Ancient (Stargate)
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| Ancients | |
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| Species | Ancients: Alterans |
| Homeworld | Unknown planet in a distant galaxy (Possibly named Altera or Celestis), Earth (After the abandonment of their original homeworld), Atlantis (in Pegasus galaxy) |
| Governing body | A Council known as the Collective, formerly the Atlantean High Council |
| Alliances as of season 10 | None |
| Prior Alliances | Four Great Races |
| Key episodes | "The Fifth Race (first mentioned) Maternal Instinct" (first appearance) |
The Ancients, also known as the Alterans and Lanteans, sometimes calling themselves Anqueetas in their language[1], are a race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are the most advanced race known to have existed, having evolved millions of years prior to the present day and reaching their level of technology long before Human life evolved on Earth. They are most known for being the builders of the Stargates.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Ancients/Alterans and the Ori
Millions of years ago, in the Stargate universe, the (presumably) first evolution of mankind was a race along the evolutionary path to ascension. Then a philosophical split occurred that divided them into two camps: the scientific group who would later be given the name Ancients, and the influence-seeking group later called the Ori. "Ancient", old, was not their own name but that of the second evolution of mankind - they adopted the name when explaining themselves. When referring to their splinter group, the Ori, they call themselves "Alterans", which is in Latin (which is highly influenced from the Ancients' language, see language below) "the others"; this is not a name, but a distinction from the Ori group that started fighting them (ie. "all others" of "our" evolution). It is not stated that they see the second evolution as another race; it is rather implied that they would refer to all ascended beings apart from the Ori as "we".
The Ori believed that their power should be worshipped, and they became increasingly dogmatic and filled with religious self-righteousness, believing they had a right to control all lesser races. The Alterans, on the other hand, (in Orlin's words) "believed" in science. They also felt that it was ethically wrong to affect or interfere with the free will of less advanced races, much less force them to worship them.[2] Eventually, after the Ori tried to wipe them out, some Alterans left the Ori Galaxy and arrived in the Milky Way Galaxy. They obviously managed to hide the second evolution of mankind that they sew in Milky Way and then Pegasus Galaxies.[3]
[edit] Milky Way Galaxy (First time)
After the Alterans fled from the Ori, they settled in their new home, the Milky Way galaxy. It was here in the Milky Way that they found Terra/Avalon (Earth) and settled. For millions of years it was one of their most important worlds, most likely the capital of their empire. The reason for Earth's significance is thus far unknown. They built Astria Porta (Stargates) across many planets. While in the Milky Way, the Alterans suffered from a plague of unknown origin. It has been speculated that the plague was created by the Ori. However, there has not yet been any evidence to confirm this. The Alterans managed to cure the plague after years, then set out in their city- spaceship, Atlantis (and possibly other ships), which at that time was situated on Earth, on the continent Antarctica. This furthers the theory of Earth as the Ancients' capital world with Atlantis being their capital city. They used Atlantis's Stardrive to fly to the Pegasus galaxy. They set out to spread life in the universe as they had in our galaxy after the plague. One known Alteran, later named Ayiana by the researchers who discovered her perfectly preserved in Antarctica, was left behind. Aside from having already been infected, her exact purpose for being left behind has been the topic of fan speculation.
[edit] Pegasus Galaxy
The Alterans seeded humans and Stargates across Pegasus, also protecting and inhabiting them. They would eventually become known throughout the Pegasus galaxy as the Ancestors. Those who were known to actually inhabit Atlantis were called Atlantians, or Lantians (sometimes alternatively Lanteans) for short. At some point they encountered a leech-like organism called the Iratus bug, which possessed immense healing and immunological capabilities.[4] Somehow this organism absorbed genetic information from humans seeded on the Iratus homeworld by the Alterans and rapidly bootstrapped its evolution into sentience as the vampire-like Wraith. The Alterans sent a delegation protected by their most powerful warships to negotiate with the Wraith. But the Wraith were so numerous that the all the Ancients' settlements except the Atlantian delegation were destroyed despite of their technological superiority. The Alterans and Wraith went to war and the latter continued to overwhelm the Alterans with sheer numbers. The Wraith took every planet in Pegasus until only Atlantis remained. The Atlantians were able to hold the Wraith back with superior weapons and the city's shield. But no matter how many battles they won, they couldn't win the war. The Atlantians started to take more desperate experiments, such as Project Arcturus, an attempt to draw Zero Point Energy from the universe, instead of an artificial one like in Zero Point Modules. Unfortunately, the project resulted in disaster, killing the Atlantians and the humans on the planet it was based on. They also developed a race known as the Asurans, nanites designed to fight the Wraith on a cellular level. However, their creation took human form, wanting to follow their creators on the path to ascension and demanded to remove the aggressive tendencies that prevent them from ascending. Because of the failure of creating smaller weapons, the robots were deemed flawed, and so they sent an entire fleet to destroy the Asurans. They wiped all trace of the Asurans from the database save for the gate address.
