Deus ex machina (Latin) - God of the machine.

In ancient Greek theater and literature there was a form of solving problems within the plot by providing a solution of a supernatural fashion. A god would be raised or lowered onto the stage by means of a mechanical device. This machine was operated by human hands, of course, and so deus ex machina can be loosely translated as "god from our own hands."

At first glance it may seem that fabricated gods were established with the intention given here, but in fact their intended purpose were far more nefarious than that, the question is, did the children of the ages lie awake at night in fear or in hope of being sacrificed to the gods?

Perhaps in a modern context the examination of the soldier's return a hero puts, not only accusations of barbarous practices of the ancients in perspective but politics as harmful if not more so than religion.