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Empedokles (died c. 422 BCE) was a Greek man who lived during the 5th century BCE.
Biography[]
At some point during his life, Empedokles came to believe he was a god, and Greek gods like Ares and Aphrodite were his siblings. According to himself, he was cast out of their company because he ate some lamb,[1] though he was considered to be a vegetarian by his followers and antagonists alike.[2]
He also visited the Isle of Thisvi and the large cavern below it, hearing the bellows of Brontes the Cyclops beyond the doorway. Empedokles took the sounds to be the calls of his brothers, specifically Ares, and the locked door to be the gate to Mount Olympus, the dwelling place of the gods.[3] Following his visit to the isle, he decided to be reunited with his family, and to lead whoever would follow him to Olympos. To do this, he created a cult around himself, converting people he'd dubbed as Empedoklites.[1]
He had apparently little success before he reached Kythera Island. There, a statue was made to celebrate him, looking over the Murex Dyeing Facility. However, soon after setting foot on the island, Empedokles was imprisoned for his beliefs by the priestesses of Aphrodite within the Murex Fort.[2] The guards stripped him naked, and one of them took his purple robe, and with it a disk, the "key to (his) family estate".[1]
Sometime afterwards, he was saved by the Spartan misthios Kassandra at the request of an Empedoklite.[2] Kassandra also recovered Empedokles' robes and the 'key' from the brute.[1] Having regained the key, Empedokles invited Kassandra with him to Olympos.[3]
They met anew in the depths of the Isle of Thisvi. Empedokles claimed the bellows echoing through the stonework were those of Ares and was overjoyed as Kassandra heard the sounds as well. When they used the 'key' to open the door, Empedokles strode in with glee, only to be squashed to death by the Cyclops.[3]
Trivia[]
- Though the Empedokles fanatic says that Empedokles was imprisoned within Skandeia Bay, that's not true.
- The description of Stairway to Olympos claims that Empedokles waited at the Isle of Thisvi fully clothed, and a model of him dressed apparently exists. In-game, however, Empedokles is wearing just as little on Kythera as on Thisvi.
Behind the scenes[]
Empedokles is a character in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, where he was voiced by actor Fanos Xenofós.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Left to Dye
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – A God Among Men
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Stairway to Olympos