Posted on 05/23/2022 9:58:24 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Believe it or not, but ideas of artificial intelligence and automata were alive and well over 2,000 years ago within Greek mythology. The myth of Talos (‘Τάλως’)—the first robot-like creature in mythology—is certainly a fascinating example. Its name is related to Zeus, as on the island of Crete,
Talos was not a human being but an automaton made by Zeus himself. Another version of the Greek myth attributes his creation to Hephaestus, the god of fire and iron. In other versions, Talos was the son of Cres and the god Hephaestus. Made by humans, rather than born of nature, the idea of Talos was first mentioned by Hesiod circa 700 BC.
Talos was the sun god of Crete and was supposedly constructed of bronze. A single vein, starting from his neck and running down to his ankles, carried his life-blood — liquid metal — and upon each ankle was bolted a nail to prevent the liquid metal from leaking out. Depictions of Talos on coins and within paintings vary, some portraying him with wings while others depict him without.
Talos protected Crete by travelling around the island three times a day. Taking into account that Crete is the biggest island in Greece, going around it three times a day would have been an enormous task, meaning that either Talos was a giant creature, or he had other means of transportation, such as flying, which may explain why he is sometimes depicted with wings.
Talos also had to make sure that the divine laws were being followed by all inhabitants of the island. To fulfil this duty, three times a year he would visit all the villages of the island carrying the metallic plates on which the divine laws were inscribed.
(Excerpt) Read more at ancient-origins.net ...
Freaked the hell out of me when I saw that as a kid.
Ditto.
Didn’t Athenas commission a robot owl to be built similar to her owl, Bubo?
Supposedly the first people to gain entrance to the Great Pyramid found strange things, what would be described as a robot today.
What is seen today is just the innards, originally was covered with smooth limestone. The joints were so finely put together the exact location of the entrance was not known. It hinged outward. That’s why the hole in the structure used as the entrance today, was bored into the side.
p
In Kabbalah this kind of thing is called a Golem. You make one by saying the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in just the right sequence. The oral Torah says that the thing that got Joseph in trouble with his brothers was that he reported to Jacob that they had made a Golem.
I can still watch it once a year.
Yep me too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha05Yub2nK4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD9qc44oMqU
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4046017/posts
My understanding was writing the name of G-d in the golem’s forehead (72 letters in the proper sequence). The story goes that on the first day, he called his maker ‘master’. On the 2nd day, ‘brother’, and on the third, ‘servant’.
The first people to break into the Great Pyramid found nothing. They tunneled in because they could not find the actual entrance and were looking for gold on the orders of the Calif. Very disappointed, they were on finding the structure empty except for a stone sarcophagus. No gold, no jewels, no inscriptions, no robots.
Yes, that’s one account, that they didn’t find anything. There are other traditions, claiming they found quite a few weird things. That’s why I brought it up.
Quite a lesson in that :-)
‘To Serve Man.’
Yes!!! What a great creation from Ray Harryhausen. Talos looks much better that the CGI monstrosities one sees today.
Yes!!! What a great creation from Ray Harryhausen. Talos looks much better that the CGI monstrosities one sees today.
I do believe the account was written and is history - “traditions” are internet memes found on sites of who-knows-what validity.
Remember when was a kid watching JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS on TV
Featured TALOS, The flying Harpies and skeleton army ......
Still my favorite “Sword & Sandal” movie!
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