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When Zeus and Hermes Visited the Bible: A Twilight Zone in Lystra (Ad Navseam Ep. 42)

Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle in the Vomitorium as they explore the fascinating intersection of Acts 14 and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Discover why the people of Lystra thought Paul was Hermes, the myth of Baucis and Philemon, and the ancient code of Xenia.

Introduction: A Twilight Vibe in the Vomitorium

Welcome back to the “Vomitorium,” fellow classical gourmands. It is a special occasion here at Ad Navseam headquarters. Usually, we record in the light of day, but for Episode 42, we are recording in the evening, bringing a distinct “twilight vibe” to the proceedings . As host Dr. David Noe suggests, in the twilight, “anything could happen”.

And indeed, something strange is about to happen. We are about to witness a collision between the world of the New Testament apostles and the world of Roman mythology.

But first, we must give credit where it is due. Our shout-out this week goes to Mike Pastor from North San Diego. Mike is a man after our own hearts—a lover of Greek myths who grew up watching the 1981 Claymation classic Clash of the Titans . Mike recently confessed to finally embracing his destiny: “After years of fighting against it, so as not to crown myself nerdy, I did take up learning Latin about a year ago”.

Dr. Jeff Winkle admits that when he started Latin at age 20, he was fully self-aware of the nerdiness. Once you go through the door marked “Nerd,” there is no turning back . Or, as we might say in Latin: Ianua stultorum die et nocte patet (The door of fools [or nerds] stands open night and day).

The Intersection: Jerusalem Meets Athens

The core of this episode is the necessity of understanding the Greco-Roman world to fully grasp the New Testament. As Dr. Noe posits, the incarnation of Christ did not happen in a vacuum; it occurred in a specific historical context saturated with Greek language and Roman law. Therefore, the classical world holds a “privileged place” for anyone trying to understand the biblical text.

This isn’t to say Greco-Roman culture is morally superior, but rather that it is the lens through which the text was written. Without it, we are like the prisoners in Plato’s Cave, staring at shadows on a wall without seeing the light source.

Paul the Polymath

The Apostle Paul is the prime example of this intersection. Born in Tarsus—a university town famous for Stoicism—Paul was likely exposed to the philosophical currents of his day. While scholars debate how much he formally studied the classics, it is undeniable that these ideas were “in the water”.

We see this pop up throughout the New Testament:

But the most striking collision occurs in Acts 14, in the city of Lystra.

The Incident at Lystra: “The Gods Have Come Down!”

In Acts 14:8–18, Paul and Barnabas are in Lystra, a city in the region of Lycaonia (modern-day Turkey). Paul heals a man who had been crippled from birth. The reaction of the crowd is instantaneous and, to modern ears, bizarre.

They shout in the Lycaonian dialect: “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Specifically, they identify Barnabas as Zeus (Jupiter) and Paul as Hermes (Mercury), because Paul was the “chief speaker”.

This goes beyond mere shouting. The Priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, immediately brings oxen and garlands to the gates to offer a sacrifice to them. Paul and Barnabas have to tear their clothes and rush into the “mosh pit” of the crowd to stop this blasphemy, shouting, “We are men of like nature with you!” (homoiopatheis).

The Key Question: Why was the crowd so ready to believe that two random travelers were Zeus and Hermes? Why did the priest have oxen ready to go? Was he a true believer, or just a cynic looking for a barbecue and an economic opportunity?

To answer this, we have to “pivot” (to use the hip buzzword) to Roman mythology.

The Ovidian Connection: Baucis and Philemon

Just a few decades before the events in Acts, the Roman poet Ovid wrote his Metamorphoses. In Book 8, he tells a story that appears nowhere else in classical literature—a local folktale from the very same region of Phrygia/Lycaonia where Lystra is located.

The Test of Hospitality (Xenia)

In Ovid’s tale, Jupiter (Zeus) and Mercury (Hermes) decide to visit earth disguised as mortals. Their goal? To test the morality of humanity. And for the ancients, the ultimate diagnostic tool for morality was Hospitality (Greek: Xenia).

The gods go door-to-door, asking for food and shelter. They are rejected by everyone—the rich, the comfortable, the rude. Everyone slams the door in their faces.

Finally, they come to a humble, thatched cottage owned by an elderly, poor couple named Baucis (the wife) and Philemon (the husband). Despite having almost nothing, the couple welcomes the strangers warmly.

The Humble Feast

Ovid describes the meal with charming, “huggable” details.

The Judgment

The gods reveal their true identity. Because the rest of the neighborhood failed the test of Xenia, the entire region is flooded and destroyed (a mini-Noah’s Ark moment). However, Baucis and Philemon are spared. Their humble hut is transformed into a golden temple. When asked what reward they want, they ask to serve as priests of the temple and to die at the same moment so neither has to live without the other.

Their wish is granted. At the end of their lives, they undergo a metamorphosis: they are turned into trees—an oak and a lime (linden) tree—growing from a single trunk, entwined forever.

Connecting the Dots: Local Memory

Here is the “Aha!” moment.

Lystra is in the exact same geographical region where the myth of Baucis and Philemon is set. When Paul and Barnabas arrive and perform a miracle, the locals interpret it through their local folklore.

The Logic of the Lystrans:

  1. “Our ancestors say Zeus and Hermes visited here before.”
  2. “The last time they came, everyone who didn’t show them hospitality was destroyed.”
  3. “Two powerful strangers are here doing miracles. One is silent and majestic (Barnabas/Zeus), and one is the messenger (Paul/Hermes).”
  4. “We better not mess this up this time!”

The priest brings the oxen immediately because the community is terrified of failing the “hospitality test” again. They want to be on the right side of the flood this time. It isn’t that Luke is copying Ovid; it is that both writers are reflecting the specific, deep-seated beliefs of the people in that region of Anatolia.

Latin and Greek Language Spotlight

For the Latin students building their Thesaurus Memoriae, here are the key terms from this episode:

A Big Announcement

Before we conclude, a major announcement from Dr. Noe: He is leaving “brick-and-mortar academia” to go fully digital. This means the Latin Per Diem and Moss Method courses will be ramped up, offering a more direct, personal, and immersive way to learn the classics online.

If you have benefited from this content and want to support the build-out of the new “Vomitorium East” (with actual lighting and cameras!), check out the GoFundMe link for the “LatinPerDiem Launch”.

Sponsors

We couldn’t do this without our patrons of the arts:

The Gustatory Parting Shot

We leave you with a quote from one of the finest films of the last 20 years, Napoleon Dynamite. In honor of the hungry gods visiting Phrygia:

“You going to eat your tots?”

Valete!

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