Hello and welcome to this corner of contradictions! I am a proud Greek archeologist and singer who loves mythology and worldbuilding! This page will be dealing with various themes but mostly fanart related to the TV series, comic and manga such as W.I.T.C.H and OCs to them.
Some of my work includes creating music such as:
Ballard's Sad Flute
or singing:
Dilla's Songchord (Avatar AU)
Some of the fanfictions that I do write on this fandom do include the below works, mostly one-shots and analysis on the worldbuilding
Hidden Truth Prequel: The Peak of Madness -complete-
(Diego -OC- slowly loses his mind and agony while waiting for his brother Caleb to show signs of life. Believing he truly is abandoned by everything and everyone, Diego uses his magic to do the unforgivable; take Caleb's form and hold his brother prisoner!)
Uneasy Lies The Head -complete-
(Diego is tormented by his guilt for what he did. And so he dreams and his dreams are nightmarish; mix of memory and dream)
~~~
Aditionally this page is also on occasion dealing with Greek mythos and poetry, particularly the homeric epics (Iliad and Odyssey) and the characters involved at them (with some special emphasis on Odysseus and the people who got related with him)
Some of the stories:
Guilt:
(Odysseus is being guilt-stroke and horrified by the success of his plan to take Troy and by the Greek rage upon it and sinks to a series of thoughts and flashbacks) -complete-
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Survivor's Guilt and Survivor's Duty:
(Odysseus loses his last ship and last comrades at the sea, roams about for 9 days helpless and beaches at Ogygia where even more trauma awaits him) -complete-
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Gone with the Wind:
(Odysseus remains awake for 9 days guarding the sack given to them by Aeolus in order to reach his home faster. However soon he finds out that sleepless nights take a toll on him and the consequences are severe...) -complete-
Part 1
Part 2
The Death of Odysseus:
(The final moments of the king of Ithaca, based on the prophecy of Tiresias in the Odyssey. Odysseus has lived a long life and meets his end while finally meeting with an old friend...and his journey to the Underworld begins...) -complete-
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
(Extra): The Funeral
Ismarus! Ismarus!:
(Odysseus and his men leave from Troy but are devided from the rest of the fleets by a storm. They find themselves in Thrace to the city of Ismarus where Odysseus decides they should raid the land of Cicones) -complete-
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The Witch's Lair:
(Odysseus's adventure in Aeaea and his bargain with the goddess-sorceress Circe)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Sweet Dreams:
(Neoptolemus has built his empire, he is expanding his name and yet his guilty conscious won't let him rest. Plundered by horrific nightmares he desperately seeks help from the gods to release him from his torments)
Part 1
The Roar of a Dying Lion:
(Agamemnon returns home after 10 years of war having Cassandra with him. However his most desired homecoming is drenched in blood. At the other edge of the world his brother Menelaus receives the news)
Part 1
Great Sorrow:
(Menelaus is left lost and devastated after Helen left and practically an emotional wreck. He finally picks up his places and goes to his brother, the only person he can rely on) -complete-
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
The Curse of Beauty:
(Helen travels to Cythera to pay her respects to Dione and Aphrodite where she fatally meets with the Trojan Prince Paris and everything in her life is about to change)
Part 1
~~~
Short Stories
If I never knew you
Odysseus Leaving Ithaca (random Pocahontas inspo)
Odysseus and Helen
Argos (analysis and tiny scene A Tribute to Argos)
Screams and Shadows in the Night (Odysseus and Nausicaa one-shot)
Philoctetes Inspiration (Odysseus and Diomedes one-shot)
Philoctetes Inspiration 2 (Odysseus, Diomedes Philoctetes and Neoptolemus one-shot)
Ruthless Justice (Odysseus and Telemachus one-shot)
The Will to Die The Need to Survive (Odysseus and Calypso one-shot)
Escape from Cyclops Island: Hubris
I Take that Back (Odysseus Menelaus and Diomedes one-shot)
The Why never asked and the Because that never mattered (Helen and Menelaus one-shot)
The Lament for a Life (Achilles and Antilochus short songfic)
It's you; always has been you! (Neoptolemous songfic)
What makes the Heart Beat (Achilles and Antilochus one-shot)
Pomegranate Spell (Patrochilles and Achillochus story)
Guard Dog (a Patroclus and his dogs one-shot)
Kynaeon Asma (Achilles and Antilochus one-shot)
Heart to Heart (Post-Aulis Odysseus Achilles and Menelaus one-shot)
Flower Stained with Blood (Neoptolemus one-shot)
Trauma of the Mind (Odysseus and Diomedes short story)
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Have you seen the image of Dammon, Hattaway and Holland posing for the camara together? they are really cute but i was pondering, what modern day attire would you envision for odysseus, penelope and telemachus wear in modern day greece? (*^▽^*)
Not really because I don't...keep up with the Kardashians if you get what I mean haha ok bad joke sorry
Hmm good question let's see
Odysseus: Simple, practical but kinda flashy
(Two images of clothing styles from the greek movie Jenny Jenny)
Odysseus is a practical man so his clothing are simple and practical on conception; Bermuda pants, jeans or shorts that show off his good thighs are a must. Of course polo shirts, shirts and blouses would be a must in his appearance but Odysseus would also love his clothing to look not plain at all
Bold lines and color combinations and patterns in his shirts might as well have happened or when he is wearing some sort of monochrome suite for a special occasion he would definitely get pops of color through accessories or shirt. He would prefer color when he can get it that would bring up his complexion.
