The Author: Nathan Cate
In 1995, Nathan Cate received the
Canadian Governor-General's Medal For Academic Excellence,
Canada's most prestigious academic award. In recent years, he has made his
home in the Orient, living and traveling there. While working on this book he
made a number of trips to Italy and Greece, and spent more than a decade engaged
in research.
Asked to comment on his book, Nathan Cate writes:
"Over the years, I have come to feel that our Pagan ancestors often receive unfair treatment, not only from Christians who tend to look down on them as the Vanquished in an old battle for supremacy, but also from academics who are often subtly condescending towards those who lived in the pre-scientific ages. Furthermore, for whatever reason, many among the public have a warped view of ancient pagans, one that often features dark images of grotesque rituals and sacrificial rites, or of childlike simplicity. It is my hope that his book will do something to correct this false view. I also hope to shed a little light on the largely forgotten role paganism played in laying the foundation of the modern world, and reveal something of the intriguing and beautiful perspective Classical Pagans had of the human race and of our universe generally. In my opinion many people underestimate the power and vigor of ancient Pagan thought, and in doing so undervalue the wisdom and insight of this extraordinary religion, something they do largely out of ignorance. My role, as I see it, is to illuminate and pass on an ancient message which is both timeless and profound."