Ancient (Stargate): Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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===The |
===The Ancients and the Ori=== |
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Millions of years ago, in the [[Stargate]] universe, the Altera were a race along the evolutionary path to [[Ascension (Stargate)|ascension]] and a split occurred that divided them into two camps: those who would later be given the name Ancients and the Ori. 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 Ancients, on the other hand, (in Orlin's words) "believed" in [[science]]; they also had a strong belief in free will and believed it was ethically wrong to affect the free will of lesser races, much less force them to worship them.<ref name="the fourth horseman">{{cite episode| episodelink=The Fourth Horseman (Stargate SG-1)| title=The Fourth Horseman| series=Stargate SG-1}}</ref> Eventually, (after the Ori tried to wipe them out) some Alterans left the Ori Galaxy and arrived in the [[Milky Way Galaxy]]. |
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Tens of Millions of years ago, in the [[Stargate]] universe, the Alterans were having social changes. Two opposing groups formed, the Religious and the Scientist. The Religious sect became known as The Orii. |
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As much of the History of the Ancients is unclear, and yet untold, many speculate that the Orii oppressed the other Alterans, or perhaps the Orii had gone on Crusades. No matter what way it happened, the Orii had forced many of the Alterans to flee their homes. Some left communication devices, hoping to communicate with their family and friends after they fleed. But the Orii forbid it. |
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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 (Earth) and settled. For millions of years it was one of their most important worlds, perhaps even the capital of their empire. The reason for Earth's significance is thus far unknown. While in the Milky Way, the Alterans suffered from a plague, of unkown origin. It has been speculated that the plague was created by the Ori. However, there has not been any evidence present as of yet, to confirm this. They then took their capital city, [[Atlantis (Stargate)|Atlantis]], and used its Stardrive to fly to the Pegasus galaxy. It is most widely accepted they were fleeing the plague. One known Alteran, later named [[Ayiana]] by the researchers who discovered her perfectly preserved in Antarctica, was purposely left behind. Aside from having already been infected, her exact purpose for being left behind has been the topic of fan speculation. |
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After years of seeking refuge, the Alterans found a planet they named "Terra" possibly renaming it after their own planet. They settled on the Continent of Antartica, which at the time was closer to the equator. After rebuilding their civilization on the continent, they began creating StarGates. This allowed them to colonize other planets and transport goods and materals within minutes. They began exploring, and eventually met the Asgard, the Nox, and the Furlings. Each technologically advanced at the time, but none nearly as advanced as the Alterans. They were the oldest of the 4 Races, and became known as the Ancients. |
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The Ancients formed an Alliance with the other 3 Races, the reason for the Alliance is unknown. Some speculate against the Gou'ald, however the Gou'ald lacked the technology until the Ancients left. Others claim the Alliance was to prepare for the Orii, but the Orii had no idea about this Galaxy even after they had Ascended. The Reason is unknown. What is known is shortly after the creation of the Alliance, a plague broke out on many of the Ancients worlds. The Cause of this plague is unknown, but being that they are a Scientific people, the Plague maybe of their own doing. |
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When the plague began to spread, many of the Ancients feared their Civilization to end, They Built Ships the size of Cities to prepare for an Evacuation of the Milkyway. The most known and powerful of which, was Atlantis, which was on Terra. Before fleeing the Galaxy, the Ancients built Ancient Repositories several of them across the Galaxy, inhopes that any Survivors with their Ancient Genitic Code would be able to use these and reform their great Civilization. The Ancients Also created one last wonder, the Device on Dakara, which can either Create Life or Destroy it. They used it to seed the Galaxy with all the life that was lost to the plague. A Woman called Ayiana was left on Terra because she had carried the Plague. She was found Frozen in the Ice with Brain Damage Millions of Years later. They then left Terra and the MilkyWay, Millions of years ago. |
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===Pegasus Galaxy=== |
===Pegasus Galaxy=== |
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Eventually, there came a time when the Alterans began to research "[[Ascension (Stargate)|ascension]]" to a higher plane of existence, to escape a mysterious plague that was infiltrating their population. Around this time one of the Ancients' cities, [[Atlantis (Stargate)|Atlantis]], left Earth and went to the [[Pegasus Galaxy (Stargate)|Pegasus Galaxy]], where it settled on the surface of an ocean on a planet with a land mass roughly the size of North America. |