His classical "dad style" of course exists so you might see him just with his inner singlet at home when he fixes something hahaha
Generally he wants to leave an impression but without sacrificing practicality for it (chances are he wouldn't be caught dead in skinny jeans that make his thighs suffer hahaha unless he doesn't have any other solution) haha
Penelope: More stern and conservative clothes but still that emphasize her beauty like midi-skirts or dresses
(Greek actress Έλλη Λαμπέτη Elli Lambeti from Cacoyannis's film "The Girl in Black" for reference)
I know that people see Penelope as that super modern looking woman sometimes but honestly I cannot see that style on her. Penelope is practical and traditional. She loves simple lines that are not too flashy or showy. Kinda show me one of those women that do not really like wearing pants too much and prefer skirts and dresses that are beautiful but practical and do not draw too much attention on themselves (also I imagine her having pockets! Yeah Penelope would love to have pockets at her dresses or skirts).
I think the style of 1950s inspiration for midi-dresses or these late 90s Lacoste short-sleeved dresses and such would be perfect for her. They show femininity and practicality without being provocative. She would love many color combinations herself starting from earthly tones till bolder colors that are harmonious to each other and bring up her features
Of course she would wear a bit more flashy dresses and gowns etc for official cases but even those would be simple, practical and elegant
Telemachus: Simple pants and t-shirt or jeans and polo shirts
(image of the Greek actor Δημήτρης Καπουράνης Dimitris Kapouranis for reference)
Telemachus strikes me as a simple kid, someone who wants to generally not draw too much attention to himself (at least at first). He also inherited his father's practical spirit so I think he would have practical clothes. He would at first try not to draw too much attention to himself so he would have generally neutral colors like earthy tones or black but later maybe he would get to wear more colors.
Unlike his father maybe he wouldn't get accessories beyond watches and such that will still keep his style down
So essentially a combo between his mother and father but also his own style for his naturally timid attitude at first.
How do you get into learning Ancient Greek like. Do you have any recommendations for learning it?? Any books?? Sites?? Apps?? I don’t speak even modern Greek so I imagine that would make it difficult but how would one learn it? Or at least learn enough to be able to understand the Iliad in its original language?
For starters thank you for the patience dear Anon and I am so sorry for being late.
Now I for myself like any other good Greek kid got into the ancient counterpart of my language at school hehehe ancient Greek is mandatory in Greek schools since middle school. It allows us to get in touch with the historical continuity of our language.
So how did I get into it? Well...born into it for once (because ancient greek and modern Greek are still the same language albeit one being archaic form of the other) and two through the education system hahaha. We basically learn it with books, grammar, vocabulary of words or phrases and of course by having sample texts to translate.
Now people like this lady here seem to have a great deal of ideas if you wanna check it out
Now the final books that she mentions about the table of the verb λύω makes it promising because that is the exemplar verb we use when we learn the verbs and the forms. I would suggest you to have a full on grammar companion book just in case and a lexicon of irregular verbs is always coming in handy because these bastards are tough hahahaha 😆
Now I definitely suggest you as she says to have some reading exercises too. If you want to Hage shorter texts I would suggest plays like Antigone that help. For more complex phrases that are still good enough for the brain to Crack I would say Aristotle and Plato are great sources. And others of course
I wouldn't say you absolutely need to know modern Greek to know ancient greek or vice versa. I would say it is helpful to understand certain things if you speak with modern day speakers because you can observe similarities but the one is not required to learn the other
People: Oh it was sooooo easy for people to sail about the Mediterranean sea! Odysseus was just a cheating bitch who stayed in places because he loved it!
Meanwhile the currents of the Mediterranean sea:
(image obtained by the NASA SVS, UNESCO conference in Paris in 2011)
@clearpurpleskies mediterranean Sea perfec t place for put commodore in to ch\ase pirate! inside very Easy Sail and Safe commodore chase easily put commodore in Mediterranean Sea.....
The ironic part is that people still believe that the voyage from Greece to the edges of Mediterranean like Gibraltar or Spain is "easy".
Evidently people get fooled because sea voyages were preferred over land voyages on average so obviously people set in their minds that
land=hard
water=easy
But nothing could be further of the truth.
Yes sea voyage is generally preferred even if it is slower or takes longer of course that is because especially in lands like Greece that are over 80% mountainous it is more challenging to go through rough terrains and heights over 2000 meters of height, snow or cold just to transfer goods. Yeah of course they still did that too but still!
The sea also provided the leverage they needed to carry heavy stuff. While to place huge loads on a carriage required good construction of the carriages or the carts plus animals to pull it and animals needed to be frequently changed, watered, fed or even replaced given the harsh conditions. Animals were precious. No one would randomly spare several pairs of mules or bovine for land transfer of heavy loads that could have been used for agriculture while they could use the sea as a passage.
