The Thing You Need to Know About Indiana Jones 5

On the day of the movie's release, I eagerly made my way to the cinema to catch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). Harrison Ford truly embodies the role of a hero, and Indiana Jones remains an enduring idol.

However, Ford's age, at 81 years old, becomes a noticeable factor in this movie. The majority of the action sequences take place during chase scenes on various modes of transportation. This creative decision allows the production team to employ stunt doubles to compensate for the lead actor's physical limitations in those moments. Yet, it also results in lackluster action set pieces, and disappointingly, the iconic whip—symbolic of the entire series—makes only a single appearance throughout the entire movie. Additionally, the opening scene suffers from imperfect CGI, which somewhat detracts from the overall viewing experience. Nonetheless, I find solace in the fact that this legendary adventure series, spanning four decades and influencing countless generations through movie, literature, and gaming, is given a fitting conclusion. The movie remains a Hollywood spectacle, embodying a romantic style that portrays heroes and companions embarking on daring adventures to save the world—just as it did when Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) first captivated audiences. Instead of delving into the movie's narrative shortcomings, let's explore the broader historical context and the semi-real, semi-fictional anecdotes it touches upon.

The Lance of Longinus

The Lance of Longinus, also known as the Holy Spear or Spear of Destiny, stands as one of the most renowned relics in the Catholic world. Legend has it that during the crucifixion of Jesus, a Roman soldier named Longinus thrust the spearhead into Jesus' right side, delivering the fatal blow. Interestingly, Longinus' name does not appear in the earliest Gospel books but gradually surfaced in various apocryphal texts between the 7th and 10th centuries. These texts depict Longinus as a common soldier who rises to the rank of centurion and is subsequently condemned to be mauled by lions daily in a cave as divine punishment for piercing Jesus. However, during the crucifixion, some of Jesus' sacred blood splashed into Longinus' eyes, miraculously restoring his eyesight and leading to his conversion to Christianity as one of the first Roman converts. Over time, Longinus' character became increasingly embellished, likely for marketing purposes during the height of Catholicism.

Image: Statue of Longinus inside St. Peter's Basilica.

The elusive Lance of Longinus has long been lost in the annals of history. The earliest recorded mention of the Holy Spear dates back to an anonymous pilgrim who journeyed to Jerusalem in the sixth century. In 615 AD, after the Persian Empire, led by King Khosrow II, conquered Jerusalem, the city fell victim to plundering by the Persian army, and the Holy Spear was damaged and disappeared without a trace. Over the following centuries, four artifacts claiming to be the Holy Spear emerged in the Western world. One of them, the spearhead, originally housed in Constantinople, was acquired by Louis IX of France but vanished during the French Revolution along with the Crown of Thorns, which was also venerated in the Parisian church. The other part of the Holy Spear was gifted to Pope Innocent VIII by Sultan Bayezid II in 1492 and has since been kept beneath the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Besides the Vatican, no one knows what this Holy Spear actually looks like.

Additionally, both Armenia and the participants of the First Crusade declared that they had discovered the Holy Spear during their respective campaigns. However, the most renowned claim belongs to the Holy Spear in Vienna, which has served as a source of inspiration for numerous subsequent fantasy adventure stories. According to legend, the spearhead combines with a nail from the cross and has passed through the hands of various chosen individuals, from the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, Constantine the Great, to Charlemagne, the founder of the Holy Roman Empire. These legendary owners of the Holy Spear are renowned conquerors throughout history. Subsequently, the Holy Spear became an essential instrument in the coronation ceremonies of the Holy Roman Empire. In the fourteenth century, Emperor Charles IV adorned the Holy Spear with a gold sleeve inscribed with "Lancea et clavus Domini" (Spear and Nail of the Lord), thus giving it the familiar appearance we recognize in popular culture today. The supernatural power attributed to the Holy Spear, granting invincibility to its possessor in battle, made countless rulers throughout the ages covet it. It is rumored that even Napoleon sought to acquire the Holy Spear when his troops marched into Nuremberg in 1796, as it was believed to be stored there at the time. Afterward, the Holy Spear was transferred from Nuremberg to Vienna and remained there due to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, until the advent of Adolf Hitler.