The war finally ended when the Atlantians returned to Earth, the planet that had been home to them for millions of years via the Stargate and submerged Atlantis under the ocean where it would await the return of the Alterans (or their descendants, humans) for some 10,000 years.[5]. The only Stargate capable of dialing Earth from the Pegasus galaxy is the one in Atlantis; this is because of a special control device which the Atlantians installed in their dial-home device (DHD) console. Only by removing it and placing it in another DHD is it possible to dial Earth from another stargate. Even then, a certain degree of expertise is required because there is not a standard empty slot for the extra control crystal. The other Lantians who were far from Atlantis, created a time-dilation field powered by a ZPM to speed up their path to ascension. The field still remains for others who seek ascension.
[edit] Return to Earth and the Milky Way
Following the war with the Wraith, the Alterans returned to Earth via the Stargate. Given the harsh environment of the planet and the primitive inhabitants it was believed that there was no hope of rebuilding their former civilization. So they spread out to distant lands and helped to populate them. Others would return to the Stargate at the southern pole, possibly seeking to live out their days on distant worlds within the Milky Way. The remainder chose isolation in which to meditate and seek enlightenment. This would eventually lead to a spiritual ascension for some. Others likely ascended through technological means or experienced an evolutionary ascension.
The Ancients then set up the Alliance of Four Great Races including themselves, the Nox, the Furlings and the Asgard. Together, they created a "true" universal language. This alliance lasted for centuries.[1]
Those Alterans who stayed on Earth and interbred with humans passed on the Ancient Technology Activation gene (ATA gene) as well as giving civilization to the people. They would also lay the foundation for the Latin language. Many Roman myths were also influenced by the Ancients, such as the myth that the "Ancient ones ascended to the Heavens". Janus, the time-machine builder from the season one episode of Atlantis "Before I Sleep", may be the origin of the Roman myth of Janus, the god of doorways, beginnings, and endings. Judging by the typical nature of the Ancients, if he is in fact the origin of the myth, it is purely unintentional. In the SG-1 season two episode The Fifth Race, Daniel Jackson, with the help of Jack O'Neill, translates the alien writing to include the text "We are the Ancients". He then theorizes that they might be the "Teachers of Roads". According to mythology, the Romans were the first real road builders; they learned how to build roads from gods known as The Ancient Ones.
The story of Atlantis and the Alterans' plight may have had some influence on Plato's Timaeus and Critias. They tell of events which transpired some 9,000 years before his time and were written around 360 BC. Atlantis is mentioned only briefly in Timaeus but is described in great detail in Critias as a city full of great wonders and beauty. The Atlantians observed their laws, and spread generousity and peace for many generations. However, its inhabitants would later become greedy, villainous and power hungry and sought to control or wipe out any civilization who oppossed them. Rather than having been defeated by a vampire-like alien race, according to Plato's tale, the Atlantians were brought down at the hands of ancient Athenians. As a final punishment the gods destroyed Atlantis.
The Arthurian Legends were also shown to be influenced by the Ancients, in particular the Ancient Myrddin/Merlin, who was revealed in the season nine episode Avalon to have ascended after returning from Atlantis, but to have de-ascended himself in order to create an Anti-Ori weapon. Merlin became known as King Arthur's wizard in mythology, and the Anti-Ori weapon became known as the Sangreal or Holy Grail. He also entrusted his secrets to a small group of nobles which consisted of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
[edit] Recent Ancient History
During season six of Stargate SG-1 an Alteran woman, Ayiana, was found frozen in Antarctica near the location of the Antarctica stargate. She revived herself when thawed, but she was still infected with the plague and died very shortly thereafter after ridding the majority of SG-1 of the plague. There is, as of yet, no official explanation as to why she was left behind when the others left for the Pegasus galaxy. Some fans, however, have speculated that she may have been left behind to use the device at Dakara to wipe out the plague and restart life in the Milky Way. While inside the chamber she would have been immune to the effects of the device. It has also been thought that her only reason to be left behind was to protect Earth and to ensure that, in a worst case scenario, the other Alterans would have a place to return to. It has also been suggested that since she herself carried the mysterious plague, she was not allowed to come in case she infected the others. She may have been caught in an avalanche on her way back to outpost. In the episode Rising Ayiana seems to stay behind to guard the outpost.
At least two times, the Tau'ri tried to find a civilization of unascended Ancients who would share their knowledge on how to create advanced weapons, ships, and other technology. So far, they had been only meeting their enemies.
