which these events were proven to occur and experienced by the entire population. Deity visitation is a main component of the Perikoi faith. Thousands of Perikoi report witnessing the even on more than once occasion. When questioned by our science teams, posing as travelers from another city-state, their stories are credible with most details alike in each retelling. It is highly unlikely a story would be so consistent if there was no truth to it. This troubles the FCS and Starfleet. One of the FCSʼs responsibilities is to investigate violations of the Prime Directive. A full scale scientific inquiry has been called for. Your ships have been dispatched to conduct this investigation. IMPORTANT

4 The First Contact Office gave permission for the Copernicusʼ science teams to begin teaching basic science to the Perikoi. The scientists pretend to be natives from far distant city-states. They set up tables in the market places and conduct simple science experiments using every day materials. They explain that their city-state encourages learning science, and that it is simply a study of how their planet works and why things do what they do. The scientists are trying to spark an interest in learning science. They have been successful in some cities. In others, theyʼve been arrested. They were driven out of one city by mobs led by the temple priests. Currently, two of the scientists are in prison. The Copernicus monitors them closely from orbit and will transport them off the planet if necessary. The Gods of Perikoi Our knowledge of the gods of Perikoi is limited. What we know comes from the few scrolls our teams have been permitted to study and the myths and fables told around dinner tables and the public baths. Our most accurate understanding comes from our teams that have been successful in infiltrating the Perikoi. These teams were welcomed into the city-states where the Perikoi shared their knowledge generously. Other teams were treated suspiciously. The suspicion is a result of the accent our scientists have when speaking the native language and their lack of understanding the local laws and customs. This is a common problems our teams encounter when doing field work on alien worlds. Our knowledge of the gods of Perikoi is limited, but complete enough to make comparisons with the gods of ancient Greece. The Perikoi of PCX-2214 worship three gods and fear one demon: 1. Lacadaemeus: The god of the sky and heavens. Their chief god. His temples can be ounf in all cities. The primary temple is located in the largest city-state on the planet. He is the god of the afterworld- where the Perikoi go at death if they have lived a good life. In the afterworld they are reunited with their children that were taken in the Choosing.

5 2. Messenus: The god of the water. His temples ar found in every city-state near the planetʼs oceans, seas, and large lakes. He is the ruler of the underworld. This is the place reserved for those who fail to honor the commandments of the gods. 3. Ephoria: The goddess of the land. Her temples are found in all inland city-states. She is the goddess of everything associated with the land. 4. Stoictus: Demon of discord and anarchy. Stoictus is the doubter- the demon that causes the Perikoi to doubt their gods. His main tool of deception is scientific inquiry. Those that question the true nature of the gods and turn towards a study of nature are considered to be possessed by Stoictus and sentenced to death. The gods are eternal. They always have been and always will be. There are unchanging. Because it is part of them, the planet is considered eternal as well. It, too, always has been and always will be. The gods are kind and generous, but can and will display anger against individuals and city-states that do not conduct the proper rituals or neglect the proper education of the young. Childrenʼs education is vital to the Choosing and therefore of the utmost importance to the gods. Natureʼs violence as reflected through tornado, hurricane, earthquake, drought, and floods are all signs of the gods doing battle with Stoictus or a punishment for those that listen to the whispering doubts of the demon. Wars between city-states are not allowed during a Choosing year. Instead, city-states are commanded by the gods to settle their differences by consulting temple Oracles. The Oracles pass judgement and any city failing to obey the Oracles are visited by rivers of fire from the sky during the Choosing. The Myths of the Perikoi

