Biblical Study: The Age of Judges

Following Joshua's campaign to conquer the land of Canaan and deliver the Israelites to the Promise Land, the Book of Judges recounts the leaders of Israel. During this age of approximately 350 years, Israel was divided into the 12 tribes of Jacob, and were lead by notable leaders referred to as judges. This was prior to the establishment of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The historical accuracy of this book is debatable however it certainly pertains to the real legends and tales of the Israelites. The approximate timeline here would be 1360 BC (when Joshua conquered Canaan) to 1024 BC where Saul became the first king of Israel. 

These are some of my favorite books in the bible that pertain to the historical foundation of the nation of Israel. The books are loaded with military campaigns against the neighboring Philistine and Arab tribes, while also internal power struggles. God is of course the driving force of it all, but has not chosen an individual leader to succeed Joshua. Instead Israel is divided into various tribe and leaders (referred to as judges). God frequently grows frustrated with the Israelites as they take on neighboring gods such as Baal and Dagon and punishes the with defeat and famine. However they always realize their errors and return to give praise to God.

The 12 Tribes

The land of Israel was divided into 12 regions, based on the tribes and descendants of Jacob. This included Asher (symbol of a tree), Dan (symbol of justice), Judah (the crown), Rueben (a mandrake), Joseph (a palm tree), Naphtali (gazelle), Issachar (sun, moon, and stars), Simeon (towers and cities), Benjamin (jug, ladle, and fork), Gad (tent, cattle), Zeublun (ship, sea), and Levi (priests).  The Tribe of Levi was appointed 6 cities of refuge, while the tribe of Joseph was divided into two land allocations in Manasseh and Ephriam. However of these 12 tribes, only 2 of them played a vital role in the development of Israel. This included Judah and Benjamin who inhabited the heart of Israel, in Jerusalem. The other 10 tribes were supporting players, who would later become referred to as the Lost Tribes.

Following the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked God who would lead them next against the Canaanites. God did not chose an individual leader yet rather the tribe of Judah as his chosen people. The land of Judah then allied with the land of Simeon to defeat their neighboring enemies. However a recurring theme then begins in which the Israelites commit infidelities' against the Lord by adopting the gods of their neighbors. Since God is notorious for being a jealous god, he turns his back on the Israelites and lets them fall against their enemies. Finally the Israelites call out for a leader, and God appoints the first of various judges.

The 12 Judges

The first leader god appoints to judge over the Israelites is Othniel, from the tribe of Judah. Othniel redelivers victory against the Canaanites and then overseas an era of 40 years of peace for the Israelites. Ehud was then chosen to succeed him, from the house of Benjamin. His claim to fame was assassinating the enemy Moabite king with his left hand. He was then followed by the judge Shamgar who slaughtered 600 Philistines with an ox goad. Then came the first female leader of Israel, Deborah who served as a prophetess of God. She instructed the military commander Barak to lead an assault on the Canaanites at the Battle of Mount Tabor. She then gave a victory hymn, known as the Song of Deborah, regarded as the oldest Hebrew text in the bible.

Under Deborah's leadership Israel was at peace once again for 40 years, until her time passed. The Israelites once again turned against God and came under the power of the Midianites. Once again the Israelites called out for a leader, and God chose Gideon as his new champion. Gideon was from the half-tribe of Manasseh and had early doubts as to why God had called upon him. He famously tested the Lord to keep a fleece dry amidst a wet ground. Of course this goes against God's principle rule that faith in him should not be tested, he still performed the miracle so that Gideon would believe. With this act, Gideon knew he had the support of God and lead a small outnumbered army of 300 men to defeat the Midianites once and for all.

Once again the land of Israel was at peace for 40 years under Gibeon, until his son Abimelech took power with greedy ambition. Abimelech killed 70 of his brothers so that he would be the sole ruler of Manasseh the destroyed the Canaanite city of Shechem. During his siege of Thebez, a woman hurled a stone at Abimelech, that crushed his head and killed him. Abimelech's final command was to be speared by one of his own soldiers so that he would not die at the hands of a woman. Following the death of the wicked Abimelech, God once again showed favor in selecting Tola to lead the Israelites. Tola was from the Tribe of Issachar and lead Israel for 23 years. He was followed by the judge Jair from the House of Manasseh, who judged Israel for 22 years. 

After 40 years of strong leadership under Tola and Jair, the Israelites once again offended the lord by worshiping the Arab gods and came under oppression by the Ammonites. God then chose Jephthah, son of a prostitute from the city of Gilead, to lead the Israelites against the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow with God, asking him for victory in return he would sacrifice whoever greeted him first at his house. God thus delivered the Ammonites into Jephthah's power, however when he returned hiome the first one to enter his house was his young daughter playing the tambourine. Jephthah mourned at his vow, but his daughter accepted her fate and requested two months to mourn, before she was put to death as a sacrifice to the lord.

The Mighty Samson

Jephthah judged Israel for six years and was then followed by Ibzan who judged for seven years, Elon who judged for ten years, and then Abdon who judged for eight years. After the death of Abdon, Israel once again fell into a leaderless void where they returned to the pagan gods. And once again God turned his back on them, and delivered them to the Philistines. However an angel later visits the infertile wife of Manoah and tells her she will bear a child (just as Mary bore Jesus). This child was to be named Samson who would lead the Israelites against the Philistine oppression. His body was consecrated by the lord, in which he would have tremendous strength as long as he did not consume wine nor cut his hair. He is without question the most famous figure in the book of Judges. 

In his youth Samson was attacked by a lion in the vineyards of Timnah, however he tore the lion to pieces and stole honey from the lion's belly. He then marries a prominent Philistine woman and offers a riddle to the 30 groomsmen in the wedding in exchange for garments. The Philistines are offended by Samson's mockery, and are able to convince his wife to find the answer. Enraged Samson goes to a nearby village to kill 30 Philistines, steal their garments, and offer them to the 30 Groomsmen as promised. He later discovers that his Philistine wife has remarried to one of the Groomsmen. Once again in a bout of rage, Samson gathers 300 foxes, lights their tails on fire, and sends them to scorch the grain fields of the Philistines. In response to this, the Philistines kill his wife and her father. 

Samson then began a fierce campaign of slaughter against the Philistines. He later took refuge in a cave known as the Rock of Etam. The Philistines then demand that the Israelites hand over Samson as prisoner. The Tribe of Judah approaches Samson with an army of 3000 and take him prisoner to hand over to the Philistines. However Samson breaks free and with the jawbone of an ass he slays 1000 Philistine soldiers. From this point on Samson became the hero and leader of Israel, and judged over them for twenty years. 

However towards his final years Samson once again fell in love with a Philistine woman, a prostitute from Gaza named Delilah. Just as his previous Philistine wife had done, she would also betray him to her kin (which explains why the Phantom of the Opera uses her name as reference). Delilah was able to learn that Samsun's superhuman strength came from his hair and cut it one night while he was sleeping. The Philistines were then able to easily capture him and gauge out his eyes. One day as the Philistines are celebrating a religious feast at the temple of Dagon, they call for their prisoner Samson to entertain them. Samson then prays to the lord, leans against the pillars of the temple, and brings them down to collapse the building. All 3000 Philistines in attendance are killed along with Samson. He is considered an epic hero with a tale quite similar to the Sumerian's Gilgamesh or the Greek's Herakles. 

The Book of Ruth

Towards the end of the age of judges there is a brief story in the Bible pertaining to a Moabite woman named Ruth. She embodies a Mary-like figure of piety, humility, and devotion to God. In the story she marries an Israeli named Mahlon who has moved with his family from Judah to the land of Moab. After ten years, Moab's father dies, his brother dies, and Moab himself dies. This leaves the mother Naomi alone with her two daughter-in-laws without any men in their family. The women weep for some time, unsure what to do, until Naomi decides it is best she returns to her home land of Israel. 