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The Ancients fled to the near by Galaxy of Pegasus. There the City of Atlantis, the Capital settled on the Planet Lantia. The Ancients seeded this Galaxy with life and StarGates as well, and soon their Civilization bloomed. It seemed as though they had finally found Paradise. Eventually, the Ancients captured a creature which absorbed Energy, and this gave them thought, they began to research [[Ascension (Stargate)|ascension]]" So that their Great civilization would never fall again. |
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After Seeding the Galaxy the Ancients explored a world, which contained a life sucking insect called an [[Iratus bug]]. During the process of Seeding Life to the Galaxy, Humans on the world were mutated by the Iratus bug, and were Changed into a new Species called the Wraith, which feed on the life of its Victims in a Vampiric fashion, however instead of it's mouth it feeds through its hands. |
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Soon an the species began to spread as rapidly as life had in the Galaxy, few hundreds became a few hundred thousand. The Wraith had knowledge of primitive Ancient Technology, and were forced to use their own resources to make ships. They soon created Cruiser Ships, and then Hive Ships and Darts. |
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All that is known is well over 10,000 years ago, the Ancients sent a peace delegation with their strongest Warships to as enforcers to the Wraith. As the Talks broke down, the Wraith fed on the Delegates, and then attacked. Outnumbered, the Ancient Warships were destroyed. Soon World after World fell to the Wraith. They fed on Ancients and Humans alike, they called the Ancients Lantians because their capital was Atlantis, on the planet Lantia. As each world was swallowed by the Wraith, the Ancients fled. |
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The Wraith got word of a new testing ground for an Ancient powersource. The Lantians tried to pull subspace Energy from our own Universe and create a power source greater than their Zero Point Module, which pulled subspace Energy from minyUniverses. The power source would give the Lantians the upperhand, and when the Wraith got near, the powersource suffered a malfunction and destroyed everything in the planets orbit. |
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The Warship Aurora, was at the far end of the Galaxy when they learned of the Wraiths weakness in Technology. The Aurora placed themselves in sleeping Chambers to make the Journey back to Atlantis. |
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It is believed by many fans that they Lantians, tried to create nanites to prevent them from being fed upon by the Wraith. These Trillions of Nanites came together to form the Asurans. The Asurans were first used as foot soldiers of the Lantians. However when the Asurans learned they were being used and had no rights, they began to rebel. The Lantians made attempts to disable them, and were successful, however the majority of the Asurans escaped to a planet where they waited for the fall of the Ancients at the Hands of the Wraith. |
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When most of the planets had fallen into the Wraiths hands, the Asurans released the "HotZone" virus, which if untreated killed the Humans and effectively would starve the Wraith. The Lantians learned of this, and stopped many of the attacks, inorder to save the Humans. Their attempts were Futile, as soon after the Ancients were forced down to Atlantis. When they learned the Wraith were on their way, they submerged the City under the water and began bringing in Refugees from the other colonies. |
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One of these Refugees was, Dr. Elizabeth Weir. Her Expedition had reached Atlantis 10,000 years in the Future, but the lack of power forced the City Shield to collapse and thus, flood the City. She had gotten into a Puddle Jumper which was diffrent than the others and with Major Sheppard attempted to fly to Saftey. However, the Puddle Jumper was a Time Travel Expirament, of the Lantian Scientist Janus. PuddleJumpers use thought patterns, and when Sheppard thougth about going back to when the Ancients were around, the Jumper went back 10,000 years hours before the evacuation process. |
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After pleeding for help, Janus designed a Fail Safe for the city to rise after being underwater for so long. He also created a program to run the shield off a single ZPM for 3,333 years however it would require some one to rotate them. He placed Doctor Weir in a sleep Chamber and had it wake her up as soon as the ZPM ran out of power, so she may change it. |
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The ancients fled to Terra, which was now called Earth. They took all of their research with them on Ascension, Janus even took his research on Time Travel, so he may build another Puddle Jumper with Time Travel Ability. |
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The Ancients return to Earth was a Cold one, as they returned through the StarGate which was no located at the Southern Pole of the Earth due to Continental Drift. They decided that it would be a waste to rebuild their Civilization, and that the Milkyway now belonged to the primitive creatures, and they were once again refugees. |
