Biblical Parallel

The Day Of Their Return, 15.

There is a Sea of Korus on Barsoom and a Sea of Orcus on Aeneas.

The religiopolitical situation on Aeneas is almost explicitly Biblical. On Mount Cronos beside the Sea of Orcus, the Companions of the Arena function like a priesthood and keep themselves aloof from the government in Nova Roma ("New Rome"). Tatiana Thane tells Chunderban Desai that the Orcans:

"'...forbid outside marriage... hold themselves to be special breed who will at last play special role... Their history's full of prophets... This Jaan's merely latest one.'" (p. 192)

Desai asks:

"'Still, isn't [Jaan's] claim unique - that he is, at last, the incarnation, and the elder race will return in his lifetime...'" (p. 193)

The main difference is the focus on the return of an entire elder race rather than of a single deity. 

Tatiana tells Desai that his fears concerning a special agent of Merseia with unique abilities might be exaggerated. Outside of a work of fiction, they would be! Then she tells Gabriel Stewart that this special agent sounds as if he just might be "'...forerunner for Builders.'" (p. 194) In fact, Aycharaych is of the Builder race but not as anyone imagines them.

Stewart cynically remarks that talk of Builders might make good propaganda. He takes this attitude because:

"He had not been back on Aeneas sufficiently long to absorb its atmosphere of expectation." (ibid.)

This contradicts the way he had spoken to Tatiana earlier:

"'Ivar is rightful leader of free Aeneas - when Builders return, which they will, which they will. And you are his bride who will bear his son that Builders will make more than human.'

"Belief stood incandescent in his eyes." (12, p. 172)

The angel Gabriel and Mary.