The Future is Mythological
When SF and HK Collide
The recent climax of Battlestar Galactica marked the end of one of the most intelligent, grown up and awesome science fiction shows of all time. A combination of great strong performances, exciting, twist filled, storylines, and poignant post 9/11 allegory, Battlestar was unsurprisingly a hit among critics and fans alike. The show was steeped in references to ancient worlds, cultures and religions, and gives us an unusual insight into the mythological mindset of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Lasting four seasons, Battlestar Gallactica began with the destruction of the twelve colonies – a space-borne union of planets – by their former robot servants and soldiers, the Cylons, and with the subsequent flight of around forty thousand survivors led by the eponymous Battlestar (think of it as an aircraft character in space).
Over the journey the characters suffered great losses, shortages of every kind, constant pressure from the pursuing Cylons, failed settlements, mutinies, coups, and Dean Stockwell, all in the search for their new home, a fabled thirteenth colony called Earth. It can all sound a little corny on paper, especially the title, but watch a couple of episodes and you’ll soon discover just how distant this new series is from the cheesy 1970s incarnation. It’s dark, engrossing and one of the best studies of human nature in recent times. Indeed the entire show revolves around a question asked by William Adama, the shows main character played with intense gravitas by Edward James Olmos, which is what is it that makes us humans ‘Worthy of Survival’ anyway?
Greeks in Space
What becomes immediately apparent are the parallels between its story arc and those of both Homer’s The Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid. More than just the obvious parallel of a group of survivors escaping their annihilated homes in search of a new beginning, the characters are just as much tools of God/the Gods who seem to throw obstacles in their way at one point, and help them at others. Moreover the polytheistic religion of the humans in the show (The Cylons by point of fact follow a monotheistic religion) greatly mirrors that of the ancient Greeks and Romans.Indeed the twelve ‘Lords of Kobol’ as they are known, have the same names as the Hellenistic Gods, with Zeus, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo, Hera and Athena all being frequently mentioned. These names are often interchanged with their Roman equivalents; one important plot point in the third seasons follows the discovery of a temple containing the ‘Eye of Jupiter’. Moreover there are also occasional mentions both of Olympus and Elysium.
Much like the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, the Colonial humans in the show follow the advice of oracles. The most important of these is Pythia, named after a mythological priestess at Delphi, who in the show was supposed to have charted the journey of the original thirteenth tribe to Earth and who on many occasions is used to help the fleet find their new home, particularly in the earlier seasons. In later episodes certain characters also refer to oracles for guidance, particularly with reference to apparently supernatural occurrences.
It is also common for a number of characters to have ancient Greek names, mixed with western ones – particularly in the call signs of Galactica’s pilots. Most obviously Lee Adama’s call sign is Apollo, while others include Athena and Helo (the latter being ancient Greek for ‘thorn’). Similarly there are Roman names such as the narcissistic Gaius Baltar.
Religious Circles
There are also a number of biblical references such as Saul Tigh, Galactica’s second in command, which is a take on Saul of Tarsus, a figure who converted to Christianity after being blinded. Incidentally Tigh loses an eye in the show not long before discovering a startling realisation about himself. In addition pretty much every ship in the show has name at least related to some item in Greek mythology.What does this all mean for the show and the viewer? The references help to ground the show's own mythology within our own understanding, making Battlestar more accessible to the common viewer. It also helps distance it from conventional sci-fi, where religion, more than technology, has a higher level of importance to the conflicted characters. Finally it helps to expand upon the mystique of the show: why do these humans from distant worlds (which incidentally are named after signs on the Greek zodiac such as Caprica, Tauron and Sagittarion) believe in a religion not all that different from one worshipped by our own ancestors?
These references help to add complexity and mystery to an already deep and provocative show and if anything should provide the odd nice hint to anyone who has even a passing interest in classics or history. It must be noted though that one of the shows key repeated phrases: ‘all of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again’ is not taken from mythology, but in fact Peter Pan.
Battlestar Galactica remains a fantastic show, with fantastically complex and real characters that help bring the epic story to life. It has truly expanded the boundaries not only of the sci-fi genre itself, but of its audience in general. It’s essential viewing for anyone who claims to enjoy good television and is guaranteed to have you hooked from start to finish, so grab the boxed sets and prepare to lose a couple of weeks spare time (and even pull a couple of sickies), so say we all.
Reviewer: Craig Wilson
Images courtesy of scifi.com
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