6 The Perikoi of PCX-2214 have a complex mythology. There are hundreds of stories detailing the kindness of the gods toward mortals, and hundreds of others that describe the wrath of the gods against those who turn against the truth and follow the demon Stoictus by studying science. Our science teams, disguised as simple Perikoi rom distant lands, are currently recording the myths for documentation. One surprising difference between the myths of ancient Greece and the Perikoi is their lack of stories describing the gods as anything other than perfect in their behavior. The Greek gods, in comparison, were mischievous in many ways. They could be loving on one day and on the next, scheming for attention and power. The mischievous god is a common trait for Earthʼs ancient peoples but not the Perikoi. The Choosing Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of the Perikoi religion is the Choosing. An outline of the Choosing follows. THE EDUCATION OF THE PERIKOI CHILDREN All Perikoi males are trained from birth to be functioning members of a military organization. Weak infants are left in the mountains to die. Surviving males are thrust into military training at age seven. The boys spend half the day in Temple School and the other half in military training. They are made to endure the cold with minimal clothing and fed only black broth and rough fare. They are encouraged to steal food. The resultant cleverness was taught by the gods as a necessary preparation to be the best for the Choosing. The Chosen will be taken to live with the gods and fight their battles against the demon and his armies of the wicked dead. By making the boys live a life of self-denial their bodies and minds are toughened and made indifferent to hardship. All Perikoi females are taught to be homemakers and farmer. like the boys, they spend half their day in Temple School. While the boys leave school for the military barracks, however, the girls spend the remainder of their days at home where they are trained by their mothers and grandmothers. Females in the Perikoi culture are considered subservient to males. They have no voice in the running of the city-states. Boys are girls are all taught to read and are trained in the Temple Tongue from age seven to twelve. The language of the temple is spoken in all forms of worship. It is considered to be a holy language and is never spoken in common day-to-day life. Math, history, and philosophy are also taught in Temple School. THE DAY OF THE CHOOSING

7 The Choosing is the aspect of Perikoi religion which most confuses the science teams. The closes historical example on Earth would be the sacrificing of young adults to certain gods to gain their favor. The procedure of the Choosing is very particular and starts weeks before the actual event. On a specified day, the gods speak to the High Priests of each temple. The priests know the gods wish to speak because of a sound that comes from the inner room of the temples. When the sound is heard the High Priests enter the room and put on a special headdress. The gods tell the priests to gather the children. Only the best and brightest of the boys and girls are prepared for the Choosing. On the day of the Choosing the children and their families spend the morning worshipping in the temples. At noon the gods descend to the selected temples in their Fire Ships. Once the Fire Ships arrive the servants of the gods descend down a long ramp carrying the Arch of Honor. The gods watch from their ships as each child walks through the Arch, chanting praises to the gods. The child is considered ʻChosenʼ if the Arch lights up when they pass through. He or she is then taken by the servants into the Fire Ship and clothed in ceremonial garb for their journey to the home of the gods. Before the Fire Ships leave Perikoi the Chosen children are allowed to present their families with the Light of Perikoi. They are then taken into the heavens by the Fire Ships, never to be seen again. This ends the Choosing. The people of Perikoi immediately begin again to prepare their children for the next time the gods arrive. Those children who are not chosen are not looked down upon. They are commended for their excellent efforts and released to their parents. With their formal temple schooling finished, they enter the work force of the community. YOUR MISSION Officers, you will take the starships assigned to you and conduct an investigation. Your mission will be to answer one question: are the gods of Perikoi real or fable and myth? The information from the science teams on the planet must be carefully considered before you create your hypothesis. It is suggested you compare the information known about the Perikoiʼs gods with the ancient gods of Earthʼs past. A careful comparison will help you determine the truth. All ancient religions share many characteristics. Use these similarities and differences to guide your thinking. According to the Perikoi, the twelve year cycle is at an end. The Choosing will occur on the day you arrive at the planet. This is our opportunity to learn the truth. Discussion Items:

8 What is happening on Perikoi? What are the gods? Are they real? What is the Choosing? It is a fact that thousand of Perikoi children are taken by someone. Where are they taken and why? What part do the temple priests play in the Choosing? Do they know more than they tell the people? The priests say they can speak to the gods using a device inside each templeʼs sacred room. Do you believe this? If yes, then what is the device? Why would the gods (or the priests) forbid the study of science? ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES Following is some more information and activities you can use, if you would like, to help the students understand and apply the mission and curriculum. Comparisons Between the Greek and Perikoi Objectives Students will do the following: A. Read all background information on the Greek and Perikoi culture. B. Discuss how the cultures and religions are alike and different. C. As a class write a hypothesis giving their opinion on the Choosing, what it really is, and the true reasons for it. Pre-Visit Activity Imagine being born 2500 years ago in Greece or Egypt. Life would be very different without the luxuries of science. Imagine your life without television, radio, movies or Nintendo. Imagine how restricted you would be without cars, trains, and airplanes. Your entire life would be spent in the same village - never traveling more than ten or twenty miles from your home. Once old enough you would be expected to work with your parents to support your home and family. Boys would learn their father s trade and continue the family business or farm after the father s passing. Girls would learn to keep the home and maintain the family. If you were wealthy and a boy you might be offered a simple education. Imagine living in a world without a good modern education. Who would answer all of your w questions? Why does the sun shine? Where do clouds come from? What causes the storms on the sea? What is lightning? Why did my crop fail this year? The w questions, without answers, would haunt your entire life. Science came about because of the w questions. Ancient peoples used their gods and goddesses to answer the w questions. The Gods of Greece, for example, explained why the seasons changed. The gods were the cause of the failed harvest. It was Zeus that hurled lightning from above at those that displeased him. The myths and stories about the gods told around campfires and tables from one end of the world to the other satisfied people s curiosity of the world. Because nature and human emotion, wants, and needs were so complex and varied, ancient peoples created multiple

