Picking up the pieces

The wisdom of ancestors can be observed in their culture and such legacy should always be invoked, as myths, fables, works of fiction or even thoughts would be of no use if not to give later civilizations ways to assimilate knowledge without having the sometimes harmful experience that their ancestors experienced. In the 21st century, the defense of totalitarian regimes, especially socialism, causes great astonishment, since the previous century should have served as an experience for humanity to immediately reject the idea that such regimes even existed.

Nazism and fascism have deservedly been put in their rightful place, the reminder of what they are trying to avoid. However, socialism, which is broader and more adaptable, manages to survive in the imagination of crazy revolutionaries and, even worse, contaminate a large part of the unwary. It is clear that the aforementioned Nazism and socialism are the real ones, and do not encompass that false label that revolutionaries try to stick on anyone who opposes their nefarious intent.

The revolutionary movement, which seeks to distort reality in an authoritarian and supposedly collectivist way, is the embryo of socialism which, due to its adaptability, gave rise to communism, Nazism and fascism. However, given the failure of the latter two, it tried to transfer them to the opposing spectrum, creating the fragile but constantly reaffirmed narrative that such collectivist ideologies would be in the political spectrum that values ​​individual freedom and the maintenance of traditions, which would be a contradiction, given the revolutionary need to break completely with the status quo.

History teaches us according to what was experienced and myths served to give examples even when dealing with a hypothetical experience, as in the case of the renowned works 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, in which the British author presents two fictional experiences to illustrate the exacerbated surveillance of totalitarian regimes and how the revolutionary elite, when occupying positions of power, tends to become tyrannical, considering itself more than others.

For this reason, it is always important to seek to learn from the legacy of those who came before us, whether through lived experiences or stories that present hypotheses. Revolutionary ideals should be promptly rejected by today's society based on both sources, since Nazism, fascism and socialism have shown themselves to be mistakes that we should not repeat. In the case of socialism, it is still possible that it will be considered an ongoing evil, therefore, the disapproval of such regimes should be a rule. On the other hand, works such as those mentioned above give us more than enough argumentative basis to resist such ideologies, given that the simple imagination of a world dominated by revolutionary collectivist totalitarianism should be seen as a warning of the danger that such regimes represent.

Human survival and its values ​​depend on factors that are not superficially perceptible, and sometimes it is necessary to retreat in the face of evil that cannot be confronted for the time being, or else we will no longer be able to defend what we believe in. Martyrdom is indeed great and should be seen as an indispensable form of defense of values. However, the reckless martyr, who sacrifices himself without real need, will not be left with glory for his sacrifice, but rather the loss of his vain effort.

Even if the ideals of those who face a stronger enemy are noble, if they do so thoughtlessly they will suffer a fruitless defeat, their martyrdom being nothing more than a foolish suicide, evidently without the rebuke that is intended for those who deliberately gave up the gift of life for weakness, in which case the sin is undeniable. The so-called foolish suicide is in truth a vain attempt to make one's name in history through a useless martyrdom.

In Greek mythology there is the myth of Typhon, perhaps the strongest and most ferocious creature of all the tales of that civilization, which despite presenting different versions, teaches that there are evils that cannot be faced head on, being necessary to step back and analyze what to do before fighting it.

Before the creation of such a mythological beast, the gods of Olympus, led by Zeus, faced the generation that preceded them, the Titans. The war between the allies of Cronus, leader of the Titans, and his descendants became known as the Titanomachy. According to legend, the gods of Mount Olympus and the Titans of Mount Ortis fought for approximately ten years, and in the end, the Olympians were victorious.

The sons of the titan Cronus, now reigning over the universe, divided the heavens, the seas and the underworld among themselves, becoming their respective lords, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, leaving the one who received the heavens as his domain to reign over all the other gods, thus occupying the throne of Mount Olympus. Zeus had become the lord of the gods and confined the titans in Tartarus, a place below the underworld to which only those who deserved punishment beyond life were sent.