In fact water leverage was one of the most famous ways that people used to carry the heavy blocks of marble in antiquity from the mine to the construction location. They oftentimes carried the heavy loads by suspending them underneath the ship (one from each side for balance)
Ships were cheaper in comparison of needing constant replacement of animals and could be moved by the power of the wind and oars. Yes a boat was hella expensive to make but you didn't need to replace it every now and then. It also allowed bigger loads to be carried from one place to another etc
So to put it simple it is the "lesser evil" but that doesn't make it easy and the amounts of lost cargo or even lost ships that we still find across the Mediterranean show how dangerous these trips were. There is a reason why so many different myths of dangerous creatures out the sea exist or how so many different deities of the water can either help or doom the sailors.
The Odyssey alone show us the power of the sea and wind that could easily lead astray an entire fleet of ships across the sea and the currents were obviously no joke either.
The Why never asked and the Because that never mattered
This is a fic I was planning for quite a long time but I wanted to post for the birthday of @dionysism !! Happy Birthday!
Helen was being pulled. That was what she knew because what she felt was an absolute mess inside her like a skein of red wool that was given to a cat to play with and that cat had tangled the thing beyond recognition; it could be that several threads were already severed and yet they were tangled again and again and there was no way of whether they were indeed cut off or not. Helen of Troy, former considering herself Helen of Sparta was feeling a similar way. She was being pulled by the steady hand of her husband covered with his crimson chlamys, not being able to see anything around her but the dirt beneath her feet and yet the sounds that came to her ears; cries of pain mixed with wild triumph wouldn’t let her calm. The smell of fire was also apparent and the metallic scent of blood. She had taken a glimpse of that before and yet Menelaus had chosen to cover her from this. When she was driven to his presence Menelaus was silent. His eyes; those flaming eyes she had missed so much to see from up-close were only staring at her as if he aimed to burn holes into her soul. Helen would stare at him for hours. He had prepared herself for the reunion almost the full decade that she spent at Troy, somehow she knew her husband would come for her; she knew it deep down her soul, knowing his pride, his honor… The moment she lay a foot to the holy city of Troy accompanied by her then new husband Paris, she knew that moment that Menelaus would want to see this city burn. Somehow he had succeeded. She had heard also the plan created by her previous suitor Odysseus. Menelaus and Odysseus had showed up in Troy to negotiate, after arriving at their doors with over 1000 ships. Helen knew. She didn’t need the intelligence she had to realize that if her husband had called upon Odysseus that it didn’t matter what the elders would say. Menelaus would burn the city! Odysseus would help him and do what it would be necessary for victory regardless the price! Seeing the two so mismatched men (one of tall and royal structure with blondish-red hair and honey eyes like the sunset and the other shorter yet immensely structured, hairy and curly like a ram, black of hair and eyes like the night) looking towards her she knew. She knew that these two would make the world burn. Ever since she was preparing herself for the inevitable confrontation with her previous, her true husband… But nothing truly helped when she saw those flaming eyes of his, framed by the blood that had splattered his face, staring at her; blood dripping from his bronze sword.
Helen was looking at him and he was looking at her. Those eyes that belonged to a lion staring upon a beautiful doe in the forest; was something Helen could barely handle. She stood steadfast like the queen she was. She was dressed in a very simple dress without any makeup to her beautiful face and her tresses cascaded down her sides like a waterfall of gold. She had no jewelry on her or anything else to prove her royal status but her fierce eyes; those fierce dark gray, almost black eyes with the small irises of gold that made Menelaus weak at the knees once. However now Menelaus too was staring deep in them and his eyes seemed to be unmoving. Helen had hoped to manipulate some sympathy into her husband so that she could at least save the life of her daughter, Helen, the last daughter she had left from her marriage with Paris. She hoped her husband would see her as a woman now; not as a casus belli. He hoped that at least her daughter would escape his rage. She had never seen Menelaus so enraged before. Never.
“Helen…”
That voice was a throaty growl. It wasn’t human! She looked at his face; she memorized every new wrinkle that the 10 years of warfare had placed upon him. She could truly see him for the first time after a decade. Oh, how changed and how same he looked at the same time! His mouth was tight; the lips that kissed her so passionately before, now were like a tight line, playing and twitching in fury.
“Menelaus…” she forced her throat and lips form the name
Right there and then her voice broke a spell in the air. Her husband had also not seen her in a decade, hadn’t heard her voice in a decade. Then she saw the true meaning of his name before her; The Rage of the People! It was as if the rage of the entire Sparta was gathered in his gaze! His hand clenched upon the sword he was holding and slowly raised it. Fear twitched in her eyes.
“Please…” she croaked out
Menelaus made a step. And another. And another.
“Please!”
For once second her previous courage left her; it was the instinctual fear of every creature before the face of doom. Menelaus raised his sword over his head and then she just felt her knees buckle.
“NO!”
Her scream was unhinged; raw. She threw herself at his feet, getting to grab onto his knees the last second. Menelaus stiffened. He tried to break free but she held him close.
“Please! I beg of you! Have mercy! Have mercy! Let me at least explain myself! Do not do this before I have the chance to explain to you!”
Menelaus growled and tried once more to kick himself free but he knew he couldn’t. His reaction was weak! She realized it was the first time she touched him and, by gods, it was hugging his legs that were splattered with dirt and blood from the city that sheltered her from his rage!
