The Civ4 Religions

[MrFun]

The Dark Ages is a misnomer.

During the so-called "Dark Ages" Catholic monks were preserving pagan intellectual works and were translating other works from Arabic.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by MrFun
During the so-called "Dark Ages" Catholic monks were preserving pagan intellectual works and were translating other works from Arabic.

...and were doing nothing useful with them.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Maniac


...and were doing nothing useful with them.

Actually they were copying works from the Greek- the translations from Arabic came much later, from 11th and 12th Centuries, and involved working with Spanish Moorish and Jewish scholars.


Of course Islam had had the use of Nestorian Christians (viewed as heretics) since the initial Muslim conquests- they translated from Greek and Latin into Syriac and Arabic at Nisibis and Jundishapur.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by molly bloom



Actually they were copying works from the Greek- the translations from Arabic came much later, from 11th and 12th Centuries, and involved working with Spanish Moorish and Jewish scholars.


Of course Islam had had the use of Nestorian Christians (viewed as heretics) since the initial Muslim conquests- they translated from Greek and Latin into Syriac and Arabic at Nisibis and Jundishapur.

exactly

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Maniac


...and were doing nothing useful with them.

So then what do you think would have happened with the history of Western intellectualism and science had Catholic monks not preserved Western knowledges in their monasteries?

[realpolitic]

Originally posted by jmp

I think it would be a mistake to have all of the religious groups exist from the getgo at the beginning of the game, as it would completely contradict the role of religion in the path that western society has taken to get to where it is today. (Whether or not you think the role has been for the better, it's had a major role.)


-JMP

Agreed, that's already true of government types and weapons, and it makes civ much easier (and fun) than having them all at the begining.

It shouldn't always be the governments choice. Rome was becoming ungovernable under paganism during Constantine's reign, democracies normally require religious freedom. Communism was only partially able to stop the practice of religion.

Most democracies end up as the religion of the people there when Democracy is established, the others change because of missionaries.

Finally, I want to extend my sympathies to the civ4 design team for trying to make sense of all these ideas about religion.