One of the daughter in-laws (Orpah) agrees with this plan to return to her Moab people, however Ruth decides to join Naomi on her return to Israel. She famously states that "where you go, I will go, where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my god. Where you die I will die, and I will be buried". This beautiful passage represents Ruth's devotion and loyalty to her family but also to God. Naomi and Ruth eventually relocate to Bethlehem, where Ruth finds work in the fields of barley. She later marries the owner of the field, Boaz who admires her devotion to Naomi. The two have a son named Obed, who has a son named Jesse, who has a son named David. Thus Ruth is the great-grandmother of King David.   

The Prophet Samuel

Another very important figure during the age of judges was the prophet Samuel who wrote the Books of Samuel which describe Israel's transition into a kingdom. He was the son of Hannah from Levi, who  prayed for a child, and God granted her prayer, thus she offered Samuel as a vassal of the lord. As a young boy Samuel was frequently called upon by the lord, of which he famously responded, "Here I am lord". The elder priest and judge Eli instructs him to respond to the lord, by stating, "Speak Lord for your Servant is Listening". God then explains that Eli's children have done wickedness and his dynasty must come to end. Shortly after this revelation, Eli dies and the Israelites are defeated by the Philistines who capture the ark of the covenant for some time.

Samuel becomes the leading prophet and judge of Israel after the death of Eli where he seeks to regain the ark from the Philistines. The Philistines later discover their statue of Dagon to be laying prostrate towards the ark, as a sign of worship. God brings forth great devastation upon the Philistine tribes until they return the ark to the Israelites. Finally after 20 years of oppression by the Philistines, Samuel leads the Israelite army to victory at the hill of Mizpah. Towards his elder years, the people of Israel begin to call for a king, which upsets God who sees it as an insult to his leadership. Nonetheless God grants their wish and appoints Saul from the house of Benjamin, to be the first king of Israel. 

The Rise of Saul 

Thus the prophet Samuel became the king-maker of Saul by anointing him and consulting him in battles against the Philistines. Samuel presents Saul as king to the tribe leaders which marks the beginning of the new unified kingdom of Israel. There are of course those within Israel who contest his leadership however after Saul defeats the Ammonites all tribes swear allegiance. Yet there are early warning signs of Saul's devotion to God and unwillingness to follow Samuel's instructions. At one point Saul decides to spare an Amalekite king, against God's instructions and for this he is condemned. God makes it clear to Samuel that he regrets choosing Saul as king which no doubt was intentional as he did not want a king in the first place.

Samuel confronts Saul one last time declaring how he has been disobedient to the lord and his dynasty would end with him. Saul is devastated at this news that he has loss favor with God and carries forth to kill the Amalekite king, but it is too late. Samuel then journeys to Bethlehem to seek out the young David, whom God has now chosen as the rightful successor to Saul. God of course would not undue his decision to make Saul king, however at this point his favor sharply shifts towards the young David. After the prophet Samuel dies, Saul becomes wicked with jealousy and malice towards David. 

Biblical Study: The Campaigns of Joshua

I'm going to start a new series here in my blog on biblical studies (a sub-genre of my religious studies). I am a devout Christian and have always enjoyed the stories from the bible. Whether fictitious or historical (I believe there's a bit of both) these stories provide a poetic and powerful message of faith. Much of the Jewish, Christian, and even parts of the Islam religions are derived from the bible. The stories of the Old Testament pertain to the ancient customs and history of the Jews, while the New Testament pertains more to the Christians with the arrival of Jesus Christ. It consists of many books written by various prophets and theologians as far back as 1500 years ago. 

I remember first getting my Holy Bible in junior high school, the American version with nearly 1400 pages. I've somehow kept the same bible ever since and even after 25 years it's still in good condition. I made a major effort during college to read the book from start to finish (inspired by a course I waking on the Old Testament). I copied my dad's idea to underline the passages within the bible that I felt were inspiring or significant. Ever since I always keep my bible by my bed and try to make an extra effort to read it more during the Lent and Advent seasons.

I'm still however quite the novice when it comes to biblical studies, and although I know the general stories I'm not quite as versed in the details. I think it's always so amazing when someone can hear a biblical passage and quote it's exact verse. There's such beautiful poetry and metaphors within the writings most notably in the Psalms and Proverbs. Some of my favorite books include Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Kings, and the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark. 

As a historical nerd, I especially love the Old Testament stories that pertain to the Jewish origins and their migrations. It was thru Abraham that their people began and settled in the land of Canaan (modern day Israel). God took favor with Abraham, blessed his people, and his descendants such as Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David. The Jews are eventually enslaved by some time in Egypt, but are freed under the leadership of Moses. They then begin their historical campaign to conquer the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. I'll surely revisit the details of Abraham and Moses at some point but for now I want to focus on Joshua. 

Commander of the Exodus

During the Jewish Exodus from Egypt, Moses selected Joshua as his top military commander and also his successor as Moses was nearing the end of his life. Joshua conducted various spy missions and achieved his first victory against the Amalekites at the Battle of Rephidim. He also later accompanied Moses when he spoke to God on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Although Joshua only kept guard while Moses spoke with God, it was still the ultimate sign of trust and favor where Joshua became blessed by God. 

Following the death of Moses, God presented his plan to Joshua to lead the Jews into the Promised Land. Joshua thus becomes the chosen leader of the Jews, during a very difficult time where they must survive while waging war to establish new land. The Israelites create a portable tabernacle as a symbolic house of God, also known as the Tent of Congregation. Here they also housed the Ark of the Covenant which stored their most sacred relic the Ten Commandments. At this site, the Israelites would give spiritual and ceremonial homage to their God (this was the precursor of a synagogue or a church).  

Enty into Canaan

Throughout the Book of Joshua, God speaks to Joshua frequently telling him to have faith and lead the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan. Joshua shares this destiny with the Israelites, that they must wage war to establish a new home they refer to as the Promised Land. Their first major trial came by crossing the Jordan River whilst carrying the Ark of the Covenant. God miraculously parts the waters just as he did with the Red Sea so the thousands of Israelites can safely cross into the land of Canaan. They temporarily settle at the land of Gilgal where God instructs the men to be circumcised where removing their foreskins serves as a personal covenant with God.

While setting camp in Gilgal, Joshua begins his reconnaissance work to invade the walled city of Jericho. He sends various spies to infiltrate the city where they meet and befriend the harlot, Rahab who gives them shelter and key information. She is later questioned by the king of Jericho, who begins to fear of an upcoming assault, but Rehab denies any knowledge of Israelite spies. She then helps the Israelites escape and confesses her faith in God and her belief that the land of Canaan is destined for the Israelites.  

The Battle of Jericho

Probably one of the most famous moments in the Book of Joshua (and the Old Testament) is the destruction of Jericho. The king of Jericho is on high alert after expecting Israelite spies and closes his gates entirely, thus the walled city cannot be breached. Joshua commands a siege of the walled city to no effect. He is then visited by an angel who presents himself as a host of the Lord and instructs Joshua to remove his sandals. Just as it had happened to Moses, Joshua is now in the presence of the Lord, and lays prostrate to the ground to worship him. 

God then instructs Joshua to march around the city for six straight days. On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times before the priests would blow their horns and the people would shout. At this point the walls miraculously collapsed and the Israelite army was easily able to sack the city. Upon the instructions of God, they left no survivors except for the harlot Rahab who had aided them in their breach. This marked the first major victory for the Israelites, however they did not settle here but pressed on with their campaign. 