9 gods. Each god represented some aspect of nature or human need. Some societies had nearly 1000 gods! Each god had certain responsibilities. The gods did have some important differences from human beings: they were ageless and deathless, unlimited by physical restrictions, could take any shape they pleased, could go anywhere quickly and invisibly, and they could do things humans could not. The gods formed a divine community living around Zeus on Mount Olympus. Study the following information on the primary gods of Greece. You will use this information to compare them to the gods of the Perikoi. The Primary Gods of Ancient Greece Zeus was the most powerful of the gods. Should he have to bring order, he would hurl a thunderbolt. Zeus shared his powers and ruled with other great gods. Hera was the wife of Zeus, and thus, the Queen. Hera was the goddess of marriage, children, and the home. Poseidon, the lord of the sea, was the brother of Zeus Hades, another brother of Zeus, was lord of the dead. Ares, Zeus' son, was the god of war. He tall and handsome but cruel and vain. Ares could not bear to suffer pain. Hephaestus, god of fire, often made metal tools and weapons to aid the gods and some fortunate mortals. Hermes was Zeus' son and the messenger of the gods. Hermes was noted for his pranks as well as for his speed. Apollo was Zeus' son and god of the sun, light and music. Artemis was goddess of the hunt Athena, for whom Athens was named, was the goddess of wisdom. Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty Eros was the god of love.!he had a bow and arrow to shoot people and make them fall in love. Dionysus was the god of wine, life, hospitality, and wild things Pan was half man, half goat, and the god of all nature. He was also the protector of shepherds and their flocks Hercules was another of Zeus' sons. He was half man, half god, and very strong. Centaur was half man, half horse, and tried to steal Hercules' wife. Pegasus was a winged horse Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the underworld. The Muses were daughters of Zeus. They made such beautiful music with their singing that it brought joy to everyone who heard them. As you can see, each god represented different aspects of life. This belief system was suitable for most occasions but one - the unpredictable. If the gods were perfect and loving then how did one explain disaster? How did one explain the early death of a loved one that worshiped the gods faithfully every day? Life is unpredictable so the gods must be unpredictable as well. The ancient Greek religion used myth and fable to humanize the gods by giving them human traits. A myth is a traditional story serving to explain some phenomenon of nature, the origin of man, or the customs, institutions, religious rites, etc. of a people. Myths are imaginative products of human mind to help explain or teach about the nature of man or the big questions (the origins of the universe, the origins of man, what happens after death) or a multitude of natural phenomena which men could not otherwise understand or control. Myths give insight into the attitudes (social, ethical and religious) of ancient Greeks: those who treat others with arrogance and disrespect usually bring personal disaster upon themselves The myths of the Greek gods taught that man must conquer his fears and accept challenges which appear to be insurmountable, in order to achieve a sense of self-

