I Saw Satan's Throne

I saw Satan’s throne the other day.

The Book of Revelations describes ancient Pergamum, now a picturesque ruin, as the throne or seat of Satan.

Why?

I think I know. Pergamum was famous in the ancient world, among other things, for its enthusiastic cult of the emperor, originally the emperor Trajan. This was the main feature of its acropolis.

This makes sense. The Book of Revelation is no fan of earthly power—aka the Whore of Babylon. The civil power, elevated to the object of worship, becomes Satan himself; the anti-God. Satan is the “lord of this world,” in the New Testament. It follows that the lord of this world is Satan.

Deep breath: it follows that patriotism is idolatry. While it seems selfless, what else is nation really than ego written large? And what else was Nazism but nation elevated to the object of worship?

This makes the Byzantine Empire a profanity: it sought to combine the heavenly with the earthly power. I find it disturbing to see mosaics of Jesus or Mary flanked by the emperor and empress. Especially since most emperors seemed to gain the throne through treachery and murder.

Visitors to Constantinople in later days described it as a lawless place, a place where “crime is not punished by law and never entirely comes to light” (Odo of Deuil, writing during the Second Crusade), where “the worst always wins out” (Nicetas Choniates, 12th century).

I suspect this is a direct consequence of the confusion of earthly with heavenly power: the message is that might makes right.