The Battle of Ai

From this victory Joshua lead the Israelites westward into central Canaan to sack the city of Ai. However they had temporarily lost favor with God, due to an Israelite named Achan who disobeyed God's instructions not to pillage from the city of Jericho. Nonetheless Joshua liked his odds against the smaller army of Ai, and sent 3000 soldiers to assault the gates. However the soldiers of Ai were able to repel the attack and killed 30 Israelites forcing them to retreat. At this point Joshua prayed fervently to God asking for assistance. God explained to Joshua the sin that had been committed against him, and how the entire people were to be punished. To answer for this sin, Joshua ordered Achan and his family be stoned to death, which regained favor with the lord.

Joshua then led a 2nd assault on the city of Ai, with the full counsel and support of the Lord. God instructs Joshua to approach the front gates with a small force, while simultaneously arranging an ambush at the rear with a much greater force of 30,000 soldiers. The king of Ai sends his full force to face Joshua's smaller force at the front of the gates. Joshua pulls his army back while the Israelite army at the rear, easily penetrate and sack the city of Ai. Joshua then holds up a javelin by Gods command to lead the final assault on the Ai army, with flanking support from their rear position. The king of Ai is captured and hanged on a tree at the front of the gates. God permits that the Israelites can plunder the livestock but must leave no survivors and burn the city down just as they had done with Jericho. 

The Amorite Alliance

At Mount Ebal Joshua erects an altar to once again give glory and homage to God for their recent victories. By this point however the native Canaanite kingdoms (also known as Amorites) began to fear Joshua's invading army and decided to form an alliance against him. This Amorite alliance consists of the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. Meanwhile the Gibeonites (who were also a kingdom of Canaan) attempt to ally with Israel and welcome them to their city of Gibeon. However when Joshua discovers that they are Canaanites, he decides to enslave them for fear that they cannot be trusted.

King Adonizedek of Jerusalem leads the Amorite Alliance to attack the city of Gibeon, as punishment for siding with the Israelites. Joshua decides to save the city of Gibeon with counsel from the Lord. He marches his army from their post in Gilgal to face the 5 Amorite armies and easily causes them to retreat. He famously requests that God halt the sun, so that his army has more time to fight in the light. While the Amorites began to escape God hurls large hailstones down upon them causing great devastation. Meanwhile the 5 Amorite kings took shelter in a cave but were later discovered and executed by Joshua. Just as he did with the kings of Jericho and Ai, Joshua had the 5 Amorite kings hanged upon trees. This marked the Israeli conquest of southern Canaan and Joshua then turned his attention to the northern kingdoms.

The Northern Confederacy    

News of Joshua's victories reached the northern kingdoms of Canaan, most notably it's largest city of Hazor. King Jabin of Hazor established a northern alliance with the kingdoms of Shimron, Madon, Achshaph, and the remaining strongholds of Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. This was to be the final stand against the invading Israelite army of Joshua. The Northern coalition of Canaanite armies arrived at the site of Merom near the Sea of Galilee. Joshua met them with his entire Israelite army at the Battle of the Waters of Merom to bring an end to the Canaan military campaign.

With instructions from God, Joshua crippled the Canaanites' horses and burned their chariots overnight and then came upon them in surprise with his full force. It was once again a slaughter for the Israelites who sent the Canaanite armies fleeing in every direction. Joshua pressed his army onward to capture the capital city of Hazor, kill their king, and burn the city to the ground. They once again left no survivors however claimed all plunder from their victories. This marked an end to the Jewish exodus, Joshua's military campaign, the destruction of the native Canaanites, and God's ultimate covenant that the Israelites occupy this Promised Land (which they would later rename Judah and Israel).

Division of the Lands

Following their conquest of Canaan, God gave Joshua thorough instructions to divide the region among the 12 tribes of Jacob. The first 4 to receive their allotted land were Rueben, Gad, Judah, and Ephraim. This was the prime territory at the heart of Canaan which surrounded the Dead Sea and the Jordan River. The Tribe of Benjamin also claimed a central territory incorporating the Canaanite cities of Jericho, Gibeon, and Jerusalem. The remaining tribes of Simeon, Dan, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Asher were allocated territory on the outskirts. These tribes would eventually unite into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) under the leadership of Saul, David, and Solomon. 

In his final years Joshua is at peace having lead the fulfillment of God's promised land to the Israelites. In the land of Shechem he holds a grand assembly to give one final address to the chief leaders. He reminds them of their covenant with God and to always obey the Laws of Moses. He also emphasizes that they not make friends with the neighboring tribes, which could lead them away from their God. Joshua then laid out a large stone to represent the eye of God, which would bear witness to any transgressions against the lord. He then died at the age of 110 years old and was buried in Shechem.  

Book Review: The Aeneid

During my recent Roman appreciation phase I decided to read the classic epic poem, The Aeneid, by Virgil. Written in 29-19 BC this is considered one of the greatest works of literature during the Roman era and also a key source of Roman mythology. The work was presented in it's entirety to the first emperor of Rome, Augustus. It glorified Roman culture, thru a mythical tale of origins, deities, heroes, and Rome's history to come. There can be no question however that the format of this epic was essentially derived from Homer's Illiad. The same can be said about Roman mythology which is basically a re-identification of already established gods from Greek mythology.

In this post I want to review Virgirl's Aeneid, but also touch briefly upon Roman mythology which I'm not as familiar with. To be honest I've always considered the gods and stories of Roman mythology as mere imitators to Greek Mythology. It was the Greeks after all that came before the Romans, and greatly influenced their society, democracy, architecture, philosophy, military, their alphabet, literature, and mythology. However quite fittingly Virgil does give homage to their Greek predecessors by pulling his protagonist from the Iliad and into his own tale pertaining to the establishment of Rome. In that sense I do enjoy this concept of pulling a character from Greek origins to establish a new origin that would become Rome (which in essence is what happened historically).

This story that recounts the foundation of Rome, is a break from the much older tale of the twins Romulus and Remus. However Virgil still gives homage to these legendary Roman founders, as kingly ancestors to the hero Aeneas, the protagonist of the story. Aeneas was a Trojan hero, who leads his people from their burnt city to find a new land. Their journey is a perilous one, similar to the Odyssey, with many challenges thru their maritime affair. They briefly land at the kingdom of Carthage, led by the queen Dodo who falls in love with Aeneas. However the gods convince Aeneas to carry on, which ultimately breaks Dodo's heart which serves as a legendary cause for the historical Punic Wars. The Trojans eventually are guided to the land of Italy, where they do battle with the local Latin people to establish the city of Rome. Similiar to the Iliad it's a story with many gods and many heroes, far too many to keep track of them all. Therefore before I dive deeper into the plot, I'd like to outline some of these key Roman gods and heroes.