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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 Lanteans. At some point they encountered a leech-like organism, called the [[Iratus bug]], with immense healing and [[immunological]] capabilities.<ref>{{cite episode| episodelink=Instinct (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Instinct | series=Stargate Atlantis}}</ref> 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 (Stargate)|Wraith]]. The Alterans sent a delegation protected by their most powerful warships. But the Wraith were so numerous, the delegation was destroyed. The Alterans and Wraith went to war, and although Wraith technology was inferior to that of the Alterans, they overwhelmed the Alterans with sheer numbers. The Wraith took every planet in Pegasus until only Atlantis remained. The Lanteans were able to hold the Wraith back with superior weapons, the city's shield and by submerging the city. But no matter how many battles they won, they couldn't win the war. The hundred year war ended when the Lanteans returned to Earth 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.<ref name="before i sleep">{{cite episode| episodelink=Before I Sleep (Stargate Atlantis)| title=Before I Sleep | series=Stargate Atlantis}}</ref>. The only Stargate capable of dialing Earth from the Pegasus galaxy is the one on Atlantis; this is because of a special control device which the Lanteans installed in their DHD Console. Only by removing it and placing it in another DHD, it is possible to dial Earth from another stargate. Even then, a certain degree of expertise is required because there isn't a standard empty slot for the extra control crystal. |
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Some of the Ancients lived out their lives, others went into secluded meditation. The ones that meditated Eventually Ascended, it is not known whether it was a spiritual or Scientific form. Some believe that some of these Ancients returned to their Home Galaxy to see it destroyed and in Chaos, and try to help. They helped some of these Orii to Ascend. Others say that the Orii Ascension was natural and the Ancients was Natural but changed with Technology. The Orii fed off the Energy of other Beings, whiel the Ancients did not. If the assumption that the Ancients helped the Orii Ascend is true, then this maybe the root of the Ancients Rules on Interferrance. |
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The Ancients Shielded the Orii from the knowledge of the Galaxy. But due to their rules of None interferrence, some fans believe they had asked the Asgard to Watch over the Human race, when the Gou'ald were rising to power. Many fans believe that the Ancients also promised that the Human race would eventually help the Asgard Cloning Problem, whic hat this point had made them steryl. |
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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 similar means or experienced an evolutionary ascension. |
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Those Alterans who stayed on Earth and interbred with humans passed on the [[Ancient Technology Activation gene]] (ATA gene). 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 (Stargate Atlantis)|Before I Sleep]]", may be the origin of the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] myth of [[Janus (mythology)|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 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. |
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When Merlin learned that the Orii would become a threat, many say due to Janus's Time Machine. He decended and began building a weapon, the Sangraal, which would destroy Ascended Beings of that Galaxy. He was watched closely by Morgan Lefay, an Ascended Ancient herself. Merlin recruited the assitance of King Arthur, and through him hoped that peices of the Ancient Civilization would take form in the Human Civilization. Arthur was also said to contain the Ancient Gene, whether therapy or natural. |
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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 Atlantian 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 aliean 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. |
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When Merlin created his device, it's believed the Ancients had stolen it and hid it. Merlin sent King Arthur to search for it. the device has yet to be found. |
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The Arthurian Legends were also shown to be influenced by the Ancients, in particular the Ancient Myrddin/[[Merlin (wizard)|Merlin]], who was revealed in the season nine episode [[Avalon (Stargate SG-1)|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]]. |
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===Recent Ancient History=== |
===Recent Ancient History=== |
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During season six of ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' an |
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. She may have been caught in an avalanche on her way back to outpost. In the episode [[Rising (Stargate Atlantis)|Rising]] Ayiana seems to stay behind to guard the outpost. |
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==Physiology== |
==Physiology== |
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Revision as of 08:01, 7 August 2006
You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|April 2006|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
Template:Stargate race The Ancients, also known as the Alterans, 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.