The Daedalus rescued a ship of Ancients, who, due to relativistic effects, have only experienced a handful of years since the evacuation of Atlantis. They reclaimed Atlantis, which was soon invaded by Asurans, who later executed all the remaining Ancients
[edit] Physiology
[edit] Pre-Ascension
The Ancients were humanoid, and the humans that evolved in a galaxy far from the Milky Way are the first evolution of humanity (it is implied that we evolved as such due to the actions of the Ancients, since two species progressing along identical evolutionary paths is extremely improbable). The Ancients also possessed the Ancient Technology Activation gene.
Towards the end of their evolutionary development, but before they ascended, the Ancients developed advanced abilities, such as telekenesis, extraordinary sensory abilities, and the ability to heal others. It was previously revealed in season three of Stargate SG-1 (Maternal Instinct) and season six (meridian) that there is a spiritual aspect of ascension. However, the introduction of the priors with the Ori storyline as well as the season nine episode "prototype" reveal that if a humanoid is sufficiently advanced evolutionarily he/she may ascend without a sense of moral "good".
[edit] Ascension
The Ancients' ascended form of pure energy allows them to be seen and heard by ordinary humans and then disappear at will. Most, however, adhere to a sort of "Prime Directive" which forbids them from influencing the unascended.
Facing the threat of extinction by the Wraith in the Pegasus galaxy, a group of Ancients created a time dilation field where time flowed several hundred times faster than normal. The goal was to allow any who entered to reach an ascended state much quicker than normal. Relatively speaking, an observer inside the bubble would experience the passage of time at a normal rate, yet an external observer would see this person live an entire lifetime in a few months (250:1 according to Rodney McKay ). When the field was discovered by John Sheppard it was inhabited by the descendants of a group of humans who had entered it to follow the Ancients' path to ascension, which they achieved about six months later (several hours' time to outside observers).
Near the end of season five, Dr. Daniel Jackson became exposed to a lethal amount of radiation and was approached just prior to his death by an ascended Ancient named Oma Desala whom he had previously met on the planet Kheb (
). With her assistance Daniel ascended, but at the beginning of season seven, Daniel left his ascended state because he couldn't countenance the unconcerned detachment of the Ancients for current day events which they are responsible for: the semi-ascendant state of the Goa'uld Anubis and his development of Ancient-advanced technology.
Neither Daniel Jackson nor Anubis were Ancients; as it is established that the ability to ascend is not strictly Alteran.[6]
[edit] Philosophy
The ascended Ancients in Stargate have a strict philosophy, similar to the Prime Directive, that according to Orlin states:
Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath.
This rule is broken often however, with varied consequences. Orlin assisted the humans of Velona in defending themselves from an alien attack by giving them the knowledge to build a powerful weapon, whereas Oma Desala repeatedly assists "those beneath" in ascending, and accidentally aided the Goa'uld Anubis in ascending. The consequences of breaking this rule have been highlighted; the humans of Velona, confident in their power after defeating their invaders, began planning the conquest of others worlds.
Orlin was sentenced to remain on the world he aided, and the collective Ascended Beings completely destroyed the people of Velona before they had a chance to begin their conquests. In the case of Oma, the Ascended beings intervened by forcing Anubis to descend into a state of being partially ascended and partially corporeal. As punishment for Oma's actions in aiding others in ascension, Anubis was allowed to subjugate the galaxy using the technological advantages he had learnt due to his ascension. Oma later fully accepted responsibility by locking herself and Anubis in eternal ethereal battle, in the episode Threads. Chaya Sar/Athar is yet another who was banished when she used her abilities as an ascended being to protect her planet from the Wraith. Daniel Jackson was deascended and had his memories erased when he attempted to use his ascended powers to attack Anubis. Though these punishments may seem draconian, it is the Ancient's firm belief in free will and non-intervention that dictate this. According to Morgan Le Fey in the episode The Pegasus Project, they feel that were they to interfere on the lower planes, they would be no better than the Ori.
The ascended Ancients refusal to intervene in the affairs of lower beings is so strong that they have taken no action against the Wraith, the Asurans or the Replicators, despite being directly responsible for the creation of them all.
Even before their ascension, the Ancients had strict rules on time travel, however, this rule has also been broken. Janus developed time travel technology, leading to Elizabeth Weir using it to travel back to Atlantis 10,000 years previously, and to a column containing a history of future events on the planet in the Stargate SG-1 episode It's Good to Be King.
[edit] Technology
The Ancients' technology, created prior to ascension, is perhaps the most advanced technology discovered by the SGC in the Stargate universe, with the possible exception of the Replicators' technology which is a combination of cultures (including the Ancients) and Ori technology (created with ascended knowledge by the Priors). Among their many achievements, their most notable one is the Stargate Network, but they have also developed technology as diverse as flying cities, advanced power sources, advanced healing devices and DNA Resequencers. Much of the Ancients' weapons technology was used or designed for use in the centuries-long war with the Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy.