Roman Mythology

• The Twelve Great Gods
• 
  Jupiter (King of the Gods; sky and thunder)=  Zeus
  
• Juno (Queen of the gods, wife of Jupiter)= Hera
• Neptune (God of the Sea) = Poseidon
• Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom, justice, and victory)=Athena
• Mars (God of War) = Ares
• Venus (Goddess of Love and Beauty) =  Aphrodite
• Apollo or Sol Invictus (God of the Sun) = Apollo
• Diana (Nature, Hunters, Wildlife, night, and the moon) = Artemis
• Vulcan (God of fire and forge) = Hephaestus 
• Vesta (Goddess of family and home)= Hestia
• Mercury (Messenger God, commerce, and trade)= Hermes
• Ceres (Goddess of Agriculture)= Demeter
• Other Principal Gods
• Saturn (God of Time) = Chronos
• Pluto (God of Death, and the underworld) = Hades
• Tellus (God of Earth) = Gaia
• Luna (Goddess of the Moon) = Selene
• Fortuna (God of Fortune)= Tyche
• Heroes
• Romulus and Remus- The twins who were cared for by a she-wolf, later fought amongst themselves. Romulus killed his brother Remus then founded the city of Rome and reigned for 40 years. 
• Aeneas- demigod son of Venus, cousin to the Trojan warrior Hector, he founded Rome
• Cloelia- Bravely led a group of Roman virgins to escape their Etruscan captors by crossing the Tiber river
• Evander- Fled Arcadia, Greece to establish the city of Pallantium in Italy
• Hercules- Derived from the Greek legend of Herakles who performed great labors
• Lucretia- She was wrongfully raped and committed suicide, but this act led to a rebellion of the wicked Tarquin king 
• Numa Pompilius- Succeeded Romulus as a legendary king, to establish many great Roman institutions such as their calendar, priests and priestesses, and temples to the gods.
• Silvius Brabo- A mythical Roman soldier who cut off the hand of the giant Druon and threw it in the Scheldt River, which became the namesake of Antwerp, Belgium (which means hand-throw).

Book Summary

The story is broken up into 12 chapters and begins with the defeated Trojans lead by Aeneas sailing eastward from their ruined city of Troy. Aeneas seeks the land of Italy, where legend has foretold will become home to the greatest of nations. However the goddess Juno is still bitter over not being chosen by Paris, and sends a furious storm upon Aeneas fleet. Neptune intervenes to calm the sea, and the Trojans land on the shores of Africa to regroup. The goddess Diana, then convinces Aeneas to visit the city of Carthage. There he meets the queen Dido, who has also led an expedition from their ruined state of Tyre, to found the city of Carthage. Under the influence of the goddess Venus, Queen Dido falls for Aeneas. 

In Book 2, Aeneas recounts the sack of Troy by the Greeks, to the Queen Dido of Carthage. He shares how the recently killed Hector visits him in a dream to escape Troy with his family and find a new home for the Trojan people. During this escape Aeneas witnesses King Priam killed by Achilles' son Pyrrhus. He also realizes his wife Creusa has been lost, and when he returns to the burning city, he only finds her ghost, he tells him to seek the land of Hesperia (the western land of Italy). He then details their voyages from Troy to Thrace, to the island of Crete, and the city of Butrint (Albania) where a separate group of Trojan exiles have begun to rebuild a city. However rather then join his countrymen there, he is realizes his destiny is to travel further to Italy. From there his crew land at Sicily, where they meet one of Ulysses crewmates, Achaemenides, and take him onboard whilst escaping the terrible cyclops Polyphemus (who was also in book Odyssey). Before arriving to Carthage, Aeneas father Anchises dies of old age, which sends him to grief. 

Queen Dido is moved by this adventurous tale and later makes love with Aeneas in a cave, which she considers as a consummation of their marriage. Aeneas however is quickly reminded by the messenger god, Mercury that his destiny lies in Italy and not in Carthage. He therefore reluctantly leaves Dido, who becomes heartbroken and commits suicide by stabbing herself. She curses him upon her death, urging her descendants to take revenge on his people (which is no doubt a reference to the Punic Wars of Carthage and Rome). As he sails away Aeneas sees the smoke from Dido's funeral pyre and realizes it is a bad omen of things to come. In Book 5 the crew return to Sicily to regroup and partake in funeral games to honor Aeneas' dead father. These games include a boat race, foot race, boxing match, and an archery contest. During these events Aeneas begins to display great leadership and love of his people.

Still in grief by the death of his father, Aeneas is given a rare opportunity to visit the underworld to speak to his father. He is guided by the priestess, Cumaean Sibyl who warns him that the journey down is easy but the return journey is labor-some. Once they enter the realm of the dead, Aeneas sees the realm of Tartarus, where the wicked are punished as slaves. There is also the Fields of Mourning, where he tries to speak to the spirit of Dido, but she does not respond to him. Aeneas then enters the realm of Elysium where the just and righteous dwell. It is there that he meets the spirit of his father, who embraces him and reminds him of his destiny to establish a great nation. 

At book 7, Aeneas finally arrives on the western coast of Italy in the region of Latium, where war quickly breaks out between the Trojans and the Latins. Aeneas wishes to find a peaceful diplomatic solution, however the goddess Juno once again intervenes by stirring fury into the local ruler Turnus. The goddess Venus convinces her husband Vulcan the blacksmith to create a powerful shield to present to Aeneas, which becomes a symbol of Rome. While Aeneas is away from the Trojan camp seeking new allies, Turnus attacks the Trojans and kills Aeneas' friends Nisus and Euryalus. Aeneas returns to the camp with the Arcadians and Tuscans to wage war on Turnus. The prince of Arcadia, Pallas is killed by Turnus while Aeneas kills the Etruscan king, Mezentius.

In Book 11 the fighting over Latium resumes, where Camilla takes centerstage on the battlefield. She is an Amazonian warrior, princess of Volsi, ally to King Turnus, a great huntress, and favored by the goddess Diana. She fights courageously until she is poisoned by the coward Arruns, who is then shot by an arrow guided by Diana. This string of events leads to the final confrontation between Turnus and Aeneas. Knowing all is but lost at this point the queen of Latium hangs herself. Aeneas is the superior fighter and easily able to defeat Turnus. When Turnus begs for mercy Aeneas briefly considers it, but then refuses as he remembers the death of Pallas. This marks the abrupt ending of the Aeneid, where the Trojans claim Latium as their land. 

The Review

I won't lie I did find this epic poem quite difficult to comprehend, as I do with most poetry. This was also the case when I read other ancient writings such as The Iliad, the Odyssey, and Gilgamesh. I felt there are just too many characters, heroes, and gods dropped into the story without much context. I suppose it probably does take some serious back study and several reads to appreciate it all the more. I did find the opening 6 chapters (pertaining to their voyage to Italy) a lot more interesting then the closing 6 chapters (regarding their war in Italy). I especially enjoyed the reference to Queen Dido as the founder of Carthage, her love with Aeneas, and her heartbreak that would lead to the Punic Wars. 

I felt aside from the romantic story of Dido, the tale was more-or-less an imitation and continuation of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Many of the characters from the Iliad are referenced in this story such as Aeneas, Hector, Priam, Andromache (Hector's wife), Pyrrhus, Achilles, Ulysses, Polyphemus, and so forth. Just as in Homer's great epic poems, there are two simultaneous stories going on at a time set in the realm of the gods and the realm of humans. All the events that unfold throughout Aeneas' adventure are influenced by the actions of the god. Also just as in the Iliad, there is an entire chapter dedicated to funeral games in the Aeneid. 

However another original aspect I enjoyed was the depiction of the Underworld in Book 6. Although the realm of Hades was frequently mentioned in the Iliad and the Odyssey we never got visit it until this book. Here the poet Virgil gives a very detailed account of the afterlife, which would later inspire Dante Alighieri to write the Divine Comedy. Aeneas is guided by the prophetess Sibyl, where they meet the ferryman Charon, and they offer him a golden branch to cross the river Styx into the realm of the dead. Virigl's underworld is divided into 3 major realms including Tartarus (for the wicked), the Fields of Mourning (for the sad lost souls), and Elysium (for the righteous). He then meets with his father who reassures Aeneas of his destiny. I always love a good depiction of the afterlife.

