Athena and Kain
 Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr.
 (Reviewer - Gail Evans)
 2003 Solving Light Books
 ISBN: 0970543824

Tracing the commonality of all ancient Western myths, legends & texts.

On the Altar of Zeus at Pergamum, the Greeks portrayed the epic victory of their Gods over the Giants. This was the culminating event, the great celebration of ancient Greek religion. The defeated Giants represented the righteous (Yahweh-believing) sons of Noah. The Greeks called Noah Nereus, the “Wet One.”

Associate Reviewer Gail Evans writes:

Every civilization on earth has their own creation story, their own flood story, their own equivalent of Noah, their own explanation of how their particular nation came into being & stories revolving around heroes & heroines who overcame adversity.

What is of interest in all these ancient myths, legends & texts, is not so much the difference between these legends, but rather their commonality. Not so much the apparent mythology, but rather the underlying basic beliefs held about our pre-recorded history, a history that has followed us through the centuries in the form of art. Art & architecture, through symbol & perspective, transcend the barriers of language & the written word.

In Athena and Kain: The True Meaning of Greek Myth, Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. explores the ancient history & religion of the Greeks through their art & architecture, a history & religion that led to the founding of Athens, the building of the Parthenon & the establishment of intellectual habits by such men as Plato, Aristotle & Socrates into the exploration of research, philosophy, mathematics & the sciences.

Robert Johnson opens this exploration with a painting of the Nativity with Saints Lawrence & Andrew by Antoniazzo Romano. The author points out that no matter what your religious belief might be, people around the world today can “tell you Who the child is, where He was born, when He was born, why He was born, who His parents were, and what this child's birth means to them.”

Alternatively, considering that the Western world by & large has its social, political, scientific & philosophical foundations in ancient Greece, it is rather amazing that the Kalyx Krater with Athena, Gaia, & Erichthonios, which graces the cover of Johnson's Athena and Kain, leaves most of Western society flummoxed as to its meaning, history & religious implications. Very few of us recognize it in the same way that we can recognize any Nativity scene, let alone interpret it in the same way that we would the birth of Christ. In most instances we regard those Greek Gods & Goddesses as fairy stories & do not afford them the same credence that we give to Noah, Enoch, Nimrod, Cain, Abel or even Adam & Eve for that matter.

In Athena and Kain, Robert Johnson sets out to correct that perception, explaining, exploring & interpreting 200 black & white art & image credits of ancient Greek statues, vases & temples. What emerges is not so much the difference between Judaic/Christian & Greek history & religion, but rather their commonality in history & their diverging religious philosophies.

Athena and Kain is a clear cut, enlightening read. If, however, you are particularly attached to the Biblical version of our ancient history, some of Johnson's conclusions might offended you. If you are open to hearing what could be termed, “the other side of the story”, this title will give you much food for thought & a better understanding of the Greek myths & the Gods & Goddesses behind them.

More from author Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr:
Athena and Eden: The Hidden Meaning of the Parthenon's East Facade
Publishing Basics
(10/12/03)

Gail Evans
2004©Gail Evans
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I currently live in Johannesburg, South Africa & am the author of: The Firstborn of God: Resolving the Contradictions In The Bible, Time Trials & Meditations In My Favourite Places In Southern Africa.