Tartarus is the name of a primordial god and also of the place where punishments are applied to the condemned, just like Hades who gives his name to the underworld and the deity who governs it, Tartarus can also be used in both senses. Unhappy with the fate of her children, the Titans, Gaia decided to take revenge on the Olympians, especially her grandson Zeus, by having a son with the primordial god Tartarus, lord of the lands where the Titans were thrown.

From the union between Gaia and Tartarus emerged the most ferocious and strong creature they could conceive. Typhon was such a devastating figure that he remained locked away in his father's domain until he had enough strength to carry out the designs of his vengeful mother. The myth describes him as a monstrous figure capable of intimidating even the gods of Olympus, as it says that on his shoulders were a hundred heads of serpents, his arms touched the west and the east and he was so tall that he touched the stars.

The first lesson of the myth of Typhon can be seen as the preparation of evil, in which the creature, despite being monstrous and of colossal proportions, remains hidden from the eyes of his enemies until he has enough strength to dethrone them, so that we can learn that true evil will remain in wait until it considers itself capable of subduing its opponents. Totalitarian regimes, as a rule, try to hide their authoritarian nature until they can force individuals to bend to their will, so their agents have tried to print a narrative that they are fighting against dictatorship or imperialism until they feel confident and advance on the freedoms of the people.

The false defenders of democracy who wanted to establish a dictatorship that, also falsely, claimed to be of the proletariat, when in truth it was of a socialist elite that has nothing to do with the working class, using only the cliché of fighting for the oppressed to gain political strength. This is what the defenders of identity-based agendas do, who do not care about the schizophrenic desires of their hordes, but use them to climb to power and abandon them as soon as they realize that such a sect has lost its usefulness.

When Typhon emerges from Tartarus, this creature is already in a position to confront the Olympians, but they are not given the opportunity to nip the evil in the bud, since they were unaware of the existence of such a great evil. Just like some forces that were conceived in secret, sometimes having their existence denied after someone denounces them, such as the Forum of São Paulo, as soon as it reaches the level that allows it to use its power, it will assume itself as the naturalness of those who never denied its existence, taking pride in its nature that was once hidden because it is something abject, but which, given the strength it had acquired in obscurity, can silence anyone who rises up to fight it.

When Typhon finally heads to Mount Olympus, the home of his enemies, the gods, frightened by the threatening figure, flee to distant lands, leaving only Zeus, Athena and Dionysus. However, there are versions in which the last of them also leaves Olympus along with the other gods. It is not relevant to discuss whether Dionysus left or stayed, since in neither version does he oppose the creature. It is certain that in the version in which he remained on Olympus, Dionysus merely survived without defending the gods, and therefore ceased to be a problem for Typhon.

Athena, who according to the myth was too fearless to leave Olympus, did nothing to confront the beast, leaving Zeus to fight alone in defense of his throne. However, in the first confrontation, Typhon emerged victorious, resisting the lightning bolts of the lord of Olympus and dismembering him as a form of punishment and, mainly, to establish his dominion, thus reigning over all things. The creature was unbeatable and no one but Zeus was able to confront it, but the lord of the gods was without his powerful lightning bolt and dismembered, therefore, unable to stand up against such a powerful evil.

There are different versions that attribute this feat to Cadmus, however, most authors attribute the rescue of the lightning bolt and the limbs of the lord of Olympus to the god Hermes, messenger of the Olympians. According to the myth, in the version we will consider, the messenger god fled with his peers to distant lands, initially Egypt, leaving Zeus to confront the feared creature alone. However, Hermes used a trick in favor of the Olympians, fleeing at first and only later rescuing the remains of Zeus, as well as the powerful lightning bolt, giving the lord of Olympus the chance for revenge against his tormentor.

If it weren't for Hermes's perspicacity, the Olympians would have been defeated and Typhon would have become the lord of the world, ruling over all things, since, according to the myth, he was a beast impossible to confront. It was the messenger god who actually gave the Olympian gods the chance, through the strength of Zeus, to confront the ferocious creature once again and, using cunning, defeat it.

Hermes, like the other gods, could be treated in the myth as a coward who, in the presence of Typhon, preferred flight to confrontation, allowing evil to win at first. At the risk of being labeled as a weakling who runs away from evil instead of confronting it, the messenger god left his home, head down, like a weakling in the face of desolation. However, the courageous Athena did nothing more than instigate her father to face the monster, maintaining the posture of someone who does not retreat in the face of evil, even though she has in fact done nothing.