“What is there to explain?!” Menelaus roared, “How can you explain what you did! Ten years, Helen! Ten bloody long years!”
“Please! Have mercy! I beseech you! In the name of our daughter!”
“Don’t you DARE to mention MY daughter!” Menelaus roared, “You left her behind! Like a beast of the forest who leaves their offspring behind to heal your passion! You have no right to bring her name to your wrenched lips! Damn the moment she was born to see the shame of her own mother! You have no right to speak the name of MY Hermione! Not anymore!”
Helen wailed once more as every word he spoke was a knife to her heart sharper than the sword that was now ominously threatening to take her life.
“Don’t…please…!” she cried, “Have mercy…don’t kill me with your words like this! Don’t be so cruel to me! Don’t say this about my daughter! There was not one day in my life that I didn’t think of her! That I didn’t wish she was there to hug her and apologize to her! Please Menelaus! I beg of you…give me one last chance to explain! That’s all I ask! Please!”
“Say what you have to say!” Menelaus growled, “Get up! Get up, woman!”
He practically raised her back to her feet in a violent, bruising grip and yet Helen was intelligent enough to notice the shift in his voice. Her pleading had reached some part of his heart that he dressed in stone. She knew his touch and he knew hers. He knew she was telling the truth. She tried to collect herself and her thoughts.
“I didn’t…I didn’t wish for this to happen, Menelaus. I…the gods have played a cruel game to me…to you…to this city and the Greeks! It was Aphrodite! She promised my hand to Paris! She sparked this cursed feeling inside me! I never stopped loving you, Menelaus! Never, I swear! I swear it upon the life of my children! I have no more sacred oath than that!”
The shadow that passed over her husband’s eyes made her heart stop. It was as if her words only sparked more anger inside him; the anger he was accumulating and nourishing for over a decade of war!
“How DARE you!” he whispered dangerously, “The gods?! Aphrodite?! How DARE you use the gods to mask your sins and infidelity! How DARE you use the name of my daughter for this!”
“Menelaus…stop please!”
“I should have known!” Menelaus ignored her, “The spawn of a woman who felt her passion being sparked by a beast! I should have known better than falling for such a charm! I should have known better than hoping that such a spawn wouldn’t be happy news for me! Cursed the moment I met you! Cursed the moment I married you! Cursed the moment I lo-…”
The word choked in his throat. Her heart clenched. He hesitated to declare his love for her. He hesitated for the first time she ever knew him. That chocked word shocked her much more than his half-blasphemy to her divine father; much more than his sudden action. He grabbed her arm in a bruising grasp, turning to his soldier.
“COME HERE!” he ordered, “Take this woman outside where she will be stoned to death! She will pay for the lives she took upon her! She will pay for the lives she DESTROYED!”
“NO!” Helen now shrieked
Adrenaline gave her probably strength beyond her human capabilities for she broke free from her husband’s painful grip with one violent yank of her arm. Not this, she thought! Any form of death was welcome now that she failed to break through her husband, but not this! She couldn’t die like a common traitor.
“NO! PLEASE!” she begged, “If I am to die, let me die with dignity! Let me die by your own hand! Let me end my own life if you have to! Let me die like a queen! Not like a traitor! Please!”
She violently tore her dress apart. Her naked breasts came in sight. Menelaus’s gaze fell upon them; the way this chest hosted her beating heart; the heart he had rested his ear against so many times, feeling her breathing soothing him! Her breasts remained youthful and beautiful like the day he met her! The years hadn’t withered her divine beauty away!
“RIGHT HERE!” Helen cried, tears running down her cheeks, “Put your sword here right now! I’d rather die by the hands of the man I love than this! Please! Let me die with dignity! You owe me this! Please!”
Menelaus looked at her; the violent palpitations of her chest…and then he looked at her face; her beautiful face scarred by tears and despair; her face that remained divinely beautiful despite the years, no, the years of sadness and agony seemed to have transformed her even more beautiful than before. It was as if her sadness, her GENUINE sadness that she had felt all these years, the suffering and longing, had made her even more beautiful in his eyes. Her hair was messed up, her face pure without any paint or cosmetics; her natural scent that didn’t need any perfumes or aromatic oils to make him longing for her; her body and heart and spirit. How could such a beauty go to waste? How could he destroy this divine creature? How could he destroy the woman he loved?
“ARGH” he roared throwing his sword away, “DAMMIT!”
“My lord?” his soldier asked, “Shall we proceed?”
“No!” Menelaus yelled, “I can’t! I can’t!”
Yes, he realized he couldn’t. He couldn’t kill her, he couldn’t watch her getting killed, and he couldn’t order her death. He couldn’t part from her again!
“I can’t! Damned be my name and my weakness but I can’t see this through! Zeus and the immortals forgive me, I can’t destroy this woman! If I do, I am destroying myself! If I kill her I die with her!”
Helen felt her tears increasing but this time the warm tears were coming straight from her heart; this organ that was pumping her blood steadily but also this wrenched tool that betrayed her after goddess Aphrodite clouded her judgment. She saw Menelaus now; the man she loved and chosen as her husband! Taking a bald step she took his hand, the hand painted in blood and tar. Wetting it with her own salty tears she kissed it. She was placing her life in his hands. There was nothing else she could do; nothing else she wished to do. She felt him stiffen but it was not unpleasant this time. Not like before. As she was bended down, she felt the chlamys covering her head like a veil.