Before becoming the leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler had always shown a keen interest in the history behind the Holy Spear and its supposed mystical powers, as mentioned in his book "Mein Kampf." In 1938, following the completion of the Anschluss—the annexation of Austria by Germany—Hitler's first act was to transport the Holy Spear back to Nuremberg, where it became a symbol of national unity and Nazi rule. However, the Holy Spear did not bless Hitler with unstoppable victories on his path to conquer Europe. According to unofficial historical accounts, on the final day of the Battle of Berlin, General Patton's American forces seized Hitler's secret vault, including the Holy Spear, and just two hours after its capture, Hitler committed suicide. General Patton himself had a profound interest in the Holy Spear and had contemplated claiming it for himself. However, under the mediation of Eisenhower, the Holy Spear was returned to Austrian authorities. Subsequently, Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States, while General Patton, who desired the power of the Holy Spear, tragically perished in a car accident in Germany later that same year. These events further added an air of mystery to the legend of the Lance of Longinus.

Unfortunately, recent archaeological studies in reality have found that the so-called Spear of Destiny is nothing more than a replica from the 7th century. Even the Roman nails embedded in the spearhead are not from the 1st century. No wonder the Nazis in the movie went to great lengths to find the real Holy Spear in Poland and chose Poland because Holy Roman Emperor Otto III had presented a replica of the Holy Spear to the first Polish king, Bolesław I the Brave, 1000 years ago. This replica is currently housed in the Wawel Cathedral Museum in Kraków, the second-largest city in Poland. This is also one of the main reasons I love the Indiana Jones series, as the semi-true, semi-false historical stories are as fascinating as delving into science.

Image: Replica of the Holy Spear in Poland

Archimedes and his invention

The main thread running throughout the movie is the search for Archimedes and his invention, the Antikythera mechanism. Many people know Archimedes, the Greek god of mathematics, from their school textbooks, with his famous quote, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." However, few people know about this great figure who was born in Syracuse, Sicily. In addition to his contributions to future calculus, the approximation of pi, and the principles of leverage in physics, he was a genius in military equipment development and was even rumored to be the first person in history to use laser weapons in combat. In 215 BC, Syracuse, as a former close ally of the Roman Republic, found itself at odds with Rome's archenemy, Carthage, under new leadership. The Romans were furious and besieged Syracuse during the Second Punic War. Archimedes, being a Syracusan, joined the fight to defend his homeland. Unfortunately, in 212 BC, Syracuse fell under the relentless attacks of the Romans, and Archimedes, engrossed in his studies of circles, was killed by a Roman soldier. In the movie, the main characters eventually arrive at the site of the Siege of Syracuse and witness the actual remains of Archimedes.

During the war, in addition to providing advanced catapults and fortification designs, Archimedes invented a defensive device known as the "Claw of Archimedes." It was a wooden structure similar to a crane with a huge metal claw suspended from it. The claw would descend onto enemy ships, gripping and lifting them out of the water before smashing them down. It was a revolutionary defensive weapon that, according to modern research, was entirely feasible given the technological level of the time. Even more incredible is the legendary "Heat Ray of Archimedes," where specially crafted mirrors or polished bronze shields were placed on the city walls. The scorching Mediterranean sunlight was focused on Roman warships, igniting their sails and inflicting significant damage on the Romans. Archimedes' death ray has been widely discussed since the Renaissance, and many historians believe that achieving such high-energy mirror reflection with the available technology at that time was not possible. However, the shimmering light source could indeed have been used to confuse the enemy and disrupt their vision. Of course, these tales and anecdotes are also mentioned in the movie.

Image: Heat Ray of Archimedes

And the artifact, the Antikythera mechanism, featured in the entire movie, does indeed exist in reality. It was discovered in 1901 in a Roman shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera, just as depicted in the movie. However, unlike the movie, this mechanical device was created during the ancient Greek period to calculate celestial positions, not as a mystical artifact for detecting temporal rifts. It was crafted between 150 and 100 BC, having no direct connection to Archimedes, who had long passed away by then. Nevertheless, the era in which the mechanism was created saw various astronomical observation devices inspired to some extent by Archimedes. Still, this doesn't diminish the multitude of mysterious puzzles surrounding this device. Similar intricate craftsmanship and technology only resurfaced in European clockmaking during the 14th century, a millennium and a half later. Research on the Antikythera mechanism has been ongoing for a century, and delving into its intricate workings is beyond the scope of this discussion. However, those intrigued by the device can seize the opportunity to admire the genuine artifact at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Image: Restored Antikythera mechanism

Another enigma in the movie revolves around the whereabouts of Archimedes' tomb. In reality, the supposed tomb of Archimedes is located within the Groticelle Cemetery, situated at the northernmost end of the Polio Archaeological Park in Syracuse, Sicily. However, subsequent archaeological studies do not support any direct connection between the tomb and Archimedes.

