Several things might strike you as strange. First, with the exception of Simon, they have Greek names. That is not uncommon in Galilee and Judaea, but one might have expected the followers of one or another religious fanatic to bear Jewish names. Secondly, none of them appears to be at all distinguished by birth, wealth or learning
Conquests and revolutions almost inevitably entail massive looting such as took place during and, especially, after the America War Between the States, and the demolition of the existing legal order provides a legal justification for despoiling the natives.
When an Old Order is overturned by conquering aliens or revolutionized by an alienated segment of the population, any legal principle or institution that affords protection to the former dominant people will have to be reconstructed, undermined, or destroyed.
Along with law, a legitimate government will preserve custom, and well nigh universal social traits of the human race, like distinctive sex roles, marriage, parenthood, etc., would only be trifled with by a tyrannical government.
I have received a number of queries about different aspects of my most recent book, and, rather than answer each one privately, it seemed a good idea to make it a public forum. I may soon transfer it to our Forum section, but I shall begin it here on the front page.
But setting aside national peculiarities, one might suggest a general rule, which is that, generally speaking, the people empowered to make decisions for a community should belong to that community and have to face the consequences of their decisions.
Now, as in all good Trollope novels, there is at least one moral theme that runs like a conspicuous thread throughout the variegated fabric.
The first incident in Jesus’ life recorded by John is the dipping ritual performed by one Ioannes, who is not the same person as the writer.
The most obvious indication of subjugation by whatever means is the end of traditional law and custom, which are replaced by the whim of the sovereign, whether sovereignty be exercised by one man, or several, or a by party or faction or sect.
If we survey human history, looking for examples of subjugation, there is no lack of material: the Children of Israel in Egypt and later under the rule of Babylonians, Persians, Babylonians, and Romans; the not-quite indigenous peoples of the Americas, subjugated by European colonists…
The Wrongs of Rights