“Dammit!” Menelaus cursed again, “Let’s get the hell out of here!”
She felt her husband pulling her away and fast. Helen didn’t know what her fate would be; what her position would be now and she didn’t expect much but she felt like she could trust Menelaus. More than just her love for him was her trust to his heart.
That had happened quite a couple of hours prior, however it felt like an eternity to Helen. They reached his tent, that much she knew, judging from the sounds of the soldiers around. Beneath her fit she could be the ends of the Achaean tents that were set up very fast just enough so they could pass the night; obviously not like the organized camp they were before thanks to the ploy by Odysseus to pretend they were leaving. Quite frankly most soldiers didn’t even have their tents ready. Just the kings and lords were having some shelter for the night (which was getting over anyways). He saw the material of the tent open and Menelaus pushed her in. Only then his chlamys left her head. Menelaus had spoken no word to her ever since that encounter. She heard him yelling orders hither-thither but not one word had reached her ears that was addressed to her; no words of anger but neither words of encouragement either. She was at least relieved that some of the orders he made were concerning her little girl, making sure she came with them. That seemed enough for her. They entered the cozy environment of the tent. Helen clenched her dress closer, covering herself the best she could. However her husband, half staggered inside, removed his helm and let it fall somewhere. He was feeling crushed and tired; too tired to even bother himself with his armor. His hair was matted, painted in blood. Helen even noticed some white strands coming out of it. How much had he suffered too? How much had the longing and waiting cost him? Menelaus, the king of Sparta, even tiredly half-tripped against his own helm, ignoring its existence on the tent’s floor. A slave rushed to pick it up.
“Leave it!” Menelaus roared, “Out! Everyone out!”
She saw them all run out, terrified by his sudden yell. She stood her ground. She watched him struggle with his armor as if it would choke him but she didn’t dare to come closer to assist him. She felt like he needed his space; what had happened that night was not easy for anyone. Helen still mourned the city; the people who didn’t judge her. She mourned herself too; for feeling happiness being with her husband again even with such a terrible price to pay. Menelaus, finally free from the leather and bronze, he let the armor fall to the floor with a clang. Helen couldn’t remember seeing him this exhausted; this burnt out before. He moved his head, hearing cracking sounds from his nape. He silently went to a bronze bowl of water and splashed plenty on his face and over his hair, in some attempt to make himself presentable. With some of the blood gone, Helen clearly saw the gray hairs in his reddish head; like snowflakes on top of dry leaves. Menelaus…her Menelaus seemed drained and prematurely old despite his face being as handsome as she remembered. She watched him dry himself with a towel, which he also abandoned on the floor. She saw the blood stains on the towel and she cursed herself for thinking “Thank gods! This isn’t his blood…he is not hurt…” The thought brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t want to know how many people’s blood he was carrying on him. Menelaus poured a glass of wine for himself and drank deeply from his golden cup. How strange, she thought, gold and jewelry; how insignificant these seemed now before the face of war and death! How much death had they brought upon this earth! The silence was choking her. She couldn’t stand it!
“Menelaus…I…”
Her whisper was cut off by one move of Menelaus’s hand; a silent order, perhaps a silent pledge. She obeyed. Menelaus once more finished his drink and then he sat upon his couch, or perhaps it was his bed now. Helen saw how, despite the fact the tent was cozy and wide; she noticed the difference of her life and his all these years; Menelaus lived in a military camp for more than 10 years while she was living in the palace. No wonder he was so older than his age now; the sorrow, the guilt, the longing in combination to the conditions he lived in, could have their toll at any man. Menelaus seemed to be taking a breath to speak; as if to collect his thoughts.
“For ten years…” he finally whispered, voice hoarse and tired, “During all these years I had dreamt of this moment, Helen…”
It was the first time he addressed her so softly after a decade. Helen felt her heart palpitating and shivering. His rage before was all forgotten to her. His voice now was making her weak at the knees; the softness of her husband she had missed so much.
“I have played it in my head so many times that I had thought I knew every word I wanted to say or reply to you…” he scoffed humorlessly in self-sarcasm, “But, by gods, now I cannot even find a single word to say! The only thing I can say now -the one thing that tormented me all these years- is… Why, Helen? Why?”
His eyes locked with hers; her almost dark and yellow ones; the eyes that looked like stormy sky plundered by lightning.
“Why did you do this to me? Why…?”
The pain! The seer agony! She could almost see the tears down his cheeks even if he heroically was holding them back.
“Menelaus…I…”
“Yes, I know” he interrupted her, “Aphrodite… By gods, Helen…I don’t know what to believe! However that is not what I am asking…”
She waited. She didn’t even need to speak again to know his intentions.
“Why did you…for ten years, Helen…you waited there for ten years… You saw me nearly slaying your precious Paris…him being saved by gods… You still chose him, Helen…even then…you chose him…”
Then she saw it. One single tear ran down his cheek. His voice broke.
“Why, Helen…” he repeated like a mantra, “Why did you push me to the edge? Why did things have to go this way?”
