From Newsgroup: uk.religion.christian

In the museum at Delphi are two kouroi, statues of youths (kouros) in
the somewhat stiff poses typical of early Greek art and probably copied
from Egyptian artists.

Kleobis and Byton were, apparently, successful athletes in the Delphic
Games and their mother was a priestess of Hera. She was due to officiate
at some religious ceremony and obviously could not simply stroll across
to the temple to do her thing, but the oxen that were to drag her cart
failed to arrive and the auspicious hour was getting every closer.

Rather than see their mother dishonoured, the two athletes (and
remember, athletes were very highly honoured in ancient Greece) took the
yoke on their own necks and dragged the cart for 45 stadia to deliver
their mother to the temple. She was so overcome by their respect for her
that she prayed that the goddess would reward them by giving them
"whatsoever is best for men to receive".

That evening there was a feast and the two young men ate and drank to repletion and then lay down to sleep - and both died in their sleep, for
the gods had indeed given them what is best for men: oblivion.

When Croesus, king of Lydia, asked Solon, the wisest man among the
Greeks, who was the happiest of men (and expected Solon to point to him because of his wealth), Solon named three men, two of whom were Kleobis
and Byton!

Sophocles, in his play "Oedipus at Colonus", has the chorus sing or
recite these words:
Say what you will,
the greatest blessing is not to be;
But if life must begin,
then the soonest to end is best.

No wonder that the gods of Greece fell before the better promises of the Christian God.
The gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Christianity offers not only abundant life in the here-and-now, but
eternal life in the perfect worlds of Heaven and the New Earth.

God bless,
Kendall K. Down
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