(urth) pleistorus and latro: communicable divinity

[James Wynn]

Marc said
>My argument hasn't changed much in three years, I guess, here is the
>original post from May of 2003:
>"I'm reading the soldier books for the second time and I'm about 3/4
>through Soldier of Arete.  So far, the major gods conspicuous in their
>absence are Zeus, Hermes, and Ares.

Sorry, to come into this so late but I haven't had time to keep up with the 
activity on this list. While I think Marc is on to something, I don't think 
he's quite hit it. For one thing, Latro I believe Latro see Pleistorus in 
Thrace just before they meet the Amazons. He sees a rider with a lance with 
a lion running along side him. Later he searches for hoof prints but only 
finds prints of the lion.

I have searched to no avail to find a description of Pleistorus, and a 
confirmation that he rode a horse, carried a lance, and had a lion in his 
train. Or that any other god did. But I have found references that the 
Thracians worshiped the mounted Sabazeos who is likely a close equivalent to 
the Slavic god Peruns, the mounted hammer wielding thunder/war god. But 
Sabazios is also associated with Zagreos, the first aspect of Dionysus. And 
that is the problem, with Marc's theory. There are plenty of shadows 
associating Latro with Dionysus.

I agree there is a suggestion that Latro might be possessed by a god? But 
which god?
Yet Latro's statement about the gods being like an actor who puts on one 
face and then another undermines the validity of the concept of individual 
gods.

J