10 satisfaction and accomplishment. The kind of person one is takes precedence over what he accomplishes. With human emotions like love, jealousy, sympathy, anger, and revenge, the gods could lash out at each other or any mortal that offended them or those they cared for. Therefore, unpredictability was explained as the moods of the gods. Throughout your life you would worship and fear these gods. You would be a pawn on their chessboard, moved here and there as they saw fit. You would visit the temple for votive offerings (gifts made in fulfillment of a vow) attempting to gain their favor. If your life was going well it was because the gods were rewarding you for your devotion. If your life was unhappy then you would question yourself to discover what you or a member of your family did to offend the gods. The gods and their various forms of worship would be the central point of your life. Ancient Greece Activities and Lesson Plans To learn more about the Greek Gods your students may complete one or more of the following projects. These are activities you can do in your classroom during a study of Ancient Greece or Greek Mythology. Have the children each take a god or goddess and dress up as that character. Then play a Guess My Line type of game where the students ask questions and they have to guess the character of each person in the room. Have each student or group or students design a temple to honor a particular god or goddess. These are easily made out of shoe boxes. Have them look at pictures of the Temple of Hera in Olympia and others for inspiration. Have the students perform Reader's Theater with some of the Greek Myths. They can write their own scripts or you can purchase them. Have the students take a Greek myth and rewrite it in modern language. Have individual students or groups each take an aspect of Greek civilization and create a Power Point page on that topic. Put all the pages together for a presentation. Have the students invent their own Greek monster and write descriptions. Have the students identify major personalities of Greek science, art, and philosophy. Then, debate what would have changed in Greek culture and history as each person is removed from history as if they were banned or punished like those in the Perikoi community. Procedures A. Ask the students for their opinions on the role of myth and fable in the lives of ancient peoples like the Greeks. Myth and Fable were substitutes for a real understanding of nature and the universe around them. Myth and Fable provided the basis for their religion and their understanding of their gods. Myth and Fable gave their lives purpose and explained the seasons, the world, and the universe. They explained suffering and gave hope to the people for a better life to come after death. B. Review the Gods of Ancient Greece from the Mission Background section of this study guide. Do one or more of the suggested activities on the gods listed in the study guide. C. Discuss the following items with your class: If you lived in ancient Greece which god or goddess would be your favorite and why?

11 Knowing what you know about the world and science - if you were somehow transported to ancient Greece in a time machine what would you do with that knowledge? What would you teach them about their world and how do you think they would react to that knowledge? (As a teacher you may want to play the role of an ancient high priest of Zeus and have a debate with one of your sharpest students. Let the student present what he/she knows of a certain topic such as where lightning comes from and your response that it is fire thrown from Zeus. Could the student using the tools of that day prove any of his statements? How would the people react to someone seeking to discredit the gods? D. Review all information on the gods and myths of the Perikoi presented in the Mission Background section of this study guide. E. Using a class discussion compare and contrast the religions of ancient greece and the Perikoi. Touch upon the following topics in the discussion. Number of gods: Greek - Hundreds. Perikoi - 3 and one demon. Personalities of the Gods: Greek - very human with the possibility of extreme emotion. Perikoi - The gods are perfect in behavior and only wish to care for the Perikoi. The only anger demonstrated is towards those that disobey their strict orders. Attitude toward science and learning. Greek - no restrictions. Learning was encouraged in the Greek culture. Perikoi - learning was restricted by the gods. Science of any kind was prohibited unless the scientific knowledge came from the gods themselves. Required worship from the people. Greeks - not required. Perikoi - required. There are set forms of worship. Failure to follow the set code of worship could lead to punishment. The Choosing. There is nothing in Earth s ancient religions that corresponds to the Choosing of the Perikoi. There are no records of any ancient god visiting large groups of people. There are stories of the Greek gods visiting individuals. Mass sightings of Gods with multiple witnesses is unique to the Perikoi only. There are instances of people in ancient times feeling that the gods had singled them out for special purposes. This personal selection did not involve the removal of the person from the planet. The Choosing and the removal of children from the community is unique only to the Perikoi. Were the gods of ancient Greece real or fiction? To many ancient Greeks they were very real. Others doubted their existence, the class will answer fiction. What evidence do they have to back that fact? Are the gods of the Perikoi real or fiction? What evidence is there to back the student s opinions? F. Using the information gathered so far in this mission briefing create a hypothesis on the foundation of the Perikoi religion. The hypothesis should include the classes best educated guesses to answer the following questions: The Perikoi gods - real or fiction? The Choosing - real or fiction? If you believe the Choosing is real, then who would you answer the following questions: 1. Where are the children going and who is taking them? 2. What are they used for? 3. Why is their schooling system set up the way it is? 4. What is the Light given to the families? 5. Who are the temple priests speaking to when they go into the inner room of the temples to commune with the gods? 6. Why is science forbidden? 7. What is the language of the gods?

12 8. What is the arch the children walk through? 9. What is the Fireship? 10. Why is the choosing every twelve years? If you believe the Choosing is fiction, then how would you answer the following questions? 1. If fiction, where are the children going and who is taking them? 2. What are they used for? 3. Why is their schooling system set up the way it is? 4. What is the Light given to the families? 5. Who are the temple priests speaking to when they go into the inner room of the temples to commune with the gods? 6. Why is science forbidden? 7. What is the language of the gods? 8. What is the arch the children walk through? 9. What is the Fireship? 10. Why is the choosing every twelve years? The simulator mission will be used to test the class s hypothesis. The hypothesis should be written and brought to the Center on the day of the field trip.