Much of Ancient technology requires the presence of the ATA gene in the person wishing to use it.[7]
[edit] Language and writing system
The Ancients' language appears to be a precursor of Latin, but it is still distinct; it has a unique writing system.[8] Unlike the Goa'uld and Asgard writing systems, which correspond to Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Nordic runes respectively, the Ancient writing system has no analogues with any known Earth alphabet. Generally speaking, Ancient characters are squarish, blocky, and dominated by right angles. The Athosians, and possibly other human civilizations in the Pegasus Galaxy, say their prayers in Ancient. The Wraith language is a complete derivative of the Ancient language but easy to translate.
In one episode Daniel Jackson is blackmailed into translating a section of Ancient text. The text shown to us on Daniel's laptop says (when translated according to the attached translation notes) "Actual words are hard to deciph(er) so this(')ll work". The writings on the stairs in the gate-room on Atlantis translate into a sort of greeting for travellers. Also a Stargate SG-1 season 9 episode featuring a Ancient underground complex (belonging to Merlin) contains several Alterian (Ancient) to English translations. "Reflect" is one of which.
There are 25 distinct characters in the Ancient-English conversion; 'F' and 'U' are the same "backwards seven" (as described by Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell). However, as the Alterian language is the 'source' to Latin, there are possibly many more symbols yet to be translated.
The Ancient writing system has been shown to be learnable with moderate difficulty by humans (although many different dialects still exist which make reading and translation difficult if the person is not familiar with them). As seen in the season 8 episode in which the Dakara Superweapon is activated and the main stairway in Atlantis, the Alteran alphabet seems to be written upside down. Whether this is the correct written form of the language is unknown especially as the words covering the door to the Dakara Superweapon control room have different meanings when read upside down and vice-versa.
[edit] Known words and phrases in the Alteran language
- Ani - Are
- Anqueetas - Ancients
- Astria Porta - Stargates
- Atlantus - Atlantis
- Aveo Amacus - Goodbye, friends.
- Clavia - Key
- Commdo Asordo - Please Help
- Contegia - Disease
- Cozars - Legs
- Cruvus - ill/sick/wrong
- Derentis - insanity/crazy (as paraphrased by Daniel Jackson)
- Dormata - sleep (used by O'Neill to refer to the stasis chamber in the Antarctic Outpost)
- Ego - I
- Etium - Yes
- Euge - Good
- Fallatus - ability
- Farghus - Finished
- Fron - head/mind/brain
- Glacius - Ice
- Indeo - Need
- Incursis - Overtaken / Attacked - (S3xE12 - Echos)
- Locas - Location
- Navo - New
- Nou - We
- Proclarush Taonas - "Lost in fire" (phrase may have been coined from the planet's name)
- Subu - Under
- Terra - Earth
- Videum - Legacy
- Vintio - Wind
- Vis Uban - "Place of Great Power" (possibly a mistranslation by Jonas Quinn)
[edit] Known Ancients/Alterans
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "The Fifth Race." Stargate SG-1.
- ^ "The Fourth Horseman." Stargate SG-1.
- ^ Avalon episodes
- ^ "Instinct." Stargate Atlantis.
- ^ "Before I Sleep." Stargate Atlantis.
- ^ "Threads." Stargate SG-1.
- ^ "Rising." Stargate Atlantis.
- ^ "Window of Opportunity." Stargate SG-1.
- Gateworld.net (detalied episode summaries and transcripts)
| Alien races in the Stargate universe | Edit | |
| Four Great Races | Ancients, Asgard, Furling, Nox |
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| Humans | Tau'ri, Tollan, Aschen, Genii, Athosians, Prior, Jaffa: Sodan, Free Jaffa, Hak'tyl | |
| Goa'uld | System Lords, Tok'ra, Kull Warrior | |
| Other | Asurans, Iratus bug, Ori, R-75, Re'ol, Re'tu, Replicator, "Spirits", Unas, Wraith | |
| Topics in Stargate | ||
| Story of Stargate | Stargate, Stargate SG-1 (episodes), Stargate Atlantis (episodes), Stargate Infinity (episodes), Literature, Comics |
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| Stargate Universe | Alien Races, Planets, Technology, Characters, The SGC, SG-1, SG Team, Atlantis, The Stargate, Ascension | |
| Factions in Stargate | Tau'ri, Jaffa Resistance, Tok'ra, Asgard, Ancients Goa'uld, Jaffa, System Lords, Replicators, Ori, Wraith, Lucian Alliance, The Trust, NID, IOA |
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