I can certainly see why this epic poem is sometimes lost in the shadow of Homer's works, and also why the gods of Roman mythology aren't quite as prevalent as those of Greece. Their essentially replications of Greek literature, adapted into a new society and culture. This work is still no doubt a celebration and glorification of ancient Rome. Even many of it's historical leaders such as Julius Caesar and Augustus are mentioned in the book as descendants of the legendary Aeneas. The release of this poem came at a pivotal time in Roman history, at it's transition from Republic to Empire. Although it has much similarities to the Greek writings, I think Virgil did succeed with some original elements and creating the epitome of Roman excellence. 

Current Foreign Affairs: Zelenskyy's Bold Defiance

Yesterday Zelensky had a heated exchange in the white house with President Trump and vice president JD Vance over the war in Ukraine. As a result Zelenskky was kicked out of the white house and the US-Ukraine negations came to an abrupt halt. It was quite shocking to see this clash captured in front of the media and truly marks a sudden turn in world diplomacy. Initial reaction was that maybe Zelenskky overplayed his cards, however to be fair I completely understand his frustration. Trump has publicly accused Ukraine of starting the war (which is a lie), has begun negotiations with Russia first, declared NATO is out of the question for Ukraine, and is now demanding their precious resources in return for US support. It's no wonder their was tension coming into this meeting that hat lead to a historical diplomatic collapse. 

But I’m not sure what Zelenskyy hoped to achieve with that spat in the White House (and in front of the media). Maybe he walked into a trap just waiting to be triggered by Trump's strong-armed talk, or the media's jokes about him not wearing a suit. Maybe he was trying to look strong and composed but I'm not sure it went to plan. As sad as it is Ukraine simply does not have a good path forward without American support. Therefore showing thankfulness and groveling was probably the only way forward in the relationship.

 Or.... Maybe Zelenskyy just did not want to grovel and be thankful to Trump. After all it was Biden who supported Ukraine for 3 years, NOT Trump. Maybe the goal was to stand his ground, not easily hand over his resources and territory without more security guarantees from the negotiations. Maybe it was to win the public’s favor as the downtrodden leader, clearly bullied by America's new tyrannical regime. It was indeed refreshing to see someone finally stand up to Trump. But still what is his endgame if he planned to start a public fight with Trump that could essentially end their alliance.

 My how the pendulum has swung! At the onset of the war Ukraine seemed to have the advantage with strong support from the US and Europe. But now thanks to our change in presidency, the advantage has clearly shifted to Russia. After years of strong alliance, Ukrainian relations with the US epically collapsed in a matter of minutes during this dialogue. So who does Ukraine turn to now? Can today’s dispute be quickly resolved or will Zelenskyy stay proud and stubborn. To NOT apologize to Trump could indeed show great strength. Can Europe get behind this sudden break-up with America? And more importantly can the war-torn people of Ukraine support Zelesnkyy's act of defiance to continue its fight.

But what hope does Ukraine have to defeat Russia without the support of the US. Can they rely on a major boost of funding and much-needed manpower from Europe? Seems unlikely as Macron and Starmer were just chumming with Trump this past week. Maybe Zelenskky's found a new ally in the recently elected German chancellor Merz. Who has already publicly declared strong support for Ukraine. Maybe Merz realizes that NATO is collapsing and Europe must strengthen itself more than ever in this Trump/Putin age. Maybe this could mark the beginning of a stronger European alliance free from US influence.

 The question now is whether today’s major dispute marks the end of US-Ukraine relations. Does Zelenskyy continue to fight without America support? Is he simply playing hardball with Trump to get a more favorable guarantee from the US? Or is it time for the battle-fatigued Zelenskyy to resign so a new Ukrainian president can restore American relations? This resignation would only favor Putin's demands and most likely give nothing back to Ukraine. This is truly a pivotal moment that could lead to the end of the Ukraine-Russian war or the beginning of a European-Russian War (which could also be referred to as WWIII). Which side would the US be in this greater conflict? I for one feel like the US is suddenly on the wrong side of this dispute, not as the good guy defenders but rather the bad guys supporting the wolves.

 One thing is for sure, Zelenskky has nothing to apologize for, and if anyone should apologize it's Trump and JD Vance. They're behavior was very rude, presumptuous, and not very considerate to Zelenskky's cause. Ukraine is without question the victim in this dispute, clearly on the side of  righteousness, a country that was illegally invaded. This sudden change in American diplomacy towards Ukraine is not about peace but rather Trump money involved in the conflict. Trump has most likely already made a deal with Putin to sustain the land they conquered from Ukraine. And to give up its land can only open the door to further land grabs in this sudden age of tyrants. I truly hope Ukraine can endure this sudden shift and the European nations can rise up together against pure wickedness. 

Top 25 Most Difficult Elden Ring Bosses

I'm proud to say I completed all 30 Legendary and Elite Bosses in the game (some of which were optional) all of which were listed in the PlayStation Achievement Guide. I found some of the bosses to be quite easy while others nearly drove me to madness. Some of these fights I was probably under-leveled but too stubborn to walk away. While others it seemed were just difficult no matter my level. Here is the top 25 most notable bosses I fought in the game, ranking them by difficulty.  

25. Dragonskin Soldier of Nokstella

This was an optional Great Boss located in the Siofra River. He was one of several bosses I hunted after defeating the game (already at about level 130 by this point). I found it difficult to find him and needed some YouTube guidance, however once I did I was easily able to defeat him on my first try. I honestly don't remember too much from this battle.  

24. Valiant Gargoyles

Another optional Great Boss, located in Nokron the Eternal City that I hunted after beating the game. Once again I needed some help from YouTube to locate them and once again I was able to defeat the boss on my first tree. Aside from having to fight two giant stone gargoyles at a time, there wasn't too much memorable in this one for me. 

23. Lichdragon Fortissax

This was another optional Great Boss I defeated on my first try after beating the game. However I needed some guidance from YouTube on where to locate the beast. It was actually more challenging finding the boss, then fighting it, since there was a full questline to undertake pertaining to Fia. This involved unlocking a whole new underground region in the Deeproot Depths, which I missed in my early explorations. The boss itself was easy quite easy aside from the long journey to find him.

22. Morgott the Omen King 

After struggling so much with Margit the Fell Omen, I was more then ready to beat the hell out of this Legendary demigod Boss. I actually bought the Morgott trap early in the game, knowing that I would face this boss once again. However I honestly didn't really need to use it. I believe he did beat me once, as I do remember him dropping his classic line one, of putting my blind ambitions to rest. But I'm quite sure I beat him on the second try. 

21. Beast Clergyman/Maliketh, the Black Blade 

Getting thru Farum Azula was a very challenging region towards the end of the game with many fierce enemies. However surprisingly the main legendary boss Maliketh was not all that difficult for me. He begins as the Beast Clergyman then transforms into some form of beastly black panther that jumps and springs everywhere while slashing his giant fire sword. I saw this boss ranked a lot higher on other lists, but for me he was quite easy and didn't take me more than a couple tries to defeat him.   

20. Godfrey/Hoarah Loux

By the time I had arrived to Leyendall Ashen Capital towards the end of the game, I had defeated a string of bosses all rather easily. This included Maliketh from Farum Azula, followed by Sir Gideon, and then came the legendary boss, Godfrey the first Elden Lord. In his second phase Godfrey transforms into a lion warrior known as Hoarah Loux, but still was fairly easy to defeat. I think it might have taken me a couple tries t to defeat him. I knew then, it was too easy and the boss to follow would be the penultimate challenge to beat the game. 

19. Borealis, the Freezing Fog

This was another great boss I decided to hunt after defeating the game, and actually found him on my own while navigating the snow lands. Despite my high level with a maxed out weapon and mimic spirit ash, I still found this enemy to be quite challenging. That was due to his frost AOE (area-of-effect) which quickly caused severe frostbite damage. With the help of Torrent however, I eventually got a good routine of getting behind him to hack away at his legs. This was the same strategy that worked for the fire giant and other dragons throughout the game. This enemy reminded me of the Game of Thrones White Walker dragon.  