By gathering together the shards of the most powerful of the Olympian gods, that is, Zeus's limbs and lightning bolt, Hermes had saved his peers from destruction or submission, for he knew when to retreat in order to act when the opportune moment arrived. Demonstrating great wisdom, Hermes waited for evil to triumph in order to overthrow it without the god himself having to wield the sword, merely rescuing the one who, although destroyed, could defeat Typhon in battle.

Another point in the myth of Typhon that is not peaceful is how Zeus defeats such a creature, because for some the lord of Olympus defeats the beast using the force of his lightning bolts. However, there is a version that suggests that the master of the Olympians counted on the help of the Fates, creatures that controlled the destiny of men and deities, rarely getting involved in conflicts of any nature, since their neutrality was necessary so that destiny would not bow to the desires of anyone. Any similarity with a passive Judiciary removed from political issues is not a mere coincidence. The interference of the Fates should not be confused with a partial or even passionate action of a Power or body that should remain inert, under the claim that they were “saving democracy”, because as is known, the Fates did not unbalance destiny when there was a natural struggle between titans and gods for power, they only did so when the usurper was a beast that should not even claim the throne. As if the Judiciary or the Armed Forces acted against the dictatorship that was installed in Venezuela by force, in which case a reaction would be justified, given that the so-called institutional rupture had already occurred.

In the version in which Zeus counts on the help of the Fates, these creatures offer poisoned apples to Typhon, who has his power considerably reduced, thus allowing Zeus to defeat him in a direct confrontation. Thus, with the perspicacity of Hermes and the external help of the Fates, the lord of Olympus had the opportunity to defeat the beast and regain the throne of the gods.

Typhon was imprisoned on Mount Etna in Sicily, and the lava from that volcano is attributed to his fury.

The second lesson from the myth of Typhon is that sometimes, the one who seems to be cowering, as Hermes did, is merely retreating to think of a counterattack, thinking of a future measure that could be more effective than a simple, reckless attack. Therefore, the messenger god cannot be treated as a coward, but as a strategist who gains time and returns in the future to defeat the evil that seemed invincible at first.

On the other hand, Athena, who assumed a courageous stance, did nothing more than emulate an empty heroism that in no way helped the Olympians, being an action that, at most, earned her the admiration of those who could not see with greater sobriety what had really happened.

Zeus, even though he did not retreat, was taught that there is a time when wisdom is more important than brute force, because, without the help of Hermes, he would never defeat Typhon, and he also had to rely on a period of exile in present-day Syria, when he recovered his strength, and the help of the Fates so that the powerful monster would weaken.

Mythology teaches us that populist measures like Athena's may even signal courage, but they are ineffective in the face of great evil, since, although Zeus confronted Typhon because of his daughter's questions, it was not because of them that he emerged victorious. Furthermore, it teaches us that Hermes preferred not to directly confront the monster or instigate someone else to do so in order to prepare a rematch in which Zeus could have a real chance of victory.

Finally, Zeus had to resort to the Fates to reduce his enemy's powers and, only then, defeat him.

The current scenario is very similar to the myth of Typhon, considering that the evil that is intended to be fought is unequivocally strong. Perhaps the description of the monster serves to illustrate how powerful the revolutionary movement is, sometimes making it necessary to retreat and pick up the pieces to counterattack at a propitious moment. Of course, some preferred to pose as Athena, brave and useless in the face of the evil that was taking over Olympus, but there are those who know her true role and see that Hermes was the one who really saved the Olympians in that episode.

There are times when heroism lies in retreating in order to advance when appropriate and other times when alliances need to be forged, however, what differentiates a hero from a coward is not renouncing, deep down, their values.

When everything seems lost, we must remain calm to pick up the pieces and when we have the opportunity, fight with all our strength.

“Those triumph who know when to shine and when to wait.” Sun Tzu – The Art of War.

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Article published in the Journal Conhecimento & Cidadania  Vol. IV No. 50, January 2025 edition – ISSN 2764-3867