Image: Archimedes' tomb

In a section of the movie, during the deciphering of Archimedes' tomb's location, the process was explained rapidly, and I didn't fully comprehend the entirety of it. However, the protagonist, Helena, mentioned the Library of Alexandria and the Muse goddess in her misleading reasoning. This brings forth an intriguing historical tidbit. The Mouseion, also known as the Temple of the Muses, was a complex of buildings constructed around 300 BC by Ptolemy I, the ruler of Egypt at the time, to honor the Muse goddesses of Greek mythology. Among them, the Library of Alexandria was one of the ancient world's largest and most significant libraries, housing hundreds of thousands of scrolls. It served as the cultural center of the ancient Greek world in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, over time, the Museion and the Library suffered from persecution by Ptolemy VIII, the burning during Caesar's siege in 48 BC, subsequent internal conflicts in the third century, and the Muslim invasion in the 7th century. Consequently, today, both the Museion and the Library of Alexandria have disappeared without a trace. However, the name "Mouseion" has endured as the etymological origin of the English word "museum" and remains in use to this day.

Image: Sketch of the Library of Alexandria

As for the Muse goddesses, according to Greek mythology, they represent literature, science, and art. In the context of modern vocabulary, they symbolize a person's source of artistic inspiration. The nine Muses are Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (hymns), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy). Urania, the Muse of astronomy (also the namesake of the planet Uranus), is closely associated with mathematics due to the strong connection between astronomy and mathematics. Consequently, she is considered the Greek goddess of mathematics and a potential burial site for Archimedes. However, later in the movie, Dr. Jones and his team discover that Archimedes' true burial place is actually his hometown in Sicily.

Image: "Urania and Calliope" by the French Baroque master Simon Vouet

According to the movie's description, Archimedes' tomb is located in an artificial limestone cave outside Syracuse called the Ear of Dionysius. The cave was named by the famous Baroque painter Caravaggio in the 16th century because its structure resembles the acoustic properties of the human ear. Within the cave, echoes can reverberate up to 16 times, explaining why the main characters use echoes to identify the tomb's location. Legend has it that this cave served as a prison for prisoners held by the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse. Due to its unique acoustic characteristics, any whisper uttered in the cave would be heard, even amplifying the tortured screams of prisoners, greatly enhancing its deterrent effect.

As for the Greek temple atop the cave, that was an artistic amalgamation. The actual location of the temple is the Temple of Segesta in western Sicily. It is one of the best-preserved temples on the island, and despite the fact that the region was predominantly inhabited by Eastern Greeks from Ionia, the temple exhibits the distinct Doric architectural style associated with the Western Greeks. The temple remains unfinished and devoid of any dedicated deity. It deviates from the traditional hexastyle (six-columned) temples with an additional column, making it a heptastyle (seven-columned) structure (6x14). Thus, the history of the temple has puzzled historians for years, making it a must-visit site when exploring Sicily.

Lastly, I'd like to share a historical background related to the Cold War. The movie's timeline, set in 1969, coincides with one of the most tumultuous periods in modern American history. The United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a fierce space race, while Vietnam witnessed intense combat. The civil rights movement was in full swing, as evident from the hippie parade scenes and the Afro hairstyle sported by the CIA agent, symbolizing his African-American identity. The movie also highlights America's appreciation for Nazi intellectuals, reflecting a respect for history. Regarding the dark deeds carried out by the United States and the Nazis, one can search for Operation Paperclip, the T4 program, and the keyword "Thallium Gas." However, one intriguing aspect is the appearance of Indiana Jones' son, Mutt Williams, in the previous installment. In the storyline, Mutt Williams died in the Vietnam War. Based on the timeline, if Mutt Williams didn't perish in the Battle of Huế during the Tet Offensive in January 1968, he would have met his demise during the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969. In either case, his fate was undoubtedly gruesome.

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