18. Mohg, Lord of Blood 

He was an optional legendary demigod boss located in the firey Mohgwyn Palace. I actually found him and defeated him without any help from YouTube. I believe it did take me several attempts and found his magical attacks to be quite unpredictable. He use of fire and blood attacks, would quickly deduct major health. I think after a few tries I came to understand his rhythm and maybe just got lucky as I've seen this boss also listed quite high on other lists. 

17. Godskin Noble 

This was one of the more vile great bosses in the game, an overweight clergyman with a giant tail located within the Volcano Manor. Despite his layers of flab he can still move very fast and can quickly diminish your health in a string of attacks. I remember he had an annoying fat roll and a deadly rapier thrust. I think this one did take me a few tries but I finally got it right and was glad to be done with this grotesque beast.  

16. Dragonlord Placidusax 

I hunted for this Great Boss, after beating the game, and he was without question the most challenging postgame enemies I faced. Located in Farum Azula, I needed some help from YouTube to locate him. And even despite my high level it took me quite a few attempts to finally beat him. He had some deadly lightning AOE attacks and would quickly kill my mimic ash. What especially made this boss frustrating was a rather lengthy boss run of dodging a few powerful enemies and then having to jump down several floating rocks. It was having to repeat these lengthy boss runs again-and-again that could often make a boss fight all the more maddening.    

15. Red Wolf of Radagon

The Academy of Raya Lucaria was especially difficult to navigate no thanks to the creepy crawling giant hands and the 3-headed sorcerers. I remember this was one of the areas I would just run thru to hit the save points. One of the Great Bosses located in this academy was the Red Rolf of Radagon who was also quite difficult. He was extremely fast and could also throw various magical projectiles at you. This was probably the third major boss I defeated in the game, and I felt quite good that it took me a lot less time then Margit and Godric. 

14. Royal Knight Loretta

I remember facing this great ghostly boss towards my early phase of exploring the game and quickly decided I was not at the right level yet. I especially didn't like to linger long in the magical region of Caria Manor. When I decided to return to face her with a higher level, I still found her to be quite difficult with his magical attacks. I remember this boss was one of several instances throughout the game where I had an enemy's health bar down to a fraction of a centimeter, then died. That is one of the most frustrating things to bounce back from. 

 

13. Godskin Duo

The region of Farum Azura was one of the most difficult areas in the game, and the Godskin Duo was no exception. It was already difficult enough to face them individually earlier in the game, but having to face them together at once was all the more challenging. I remember this was another fight where I quickly realized I was under-leveled and decided to walk away. The second go-around was still quite challenging and took me quite a few attempts to finally defeat both of them.    

12. Astel, Natural born of the Void

This was one of the more surprising victories I achieved throughout the game. The underground Nokstella Eternal City, especially it's Lake of Rot were challenging to navigate thru and also very hellish. I actually found this legendary boss without any assistance from YouTube, when I curiously entered a coffin that transported me to some magical realm known as the Void. I knew right away this was a very unusual boss with his spooky skull face and insect-like body. It was quite a mesmerizing setting like on a giant lake surrounded by the stars. Despite his many magical projectiles I courageously charged right at him and slashed the heck out of him. I think it only took me two or three tries to defeat him. I believe this boss was meant to be a lot more difficult but maybe I just got a good sequence of dodges and attacks to beat him before I died. 

11. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy 

This legendary demigod boss located in the Volcano Manor, probably wins the most horrifying boss award. His first phase as the God-Devouring Serpent was actually not too difficult once I figured out how to use the serpent sword. However his transformation into Rykard, with his monstrous face in the serpent's body took things to the next level. At this point the projectiles of fire and magic led to utter chaos, especially when the red skulls chase after you. This was a lengthy two phase boss fight, and I was glad to get it done with after maybe an hour or so.  

10. Starscourge Radahn

This was the third major demigod I faced after defeating Godric and Renalla and actually only took me about 15 tries. He was still challenging no doubt about it, but compared to my previous legendary boss fights I was very happy to have defeated him so quickly. I actually enjoyed this fight outside the Castle Redmane of Caelid. It was nice to have Torrent for a boss fight and to call upon the aid of spirit warriors as we all charged into battle. Radahn was no doubt one of the strongest imposing adversaries but I think having allies made this fight a lot easier for me. Once I was able to past his giant arrow shots, the rest was just slash, run, dodge, and slash some more. I always loved to fight with Torrent, since I could easily do hit-and-run slashes without any effect.   
 

9. Godskin Apostle

This was an example of a great boss, that I was probably under leveled for but stubbornly decided to fight anyway. I spent several hours fighting this guy before I had to accept defeat and just walk away.  I think I just really disliked the cultish setting of the Windmill village of Dominula, where mad witches danced around. This fight was one on horse, and I felt I could easily use my hit-and-run tactics to defeat this magical phantom. However ultimately I just think I was not causing enough damage and unable to outlast his many magical attacks. I returned to him much later in the game, when I had signiciantly leveled up, and easily defeated him on my first try. However it was that first phase for me that made this boss so challenging.   

8. Draconic Tree Sentinel

Here was another example of a boss where I was significantly under leveled, but still thought I could outlast him. Knowing I needed to defeat him to enter Leyendell, I really wanted to take this guy down early in the game. I also thought having Torrent would work in my favor, and I could just play the long-game with him. I even established a tactical strategy with the help of my jellyfish spirit ash. However after several hours of stubborn denial I only once came close to beating him. I just couldn't cause enough damage to outlast his magical attacks. Having to walk away from that fight was quite upsetting but I once again returned to him much later in the game and easily defeated him. 

 

7. Margit the Fell Omen

This was obviously my first major boss fight in the game, and one I spent many hours on. It's one of the few bosses I genuinely came to hate, and found myself fighting with rage over tactics. I think it was his creepy goatlike face, his giant staff, and having to hear him speak the same line again-and-again after killing me, "Put these Foolish Ambitions to Rest". After a first trial, I had to move on from him for a while to further explore and level up. On the second trial I still struggled to fight him and believe I just barely beat him with the wandering nobles spirit ash. I remember there was somehow still a noble left at the end when it was all over. At this point I knew what a challenge I was in for but also just proved to myself that I could endure it. 

6. Fire Giant 

I remember taking on this legendary boss on Super Bowl Sunday in the snow covered regions of the giants. At first I felt pretty good about the fight, as this was later in the game, where I had gotten comfortable with my bloodhound sword and was easily defeating enemies and bosses. I actually felt I would enjoy this fight, since I could use Torrent once again, and the whole snowy setting with it's violin score reminded me of Game of Thrones. However after an hour or so I realized this guy was no pushover and had an extremely durable body. My strategy was to slash at his foot from behind but he had various area-of-effect fire assaults where I often got caught up in which led to instant death. In his second phase his chest turns into a one-eyed cyclops monster, who goes on even more fiery assaults. I knew early on I could beat this guy and was coming close several times, but found it difficult to strike him amidst his many different fire attacks. After several hours I had to walk away from this fight to catch the opening of the Super Bowl, but returned later that evening to finally defeat him.   

