Laura Roslin doesn't know who Pythia is!

[MHall]

From Episode 9, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down:

SIX: Have you read the Pythian prophecy, Gaius?
BALTAR: Not since the sixth grade. I can't say ancient history is my favorite subject.
SIX: You should have paid closer attention, hmm?
BALTAR: To what?
SIX: All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again.
BALTAR: Everyone knows that verse. What are you getting at?

In an earlier scene...

ELOSHA: You're kidding me, right? You read Pythia and now you're having me on.
ROSLIN: No. Who is Pythia?

How do you explain that Roslin doesn't know who Pythia is, while Baltar implies it is taught as ancient history in sixth grade?

[Darth Marley]

Because Laura is an idiot.

[Blade Runner]

MHall said:

How do you explain that Roslin doesn't know who Pythia is, while Baltar implies it is taught as ancient history in sixth grade?

Memory, Interest

[Ziptie]

MHall said:

How do you explain that Roslin doesn't know who Pythia is, while Baltar implies it is taught as ancient history in sixth grade?

Maybe it's an optional rather than core subject.

Or maybe Laura was bunking off school that day...

[nlinecomputers]

I got the impression that the single verse line:
"All this has happend before and all this will happen again." is well known but the whole context isn't well studied by most people. Part of the beef the cylons seem to have with huminity is that they have forgotten there past. (A past I think the cylons have a part in.)

[DJenser]

I'm guessing that Roslin was playing the consummate politician by feigning ignorance in order to coax Elosha into revealing the point of her question...

Then again, Roslin could be a Cylon...Alright, now you've got ME doing it!

STOP THE MADNESS!!!

[FluffyUnbound]

I think many people recognize certain Bible verses - lots of stuff from Ecclesiastes, say, or Psalms - but might not necessarily recognize the name of the "author".

If I said, "Hey, have you been reading Ecclesiastes?" I think a lot of people would answer, "What?" But a lot of people know the line, "To every thing, there is a season...." and all the rest of the words of the song.

[DJenser]

FluffyUnbound said:

I think many people recognize certain Bible verses - lots of stuff from Ecclesiastes, say, or Psalms - but might not necessarily recognize the name of the "author".

If I said, "Hey, have you been reading Ecclesiastes?" I think a lot of people would answer, "What?" But a lot of people know the line, "To every thing, there is a season...." and all the rest of the words of the song.

That's an excellent point!
While I might consider myself well read, I can't quote chapter and verse from the Old Testament... Heck, I'm more familiar with the Tao Te Ching than I am Leviticus.

I mean, who here has read about Schoenpflüger's theories on Parallel Causality?

Anyone? Anyone?

Okay, okay... There's no such person as Schoenpflüger, but you get my point... And Fluffy's.

[Kass]

An even better example is "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." Even after a year of history and context of the Bible in college, I still can't tell you which chapter and verse that is in.

It could also just be a different upbringing. Perhaps Baltar was raised in a religious home and Roslin wasn't. Perhaps he went to a parochial school and she didn't. Maybe she's the colonial equivalent of an EMC (Easter, Mother's day, Christmas) Christian, attending only when absolutely necessary.

It's apparent that there are atheists and variations on how much people embrace the religion in Galactica. I like that. It's more reflective of society here, and that I can relate to.

[DJenser]

Let us not forget that Baltar is supposed to be a genius which would likely be attributed, in part at least, to his ability to retain information... Even information he finds boring and pointless; such as history or religion.