There were a million things she would want to say; many excuses and true reasons. She could have said how she was still under the influence of Aphrodite. She could have said that she had a family she wanted to protect; her precious children that were not at fault, the children that died so unfairly in an earthquake and the children she mourned. She could have said how grateful she was to king Priam for understanding and protecting her, to Hector who supported her, to Andromache who accepted her. She could speak on the years she spent with these people. She could speak on her daughter, her little Helen, that remained alive…on the fact that they chose a new husband for her against her will. However none of this seemed useful now. Her tears ran down her cheeks again, her throat burning and feeling tied in a knob.
“Does it matter now…?” she whispered, “Would anything I say make things better now after so long? Will this give back the lives to all the Greeks that fell or the Trojans that got slain? Will anything I say undo this disaster we did…?”
Yes, she included him. She knew he would have too. Menelaus called upon the greatest army in the world, he agreed upon a bloody war, he agreed upon a scheme to take the city at night and the slaughter of innocents. She knew he knew he was not innocent; just like she wasn’t.
“No…” Menelaus whispered, “No, it doesn’t…”
His honey eyes locked in hers. She didn’t know what to make of it. His stare was as intense as the needle that pierces through the skin when the healer closes a wound. As if being self-conscious, she clenched her dress close to her chest again. Menelaus followed the movement with his eyes. Then his arm extended.
“Come here…”
It was a soft order; a pleading. Helen moved slowly, taking his hand in hers; eliminating the distance between them. She followed his lead as she slowly knelt before him, looking up at his face. His hand softly touched her cheek. She shivered. The night was cold but his hand was so warm! His fingers traced her cheek; phantom touch against her skin. His thumb trailed her lips. Helen felt more tears running but this time it wasn’t despair. His hand slowly went down the side of her throat, slowly slipping in her dress to caress the flesh of her shoulder. She turned her head by instinct, kissing his wrist. She felt him shiver. There was a soft squeeze on her shoulder; en encouragement to make her stand again. She did. His hands then opened her dress again to reveal her chest. He looked at her for a few seconds and then she saw him come undone, like a dam collapsing, filling a lake with water fast!
“Gods!” he whispered
And his arms pulled her close. It was a desperate embrace! It was the type of hugging a dying man would do to their deity, begging for a few more seconds upon the land of the living! His face buried in her bosom and she felt his wet tears on her skin; his arms, strong and secure, fisting upon the material of her dress and her back. Her own arms by instinct flew around him; around his head and she pulled him in her even further as the king of Sparta sobbed. This time Helen’s eyes were dry. It was as if she needed to be strong for him; allowing him to be weak now, to be with her! His shoulders were shivering from sobbing but he made no sound. He half raised his head only to kiss each one of her breasts. His lips were burning! Her heard raised her pulse. The last kiss was placed right in the middle; right over her heart, hammering against her ribcage.
“Please…” he begged, “Hold me, Helen! Hold me like this…”
“Yes…” Helen whispered hugging his head again, “Always…always…”
The man she loved more than life itself looked up and softly pulled her on his knees.
“Kiss me…” he begged again, “Please…kiss me…!”
The encouragement was not needed. She cupped his cheeks with both her white soft hands and her lips landed on his. She heard him whimper. His hands desperately clasped her hair and the other around her body. He kissed her like his life depended on it; like her soul was being transferred inside him. After ten long years! Finally Tears escaped his eyes. It was as if he was dying. The lip locking lasted a few seconds before Menelaus pulled back and half-fell behind. One of his arms was still holding her but the hand that clasped on her locks so tightly before, flew behind him as if to stop his fall. It was as if his heart had stopped for a small second.
“Menelaus!” she worriedly held onto his shoulders
“I’m fine…” Menelaus panted softly, “I’m fine…”
She used the edge of her sleeve to mop the droplets of sweat off his forehead; suddenly his skin feeling cold to the touch his breath coming out harshly. She could tell something was wrong with him; worry biting her soul like a snake. He tried to stabilize his breath as he looked up at her.
“Don’t look at me like that…” he begged weakly, “Please…not you…not like that!”
Tears burnt again in Helen’s eyes. The daughter of Zeus shook her head negatively, placing a kiss on her husband’s forehead, curling against him like a dove. His arms embraced her tighter than before. Her ear caught the sound of his heart; it was irregular! Only to stabilize bit by bit. She held him tightly as if she wanted to transfer her health to him. She wouldn’t let him go again! Never!
“Hold me, Menelaus…” she now begged back, hoping transferring her need for him would help, “Please...never again! Let me stay like this with you…never let me go again!”
Her palm rested against his chest; against his heart. She thanked all gods of Olympus that the heartbeat had stabilized. She could tell by his breathing and temperature too.
“Promise me…” she urged, “You will not let me go…you will not leave me! Never again!”
It was a foolish wish, she knew, but the deteriorating of his health alarmed her. She wanted him, only him, she would never marry another man again but him. She made a promise to herself that even if it cost her, her life, she would keep this man on this earth. He deserved it! Menelaus softly sighed and held her tighter.
“I promise…” she heard him whisper
There was no more need for words between them. No more reasoning was necessary.
***
Sooo yeah I feel lke we do not have so many Helen x Menelaus fics out there and is a shame given how much of a couple they are and how they have been through so much together! And how their love was enough to forget the years they spent apart!