5. Godric the Grafted

After struggling to navigate thru Stormveil Castle I had a good sense I was in for yet another very challenging fight. I remember by this point I had finally come to understand the game, had leveled up, and had enlisted the jellyfish as my spirit ash of choice. I think it was a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon where I spent hours fighting this one boss. I eventually got pretty good at understanding his various attack sequences and finding the right times to dodge and attack. However his second phase was even more challenging when he chops off his arm to replace it with a dragon's head. At this point it was not only a melee fight, but also having to run for dear life to escape deadly fire assaults. This was a very lengthy fight in a eerie graveyard, which made it especially frustrating with each defeat. I changed strategies multiple times, until finally just having a good run. I believe it was close once again, but I was so thrilled to defeat this legendary demigod.  

4. Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon 

This was one of the most frustrating boss fights for me, due to it's very lengthy boss run. I would say it was probably the longest boss run in the game, which I had to do many times. This Legendary Boss in the Raya Lucaria Academy had the potential to be a pretty cool fight. Known as the Moon Queen, she did have a hypnotic allure to her, especially in the 2nd phase surrounded by a mystical, starry sky. The first phase took me a little bit to figure out as her many clones sing a lullaby that sounds like a song from Sound of Music. They hurl magical projectiles and books that cause minor damage, but it's the giant blasts from the Queen that can be instant death in this phase. After many attempts I actually got thru this phase pretty easily, however the 2nd part was an entirely different fight in a new location. This time the Queen took on her full form, as a powerful sorceress with an array of magical spirt casting spells. This was one of three boss fights, that I felt properly leveled for but just couldn't get it done in the first trial and had to go to bed defeated. I think what especially made this fight so challenging was the lengthy boss run, and then a very lengthy fight. Each loss was so very discouraging, especially when I came very close several times to defeating her. When I finally did have the perfect run, I believe it was still quite close, but I had finally defeated her and felt an extreme rush of jubilation in that moment. 

3. Malenia, Blade of Miquella 

I've seen this legendary boss considered as the number one most difficult boss on many lists, and it was not until I actually defeated her that I read that. She was no doubt very challenging, as she was advertised by Sir Gideon as an undefeated Valkyrie demigod. I honestly wasn't too intimidated by her early on, however just felt I had to survive her windstorm sword attacks. During this sequence she would go into a maddening tornado of sword attacks, impossible to doge, which would often lead to instant death. However I quickly realized she had a weakness in slow recovery, and my best strategy would be an all out offense to not allow her to perform her spinning strikes. I did everything I could to improve my endurance, and capitalize on attacks when she was focused on my mimic spirit ash. Her 2nd phase was of course equally challenging as it went into more of a magical scarlet rot attack with her continued sword attacks. After several hours I felt I might be in trouble with this boss, but then just out of nowhere had a good run and killed her in the nick of time. 

2. Commander Niall

I remember Castle Sol was quite challenging with many difficult ghostly knights but I was proud of myself for navigating it without any YouTube tips. However then I came to Commander Niall and all good feelings I had achieved were instantly lost once again. This was probably one of the second longest boss runs in the game, after Rennalla. However what made this boss so unusually difficult was the fact that I was going up against three very powerful bosses at once. Niall would summon two very large ghostly knights that would frequently kill me
before I could even start at Niall. This game is difficult fighting any level of multiple enemies at a time, now consider fighting multiple bosses. This was an example where I had to really develop a strategy to defeat them individually. I used all forms of gadgetry, weapon grease, rune arcs, and any advantage I could find. I know my level was right, however I still spent hours the first attempt and could not even come halfway at Commander Niall's health bar. I ran out of time on my first trial, and had to go to bed defeated. I of course studied on my free time some tips on how to beat this guy. I finally found a solution in using some magic branches that would convert one of the knights to my side. This way I was able to use him to get a few key hits on the Commander early on. From then on I would call upon my mimic spirt ash, and keep my distance from his magical frost storms. Although this was not a legendary boss I sure as heck felt like he should have been. 

1. Radagon of the Golden Order/Elden Beast Legendary Boss

Towards the end of the game I actually had gotten quite confident in my fighting skills. By the time I got to the Leyendell Ashen Capital, I was at around level 125 and easily defeated a string of major bosses such as Maliketh, Sir Gideon, and Godfrey. I of course knew the final boss would be challenging, but maybe my character's attributes were a point where I could overcome those challenges. That was definitely not the case, and the Radagon/Elden Beast boss fight was fittingly the hardest fight for me. This was a marathon of two very difficult phases, where every movement was key. Radagon was more a melee combat with lightning damage, while the Elden Beast was just a full on magical assault. I spent at least five hours on the first trial against this boss and had to go to bed very frustrated in defeat. The next day I did my research and decided to level up my attributes and got to around level 130 when I faced him a 2nd time. I also changed my armor and talismans to have stronger lightning negation. I had gotten much better at dodging Radagon's hammer assaults, and made it to the Elden Beast with about 6 health flasks left. From here I developed a strategy to use Torrent in certain parts of the fight, such as the circular fire rings, but not the up close fighting. It still took me many attempts on my 2nd trial, but I think having Torrent and some proper lightning negation is what did the trick. I was so thrilled to have beaten this epic boss, but also to have beaten one of the hardest games I've ever played.  

Video Game Review: Elden Ring

After nearly 2 months of full immersive game-play I finally beat the main storyline of Elden Ring yesterday. The game was as difficult as anticipated, one of the most challenging games I've ever played, but also so very rewarding. To defeat a boss after hours of frustrating battle, is such a blissful feeling of victory. I suppose that's the appeal to video games, as a means to escape while overcoming challenges. This was especially the case for Zelda, where the difficult challenge seemed to heighten the experience. I would say Elden Ring, is very similar to the format of Zelda yet more so for adults. It has the similar fantasy setting, open-world format, character upgrades, and a statistical element. The graphics of the "Lands Between" are some of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen. The only weak side to this game was the story, but other than that it would rank among my all time favorite video games. 

When I first heard of this game in 2022 I knew I wanted to play it. It was everything I love in a video game, the fantasy genre with the open-world format. I also learned it was designed by Game of Thrones writer George R. Martin. However the game was released strictly for the PlayStation console which I did not have until recently. I had all but forgotten about this game until I bought a PlayStation 5 last Black Friday. I saw the game on sale for $20 and decided it would be my next full emersion game (after a 1-year hiatus since playing Assassin's Creed Mirage). Of course even as I bought the game I was aware that it was considered one of the most difficult games of all time. However I knew with some patience and the support of Google and YouTube I could get thru it.

The Game Play

This being the first Dark Souls game I ever played, I wasn't familiar at all with the format. Early on I found myself quite lost on what to do and getting killed far too easily. I then of course had to turn to Google and YouTube videos (quite frequently) to better understand the importance of statistics. Just like many games these days, leveling up the character and weapons is vital to survive. The hero in this game is very customizable not only their looks but also their statistical skills. A gamer essentially can chose their play style, whether it be one of melee warrior combat, or a magical sorcerer, to anything in between. I chose the path of the warrior.     

The key attributes to a character are their vigor, mind, endurance, strength, dexterity, intelligence, faith, and arcane. These attributes can be upgraded after collecting sufficient runes, which will also upgrade the character's level. If your character is more the warrior build like mine, then you want to upgrade their vigor, endurance, and strength attributes. If you prefer the magical route, then the attributes of intelligence, faith, and arcane are the way to go. I honestly hardly tapped into the magical elements in this game, and could see how someone would consider a second run thru of the entire game with a completely different character build.  

Once I came to understand my preferred character build, I started moving thru the game at a better pace. That is until I got to Stormveil Castle, where I reached my first of several waves of intense frustration. I was killed many times by the boss Margit the Fell Omen, who kept "putting my foolish ambitions to rest". Defeating him was my first great achievement, but then I struggled to navigate the labyrinth of Stormveil Castle. I was killed constantly by the demon soldiers and flying eagles with knives and explosives attached to their talons. Furthermore I just did not know where to go until I turned to some YouTube guidance. I finally made it to Godrick the Grafted, who was twice as difficult as Margit and the frustration continued. I believe those first days I played this game I had serious doubts, of whether I was up for this, but I pressed on and finally beat Godrick. From there I was fully engaged and knew there was no turning back. 

