Monotheism?

Oncle Boris · December 6, 2003, 13:12

It seems odd to me that Monotheism is a Middle Ages tech with no prerequisite (except for knowing all the Ancient techs, of course).

In Civ2, they got it right: Monotheism was Polytheism+Philosophy.

Historically, first traces of Monotheism appeared in the 7th century BC.

Also, the fact that Literature is not required to advance to the Middle Ages strikes me.

either they meant that:
1- mythologic literature is not included with the term "literature", or
2- they just didn't think about it.

Seriously, how could a nation advance to the Middle Ages without a literature?

vmxa1 · December 6, 2003, 15:15

Things are done in the game for game play, not reality. What you say makes sense, but they often will have to ignore it just like movies do.

SIV · December 6, 2003, 16:04

11th century BC...some believe even 13th century BC.

Plotinus · December 6, 2003, 17:22

I assume that by "monotheism" they mean not the emergence of the idea but its becoming dominant within the culture. So Plato might have been a monotheist, but he wasn't in a position to be building cathedrals.

Oncle Boris · December 6, 2003, 17:49

VMXa: what I mean is that it's really easy to revamp the tech tree to make it historically accurate. Just change the tech names, and/or review the relationship between them.

An accurate tech tree is probably a very, very slight compromise to gameplay.

SIV: where did you get that info? I want names, places, situations. I had thought the first elaborate monotheistic theory came from presocratic "thinkers". But 13th century BC?
Your comment has piqued my interest.

Plotinus · December 6, 2003, 21:22

SIV might be thinking of the Bible. According to tradition, Moses lived in around 1200BC (I believe), and also according to tradition, wrote the Pentateuch, a largely monotheist text.

In fact, of course, the Pentateuch in its present form is generally thought to have came into being round about something like the sixth century BC. Ish. Roundabouts.

Oncle Boris · December 6, 2003, 21:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Plotinus
SIV might be thinking of the Bible.

Duh! I thought about every possibility but the Bible.
When you look too hard, you forget to check your own pockets!

MrWhereItsAt · December 7, 2003, 21:35

I always thought the tech of Monotheism, like Gunpowder, Metallurgy and other techs, related not to the first instance of it, but to the widespread adoption of the new ideas. Thus Monotheism is around medieval times IRL, when after the fall of the Roman Empire more and more people became Christian, and also how in the Middle East Islam became a widespread Monotheistic religion.