Menelaus trying to kill Helen but being moved by her beauty or her pleading for her life is a detail mentioned in later sources, also depending on the source he wanted to kill her himself or have her stoned to death! As usually I decided to combine sources! Hahaha! Hopefully this works!
For the scene in Menelaus's tent I was severely inspired by an amazing Greek composer named Kostas Kapnisis (Κώστας Καπνίσης) who created soundtracks for some greek movies including an amazing movie for the greek revolution and one of the heroes taking part in it, Papaflessas. In the movie of 1971, one of the pieces of the soundtrack is called Erotiko (Ερωτικό) aka "erotic" or "of love" or "of eros" and on my word is was just perfect in my head!
Just listen the soft melody! TT-TT So them!
I also wanted to show Helen's strength and intelligence but also the fact that all characters were broken in sadness at that time.
Also Menelaus collapsing, you can see my headcanon of Menelaus suffering from his heart. I had made a small analysis on it you can find it here
Now I can memorize many good blogs here that create really beautiful Menelaus and Helen art. Some of those that I know and follow are @thehelplessmortals for some more historic style and others like @smokey07 in a more anime-like style. I must say Menelaus definitely needs more love out there! Both for his friendship with Odysseus as well as for his relationship with Helen and the reconsiliation they had!
Now the design for Helen I had in mind was blonde woman due to beauty standards plus how it is generally much rarer color especially for south Europe also Dares the Phrygian elleged account also names her as such but honestly I have seen great designs of hers looking amazing in red or brown or black hair! The eyes of hers (dark gray with sparkles of yellow) was a totally random thing in my head maybe to connect her with Zeus. Just a random idea I had this morning!
After everything I heard about the things Menelaus did to Helen to a certain thing that must not be named, I wanna share again this random idea of mine with their reunion inspired by some sources. Judge me as you wish
As always available to my ao3:
The Why Never Asked and the Because Never Mattered
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I was reading Hippolytus by Euripides and I was surprised by this extract: why is phaedra referring to Ariadne as poor for being Dionysus' wife? She compares it to their mother falling in love with a bull and herself being in love with her step son. Could it be that being a God's consort was considered a bad fate for a mortal? Was her relationship with Dionysus not as ideal as modern takes make it out to be?
This is very interesting to say the very least! Now there are things that could be seen I guess and the commentary by David Kovacs helped enough.
Now Phaedra is mourning herself and her passion and then brings up two examples;
Her mother Pasiphae and her unlawful passion for a bull
then she brings up Ariadne and Dionysus
One could say there is a gold thread (yeah pun intended) that connects all three stories; unlawful passion that leads to unfaithfulness and potential destruction
However where does Ariadne and Dionysus fit?
It could be some sort of connection to even later narrations; it is not that Ariadne is seen as unfortunate for being the bride of Dionysus but because she was already promised to Dionysus and she was led astray for her passion for Theseus. Essentially Phaedra implies that Ariadne was unfortunate because she challenged Dionysus for her love for a mortal, Theseus (at least as per Kovacs comments too) which is an interesting take to say the very least.
Diodorous Siculus for instance also seems to imply that Dionysus had already chosen Ariadne long time ago and he appears at a dream to Theseus as they are being entertained in Naxos essentially warning him not to go on with the whole Ariadne business because Ariadne was his
The above story seems to be connected with Homer's Odyssey too. In the Odyssey we hear a rather sad ending for Ariadne. Odysseus meets Ariadne in the underworld, killed by Artemis "by Dionysus's witness"
And I saw then Phaedra and Procris and also beautiful Ariadne, daughter of Minus, the woman of the bright mind, the one that once upon a time Theseus took from Crete to the holy rock of Athens but he never got to take pleasure from it; for she was slain by holy Artemis at the coast, by Dionysus's witness
(Translation by me)
So maybe here Euripides seems to be hinting a sad tradition like this; that Ariadne was already promised to Dionysus but she fell in love with Theseus despite herself and therefore followed him to Athens, thus causing the anger of gods, particularly her fiancée Dionysus who then asked from Artemis herself to perform the deed and therefore Ariadne now died and resides to the underworld.
This seems to be the fate that Phaedra is speaking about. In this train of thought Ariadne is not unfortunate for being the bride of Dionysus (Διονύσου δάμαρ) but rather that she fell in love with someone that it would be sinful to fall in love with and that led to the fury of the gods and her doom.
Of course as I always say Homer could be hinting the traditions regarding deaths of women associated with Artemis as some symbolism for women dying in childbirth for instance which could be a graphic image to make aka that Ariadne died bearing the child of her lover but I cannot help myself adding stuff like that
Anyways I hope this makes more sense. Phaedra essentially is mourning people of her family that seemingly got into unlawful passions that seem to bring their doom and thinks she will follow the same direction (which de facto she does) so maybe just maybe Euripides seems to stand on Homeric traditions where Ariadne doesn't have her happy ending (well...not yet at least) dunno if that makes any sense.
I have this little Hc/idea of Odysseus and Heracles being childhood friends, since apparently there's a version where Autolycus trained Heracles wrestling
I think there definitely is some form of relation between them. I mean personally I am not sure if I would call them childhood friends to be honest but I would say there definitely seems to be a high chance that he met him before or even that he closely interacted with him.