This victorious feeling was short lived however, after advancing from Stormveil Castle into Lurnia and the Academy of Raya Lucaria. I'm not sure why it is, but something about magic often gives me the creeps. That was the case in Skyrim, Witcher, and definitely the case in this game. I won't lie some of my early tactics were just to run to the save spots known as the Sites of Grace. In the Academy I had to defeat two more epic bosses including the Red Wolf and the moon queen Rennalla. I found Rennalla to be extremely difficult and after many hours I simply could not beat her, and had go to bed in defeat. I remember being so frustrated at work the next day just waiting to get home and give her another chance. This time I had done my research and was much more familiar with her tactics. It was once again a very rewarding feeling to defeat her. 

From this point on I explored quite a bit, eager to level up my character so as to stand a better chance against these wicked creatures. I found there was hardly a friendly place or person on the map to have a decent conversation with. Even the merchants weren't very friendly and the refuge Royal Table had a dark grim feel to it. The game has a funny juxtaposition to have such a beautiful heavenly setting inhabited only by the most vile and wicked creatures imaginable. Nonetheless I still enjoyed to explore every corner of the map, even the caves and undergrounds which had many important weapons and items.

There are many forms of weapons in this game catering to one's play style. The character can equip multiple melee options and magical items during combat. I would often have a sword in one hand, shield in the other, with my health flask. I found the arrow and throwing knives did too little damage to be worthwhile. For magic I would frequently call upon my stead Torrent and my spirit ashes to aid me in battle. For half the game I used the Jellyfish spirit ash, until switching over to the Mimic spirit ash. I also found the finger seal to be helpful in casting magical cures for poison or scarlet rot. The armor was also an important way to upgrade one's defense which I changed frequently. Once I discovered my weapon of choice the Bloodhound Fang and maxed out it's level, I was finally able to easily defeat enemies. 

I next took on the dragon-scored region known as Caelid with it's horrifying giant birds, dogs, and dragons galore. I was actually easily able to navigate thru the Castle Redmane and defeated the legendary boss Radahn after only about 10 tries. I then went to the Volcano Manor to easily defeat  Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. After this string of easy victories, I had assumed I was going to easily make it thru the finish without anymore frustrations but that was not to be the case. I marched into the royal capital Leyndell like a conquering hero, and had some challenges navigated but was easily able to defeat Margit once again. I then journeyed to the snowy mountains of the giants where suddenly everything got very difficult once again. I quickly found I would have to hault my main quest campaign to continue to explore and level up my character some more. 

I was quite shocked at how the difficulty went up a notch in the snow mountains just as I thought I was cruising along. It was fighting the fire giant, that reminded me of some of the extreme frustrations I experienced early on in this game. I remember fighting him on Super Bowl Sunday, and missing a good portion of the game because I could not rest in peace. I was so happy to finally kill him after many hours of battle that day, and thankful I didn't have to go into work defeated (as I did with Queen Rennalla). I quickly met my match once again however at Castle Sol when having to face Commander Niall and his two ghostly knights. After many attempts I was not able to beat this boss, and had to go to bed very upset. It was not until the next day that I defeated him, just barely I remember. After this the frustration continued in the Consecrated Snowfields where I died many times trying to navigate thru the heavy winds and fog. 

From here voyaging into the fiery realm known as the Mohgwyn Palace wasn't really all that bad. I once again easily defeated the epic boss, Mohg Lord of the Blood after only a handful of attempts. I then went to the breathtaking realm known as Miquella's Haligtree, and wish I could have just explored this mythical tree kingdom in peace. Of course the villains were once again extremely difficult and I found I had to rush thru to get to saving points. After struggling to get thru this region, it was not surprising that the boss here was one of the most challenging yet. I had heard from Sir Gideon that Malenia, Blade of Miquella was the only undefeated goddess, and this powerful Valkyrie lived up to the hype. It took me many hours to defeat this boss, and I found her phase 1 to actually be more challenging then her phase 2. It was only after I defeated her that I later found out she was an optional boss to the main questline. 

From here I went to the realm of the Crumbling Farum Azule, which was also very difficult region to navigate with it's storm winds and powerful enemies. The legendary boss here was surprisingly not all that difficult for me and I defeated Maliketh, the Black Blade after only a few tries. From there I knew it was time to face the final leg of the game by returning to the capital of Leyndell that was now covered in ash from the burning Erdtree. I think by this point I was at around level 120 as I prepared to face the final string of bosses. I was not surprised to see Sir Gideon, who had once counseled me at the Royal Table, awaiting to challenge me. He was actually an easy win, followed by another easy boss in Godfrey the First Elden Lord. I of course knew it couldn't be that easy and boy was I right when I came face to face with Radagan of the Golden Order. 

I spent over five hours attempting to beat this guy to no success, using every tool in my playbook. And on the few times I made it to his 2nd phase, known as the Elden Beast, I found to be even more challenging. I went to bed that night defeated for a third time in this game (thankfully it was a Friday night). I decided the next day I had to upgrade my attributes some more and improved my character to around level 130. This time I was able to beat Radagan a lot easier and realized I could use Torrent to fight against the Elden Beast. I was so happy when I finally defeated this epic boss. The thrill was enhanced as this was the most challenging fight in the entire game, but even more so it meant that I had officially beaten the game. My ending was the Age of the Stars where I summoned Ranni the Witch to rule over the Lands Between in a complete new era. I suppose this was because I fully completed her quest, but I personally would have rather been the sole Elden Lord. 

Overall Review

I'm not for sure how much time I spent playing other games, but this one likely ranked as the most at about 140 hours (and I might still do a little more exploring before wrapping it up). I believe the time spent on this game is is no doubt a testament to how much I enjoyed the game. Although I found it to be extremely difficult, I think that's what made it all the more enjoyable. It was that desire to succeed which sometimes drove me to madness but I always knew I could do it, and in the end I was able to overcome it all and that was such a great feeling. I don't think I've ever played such an engaging game as this aside from Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. 

As I mentioned in the intro, what I loved most about the game was the incredible setting and the graphics. However I honestly found the story to be quite disappointing and lackluster. From the onset this hero known as a tarnished is very alone in this mysterious world. His character is quite weak without any backstory and showing no emotions aside from his ambition to be elden lord. I mentioned earlier that the game doesn't have many friendlies, and the few are very minimal who often fade away into nothingness. Such as Melina who appears to be a guide at the Sites of Grace, but not much comes of her. Or the blacksmith troll Hewg at the Round Table, and his apprentice Roderika neither of which offer much positive affirmation. There's some interesting side quest stories such as Ranni the Witch or Nepheli Loux the warrior, but there quite few-and-far between. I didn't even know who the main villain was all throughout the game. 

Aside from it's vague story, I still really enjoyed the fantasy setting and could see how someone could dive deeper in this Dark Souls lore. For me what I especially loved about the game was the freedom to go about it as you choose. I never felt so unsure of where to go next in a game. This was somewhat overwhelming given the enormous size of this map but also quite liberating. I actually did have to refer to an online forum of the best route to take in this game, given that some areas require higher levels. I must confess had it not been for these online forums and video tips I may have not made it thru this game. But even with all these tips, it was without question the most difficult game I ever played. As for it's overall ranking, I would have to think it thru, but would likely have it in my all time top ten.