From "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity," a verse describes the departure of pagan deities upon Christ's birth: "The Oracles are dumb, / No voice or hideous hum / Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. / Apollo from his shrine / Can no more divine, / With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving." Beyond the literal silencing of oracles, what does this passage represent in terms of Milton's broader theological and historical perspective in the poem?
1
The harmonious blending of pagan wisdom with Christian revelation.
2
The violent overthrow of ancient cultures by the new religion.
3
The definitive subjugation and invalidation of pagan spiritual authority and deceptive power by the advent of divine truth.
4
A nostalgic lament for the loss of ancient mystery and ritual.