The Gods of Mars · Chapter
The Depths of Omean explained
John Carter and Phaidor are taken by Xodar into the subterranean world of Omean, a hidden sea beneath Barsoom's surface.
What happens
John Carter and Phaidor are taken by Xodar into the subterranean world of Omean, a hidden sea beneath Barsoom's surface. They witness the secret naval base of the First Born and learn of the deception that has led countless Martians to their doom. Xodar reveals the existence of the Temple of Issus, and Phaidor's faith in the therns begins to waver as they descend into the depths.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Manipulation
The therns and First Born have perpetuated a massive deception, luring Martians to their deaths under the guise of religious pilgrimage.
Religion and Blasphemy
Phaidor's faith is shaken as she learns the truth about Issus and the fate of her people, challenging the religious foundations of the therns.
Characters to notice
- John Carter
John Carter is a prisoner aboard the First Born's battleship, observing the hidden world of Omean and questioning the therns' religious deceptions.
- Phaidor
Phaidor, daughter of Matai Shang, is confronted with the possibility that her people's beliefs are false, and she grows fearful and dependent on John Carter.
- Xodar
Xodar, a dator of the First Born, escorts the prisoners and reveals the secrets of the subterranean sea and the Temple of Issus.
Key passages
“If it is not false—she hesitated. 'Oh it cannot be true, it cannot be true. For if it were true then for countless ages have my people gone to torture and ignominious death at the hands of their cruel enemies, instead of to the beautiful Life Eternal that we have been taught to believe Issus holds for us.'”
Phaidor expresses horror at the possibility that her people have been deceived into believing that their journey to Issus leads to eternal life, when in reality it leads to death at the hands of their enemies.
This moment highlights the central religious deception of the therns and the First Born.
“As the lesser Barsoomians of the outer world have been lured by you to the terrible Valley Dor, so may it be that the therns themselves have been lured by the First Born to an equally horrid fate.”
John Carter suggests that the therns, who deceive others, may themselves be victims of a similar deception by the First Born.
John Carter draws a parallel between the therns' manipulation of the outer world and their own potential manipulation by the First Born.