Even in Athens, Lin Lei had heard many rumors about Nero. It was said that he spent hundreds of gold coins on a single meal, and his bathroom was filled with beautiful palace maids of different races and origins. In addition, Nero was accused of stealing funds from the treasury, disguising himself as a robber to rob brides, and even murdering nobles without heirs to confiscate their property.
Nero had a tight grip on the Praetorian Guard, spending huge sums to buy off both the upper and lower ranks of the Guard. The Senate was also guarded by the Praetorian Guard. Although the Senators each had their own private troops, these troops were no match for the Praetorian Guard in terms of strength and could not accompany them to the Senate every day.
Therefore, the Senators could only complain in private but dared not openly oppose Nero. However, on matters of national budget and official appointments, the Senate would not give an inch, often making Nero furious, but he was unwilling to break with the Senate completely.
"Holiness has been spreading secretly," said Epton, "although the Roman Empire tried to suppress the Holiness, it could not be eradicated completely. On the contrary, the number of believers has increased, and even many people in the Senate believe in the Divine One."
Holiness is a tightly organized monotheistic religion, whereas the belief in the Olympian gods is a loosely organized polytheistic faith with many weaknesses. After thousands of years of rule, the Olympian gods have become corrupt in many ways.
"Nero was a man who believed in no gods, neither the Olympian gods nor the Divine One, but he saw the Divine One as a force that could be used. So he colluded with the Holiness believers in the Senate to introduce the power of the Holiness and launch a surprise attack on the Pantheon. As a result, the Olympian gods were driven out of Rome and returned to Greece, their whereabouts unknown… except for Dionysus," Epton continued.
"Rome doesn't know where the Olympian gods are?" Lin Lei asked.
"Maybe they know, maybe they don't. The official explanation is that their whereabouts are unknown," Epton replied.
The Olympian gods have deep roots and cannot be easily destroyed. Dionysus was seriously injured protecting the other gods and managed to reach Athens before he died, so the other gods should still be alive.
"What happened to the people in Rome who believed in the Olympian gods?" Lin Lei asked.
"Most people have embraced the new religion, a small number were arrested, and some who persisted in their faith were executed, especially those who were wealthy but had no aristocratic blood," said Epton.
This was blatant robbery and murder. Such people are always a danger during times of unrest. Conversion would be useless; their wealth was the target.
In normal times, these people were already the most oppressed group, but in times of unrest, robbery became even more brazen. As Rome shifted from the belief in the Olympian gods to the belief in the Divine One, these people became the first victims of the upheaval.
"What about you?" Lin Lei asked, "Are you going to embrace the Holiness?"
"Maybe, I've had that thought. But I don't like the Divine One," said Epton.
"It's not a matter of liking or disliking," Lin Lei said.
"Maybe there is a single god in the world, but I'm sure that god wouldn't hide in the bushes to talk to his believers and wouldn't even show his face. Only demons would do that," said Epton.
In the Old Testament story of Yahweh, there is a thought-provoking episode about a leader who led his people across the Red Sea. They wandered in the desert, and the people became weary and unwilling to continue. At this time, Yahweh conveyed information to the leader through hiding in the bushes, but refused to meet him, claiming that mortals would die if they saw the deity.
Although this episode seems strange, it is clearly recorded in the scriptures, leading to various interpretations. Many people find this image of the deity difficult to accept, which is also a potential problem for monotheism.
Since monotheism worships only one deity, others are at most angels. If believers dislike the image of this god, it is difficult for them to continue believing in Yahweh. In contrast, polytheism is more flexible in this regard, and believers can choose to worship the deities they like. Later, Yahweh also partially embarked on the path of polytheism. While it continued to uphold the exclusive worship of God, it introduced figures like the Divine Mother, saints, and others. There is only one Divine Mother, but there can be many saints, who are responsible for protecting believers. There are also other divine beings, such as archangels and guardian angels.
However, in the early days, Yahweh strictly prohibited idolatry, even forbidding the preservation of statues of deities. The only true god was unquestionable, and those who rejected Yahweh were considered non-believers and faced the threat of death. Empton could not accept the description of the true god in the Old Testament, so he was unwilling to become a believer of Yahweh.
"What are you going to do then?" Linley asked.
"I don't know." Empton looked very confused.
"You can become my follower." Linley suggested.
"I am a Roman." Empton struggled to respond.
"Do you think I am at odds with the Romans?" Linley asked back.
"Isn't that so?" Empton asked in confusion.
"Of course not." Linley explained, "Yahweh has become the state religion of Rome. What do you think their next step will be?"
"To promote Holiness within Rome and ban other beliefs." Empton replied.
"These are the things Holiness is doing right now. What will they do when the entire Roman territory is full of believers?" Linley continued, "They will preach to the barbarians, forcing Rome to expand outwards, occupy more land, in order to preach to these barbarians, until Rome is exhausted and the people are suffering."
At that time, Rome was the sole beacon of civilization in Europe. The Romans had no desire for more barbarian lands, as they were difficult to govern. Each northward expansion meant more territory to defend, demanding additional troops and resources.
Initially, they only needed to deal with attacks from the Gauls. Later, after defeating the Gauls and incorporating them into their rule, they faced various barbarian tribes such as the Germans, Rus', and Vikings. The defensive line lengthened, requiring hundreds of legions to hold it.
"In order for these barbarians to believe in Holiness, they will surely keep granting them citizenship. Eventually, Rome will be full of barbarians, and the Romans will become a minority." Linley continued, "When the Roman emperor realizes this and tries to take action against Holiness, Holiness will not sit idly by. They will use the barbarian's military force to kill the emperor in return and control the selection of the emperor. Ultimately, Rome, though still bearing its name, would be hollowed out from within by Holiness. A barbarian emperor devoted to Holiness would then lead his people in ruling over the Romans."
Empton shivered at the thought. He wanted to refute it, but Linley's description was simply too plausible.
"Will it really be like that?" Empton asked, his voice filled with fear and doubt.