History
The Ancients and the Ori
Millions of years ago, in the Stargate universe, the Altera were a race along the evolutionary path to ascension and a split occurred that divided them into two camps: those who would later be given the name Ancients and the Ori. 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 Ancients, on the other hand, (in Orlin's words) "believed" in science; they also had a strong belief in free will and believed it was ethically wrong to affect the free will of lesser races, much less force them to worship them.[1] Eventually, (after the Ori tried to wipe them out) some Alterans left the Ori Galaxy and arrived in the Milky Way Galaxy.
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 (Earth) and settled. For millions of years it was one of their most important worlds, perhaps even the capital of their empire. The reason for Earth's significance is thus far unknown. While in the Milky Way, the Alterans suffered from a plague, of unkown origin. It has been speculated that the plague was created by the Ori. However, there has not been any evidence present as of yet, to confirm this. They then took their capital city, Atlantis, and used its Stardrive to fly to the Pegasus galaxy. It is most widely accepted they were fleeing the plague. One known Alteran, later named Ayiana by the researchers who discovered her perfectly preserved in Antarctica, was purposely left behind. Aside from having already been infected, her exact purpose for being left behind has been the topic of fan speculation.
Pegasus Galaxy
Eventually, there came a time when the Alterans began to research "ascension" to a higher plane of existence, to escape a mysterious plague that was infiltrating their population. Around this time one of the Ancients' cities, Atlantis, left Earth and went to the Pegasus Galaxy, where it settled on the surface of an ocean on a planet with a land mass roughly the size of North America.
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 Lanteans. At some point they encountered a leech-like organism, called the Iratus bug, with immense healing and immunological capabilities.[2] 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. But the Wraith were so numerous, the delegation was destroyed. The Alterans and Wraith went to war, and although Wraith technology was inferior to that of the Alterans, they overwhelmed the Alterans with sheer numbers. The Wraith took every planet in Pegasus until only Atlantis remained. The Lanteans were able to hold the Wraith back with superior weapons, the city's shield and by submerging the city. But no matter how many battles they won, they couldn't win the war. The hundred year war ended when the Lanteans returned to Earth 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.[3]. The only Stargate capable of dialing Earth from the Pegasus galaxy is the one on Atlantis; this is because of a special control device which the Lanteans installed in their DHD Console. Only by removing it and placing it in another DHD, it is possible to dial Earth from another stargate. Even then, a certain degree of expertise is required because there isn't a standard empty slot for the extra control crystal.
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 similar means or experienced an evolutionary ascension.
Those Alterans who stayed on Earth and interbred with humans passed on the Ancient Technology Activation gene (ATA gene). 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 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 Atlantian 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 aliean 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.
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. 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.
Physiology
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.
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 Teyla). 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.
Daniel Jackson and Anubis were also ascended at one point, but they were not Ancients; as it is established that the ability to ascend is not strictly Alteran.[4]
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. 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.
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.
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 Replicator's 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.[5]
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.[6] 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.
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 decipher so this'll work". The writings on the stairs in the gate-room on Atlantis translates into a sort of greeting for travellers. Also a Stargate SG1 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 (as 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).
Known Ancients/Alterans
Ancients who have been mentioned by name (along with episode titles) include:
- Ayiana* [7] [5]
- Chaya Sar/Athar [8]
- Janus [3]
- Oma Desala (numerous SG-1 appearances)
- Orlin [9] Cite error: A
<ref>tag is missing the closing</ref>(see the help page). [10] - Ganos Lal [10] also known as Morgan le Fay [11]
* Ayiana is the name give to the female Alteran found perfectly preserved in Antarctica by Dr. Francine Michaels, one of the researchers who discovered her. There has never been any reference as to her actual name.
See also
References
- ^ "The Fourth Horseman". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Instinct". Stargate Atlantis.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Before I Sleep". Stargate Atlantis.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Threads". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Rising". Stargate Atlantis.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Window of Opportunity". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Frozen". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Sanctuary". Stargate Atlantis.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Ascension". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "The Pegasus Project". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Morpheus". Stargate SG-1.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|episodelink=ignored (|episode-link=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help)
- Gateworld.net (detalied episode summaries and transcripts)
