The real bad guys

[Deano]

If the ori came to our galaxy to try and convert people hear. But why didn't the ancients in our galaxy go to war with them millenia ago. it might be that the relation ship between the ori and the ancients is alought lik earth and the goa'uld.

But what do you think.

[helio9]

I think maybe a war between ascended beings would significantly weaken them both. From what we've seen, the Ancients arent exactly the most dynamic beings out there.

They may have simply favoured the status quo.

[Deano]

The Ori weren'tb to hesitent about sending Priers to us why didn't the ancients do the same.

[The Engineer]

Are you really certain that there was no war between the Alterans and the Ori? No conflict of any kind?
If you have a problem like that as a country with your neighbour first you beat the crap out of him and if that doesn't work (and sometimes you get beaten instad) make peace with him if is possible or leave the hell away, far far away so the bad man can't hurt you anymore.
Exodus is the last resort.

About the Ori Prior protocol:
1) we know that this "issue" with the Alterarans was before the Ori were able to ascend.
2) the Priors were implemented after the Ori ascension.

[Eoin]

The Ori weren'tb to hesitent about sending Priers to us why didn't the ancients do the same.

The ancients dont believe in interfeering in our lower being business

[Gate Freak]

The simple answer to this would be that as both the Ancients and the Ori are ascended beings you would have to imagine that they cancel each other as as far as power goes. In a one on one fight neither would win, the best that could be hoped for is a stalemate.

However, the difference is that the Ancients refuse to interfere with the actions and developments of lesser beings, prefering instead to simply observe from afar, whilst the Ori have no such rules, giving them an advantage. They can manipulate the people of their part of the universe into doing what they want whereas the Ancients cannot do the same. The best they could do was to shield this part of the universe from the Ori in order to protect us, an advantage that has now been removed as the Ori now know Earth and the rest of this region of space exists.

Basically, neither the Ancients nor the Ori are powerful to defeat the other in battle as they exist at the same level of being. The Ori have simply found another means to get what they want.

[the fifth man]

Basically, neither the Ancients nor the Ori are powerful to defeat the other in battle as they exist at the same level of being. The Ori have simply found another means to get what they want.

That remains to be seen. There could be different levels or planes of ascension.

[DarkElfa]

Well, obviously if the ancients left their home because of the Ori, then the Ori were acended long before the ancients were. Perhaps, they weren't powerful enough to defeat them.

[Gate Freak]

That remains to be seen. There could be different levels or planes of ascension.

I doubt that. My guess, by the very nature of ascension, would be that there is only one basic level. However, what you choose to do with the knowledge and power that ascension gives you is an entirely diferent matter, as the Ori are proving.

DarkElfa, so far it seems to have been suggested that the Ancients and the Ori went their seperate ways more because of a difference in philosophy than any kind of power struggle. Let's face it, if the Ori had already ascended then there is very little chance that the being that became the Ancients could have left. The Ori would simply have stopped them and forced them to their wy of thinking.

It would seem that they seperated due to differing beliefs concerning ascension and both groups ascended independently later on.

[The Engineer]

The simple answer to this would be that as both the Ancients and the Ori are ascended beings you would have to imagine that they cancel each other as as far as power goes. In a one on one fight neither would win, the best that could be hoped for is a stalemate.

However, the difference is that the Ancients refuse to interfere with the actions and developments of lesser beings, prefering instead to simply observe from afar, whilst the Ori have no such rules, giving them an advantage. They can manipulate the people of their part of the universe into doing what they want whereas the Ancients cannot do the same. The best they could do was to shield this part of the universe from the Ori in order to protect us, an advantage that has now been removed as the Ori now know Earth and the rest of this region of space exists.

Basically, neither the Ancients nor the Ori are powerful to defeat the other in battle as they exist at the same level of being. The Ori have simply found another means to get what they want.

Between the Ori and the Ancients is a Cold War situation. Who wins and how it remains to be seen.

[Wordsmit2]

Well, in Babylon 5 the Vorlons and Shadows couldn't be bothered to go to war with each other. Instead the conflict was all about convincing the Younger Races to take sides and beat the stuffing out of Races that allied with the other side or refused to take sides at all.

[Gate Freak]

Between the Ori and the Ancients is a Cold War situation. Who wins and how it remains to be seen.

Well, that kind of goes without saying, seeing as how the episodes featuring that scenario have yet to be written. That is why we can only speculate on the facts presented so far.

[DrGemini2405]

The Ancients aren't exactly all powerful gods (well, miss out the 'all' and 'gods'). They're just another race and not always beneficient. They're not a religious movement like the Ori. Come on, these guys could stop Anubis from ascending! (Ok, he didn't completely ascend but that's beside the point). They're kinda snooty to boot.

[Gate Freak]

The Ancients aren't exactly all powerful gods (well, miss out the 'all' and 'gods'). They're just another race and not always beneficient. They're not a religious movement like the Ori. Come on, these guys could stop Anubis from ascending! (Ok, he didn't completely ascend but that's beside the point). They're kinda snooty to boot.

It's fairly obvious that neither the Ancients nor the Ori are ALL powerful. Things seem to get by the attention of both groups. The fact that there exist dissidents on the Ori controlled worlds proves that even they are not truly all powerful gods, they are just more willing to use their power to pretend to be.

All we know about the power balance between the two groups suggests that the only difference is intent and how they choose to effect the lower lifeforms of their respective worlds. As far as the actual power is concerned it would seem that they are equally matched, otherwise the Ori would simply move against the Ancients themselves and then take over their part of the universe as well. Why use the Priors and disciples to do your dirty work if you have the ability to just do it all yourself?

[theStormWeaver]

Spoiler:

The Ori are more powerful than the Ancients. In Fourth Horseman Orlin revealed that the Ori siphoned the life force from those that submitted to them to increase their power. The Ancients don't do that.