I mean Heracles sees him and addresses him personally in the underworld during Nekya, unlike other famous figures that Odysseus reported to have seen but never interacted with, Heracles does interact with him, something that mostly happens to people Odysseus knew personally with the exception of Tiresias (Agamemnon, Achilles, Anticlea, Elpenor etc)
This doesn't seem to be a coincidence
Now he doesn't say something overly personal so that hints to me that they met each other. Now how well they knew each other is hard to tell. I also find it interesting how both Heracles and Odysseus are two of the heroes of mythology that might be known for another skill as well (Heracles of his wrestling and his strength while Odysseus for his mind and his spear -but his wrestling was said to be impressive too-) but both are also very much known for being archers.
Heracles despite the fact that he is the definition of a hero and most of the time fights close combat, he always carries his beloved bow with him and the poisonous arrows.
Odysseus more often whatnot is known for fighting face to face (spear, sword etc) but of course he is known for his famous bow as well as his skill to archery that was his signature move
What is more both seem to be known for their strength and their athletic skills particularly wrestling. We know that Odysseus defeated an almost undefeated wrestler on his way to Troy at an in-between stop plus he was able to hold his ground against Telamonian Aias even if he was double his size. Heracles of course is known for his wrestling skills for he is an icon for wrestlers quite frankly
I find several similarities between Heracles and Odysseus to be honest that I do not think are random. In fact the two of them seem to be roughly at the same age group potential or rather that Heracles is potentially one generation or so apart from Odysseus, being about the same age group as Nestor and given that Heracles killed the king where Odysseus got his bow from, the two of them were contemporaries up to a certain point so there is more than enough chance that they met and interacted.
It is a theory of course given that neither Odysseus nor Heracles make much commentary on that but seems possible to me
the fact that people are in the odyssey tags criticising the nolan movie for its changes to the original myth (valid) only to then turn around and recommend epic: the musical of all things as a “more accurate” alternative is hysterical like please. let’s be serious now
People feel free to suggest completely twisted versions of it like this movie or the musical or Percy Jackson or any of the retellings while advertising the originals as evil deeds of some evil society
And somehow that is fine as well as not allowing anyone critsize them
I am re-reading the Odyssey and highlighting my favorite moments, sadly I don't have anyone to talk to about my obsession with an ancient mythological hence, so here I am here to gush about a little moment that always makes me happy- and that is when Odysseus was with the Phaeacians. One of them essencially tells him to stop sulking and play with them, so Odysseus gets pissed and goes full "I will let you know I AM quite good at this, young man! I am just too sad right now!" and proceeds to play anyways, to what Athena (disguised as one of the Phaeacians) went full "No no, he won, look!" and Odysseus randomly CHEERS UP as Homer says he is happy to have someone of the crown backing him.
I dunno, knowing that happens exactly after 7 years of hell made me happy.
Honestly...all these moments where Odysseus "finds himself again" in the more peaceful mindset is a treasure to me. The moment where he smiles or has fun with the Phaeakes, the moment he sees his homeland again and he falls on his knees to kiss the ground, the moment he sees his beloved son and hugs him, the moment he is reuniting with his loyal slaves whom he considers almost as family, his reunion with Penelope after the mutual recognition and his reunion with his father...
I cannot agree more than that! Exactly my thoughts dear Anon for sure! This is what makes the Odyssey so special to me! The small things like that that make the difference!
Just so you know guys all of you who went to hate-watch the Nolan movie to come back here and tell us the parts it sucked and you think you did a service alas you didn't
You still gave that dude your hard earned money and you add to his box office success and potentially we keep encouraging more fucks up against cultures in general and greek one in particular
Sorry guys but is the truth...you didn't do us service. You accidentally did us a huge disservice....
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Shoutout to Michael Cacoyannis again and Θεόδωρος Δημήτριεφ (Theodoros Dimitrief) as Agamemnon for Electra (1962) 😍😍
I mean look at the amazing lion king almost literally! 😍 also shoutout how this movie has a more Mycenean perspective to the armor as well!
Also the way he interracts with his children! Honestly I am gonna cry!
And the way he hands his sword to Orestes to play with and immediately goes to hug Electra! And then the look he gives to his wife! He doesn't speak a single word and yet the look he gives her says it all!
The way he appears just in a few scenes without speaking a single word simply says it all! And the cinematography of the dude is unparalleled! Because we have Agamemnon's shield left on the ground outside the palace and Orestes playing with it by hitting it at a rhythm of a heartbeat! With his FATHER'S SWORD!
And in the bath scene we see first the helmet and then the breast plate being placed down on the ground:
AGAMEMNON IS LITERALLY LETTING HIS GUARD DOWN!!!
And that murder scene with the net! GOSH! Pure brutality and amazing cinematography!
Also...this long shot with the amazing nature around! 😍 because THIS is Greece I know and love!
Mountains and rivers and rich nature...stones and sea...the "exotic" beauty of my country lies to the rich and diverse nature and our rugged mountains as well as our blue sea!
To see the same fans of the musical that came for my head for comparing their favorite musical to the original story with the usual "they do not owe you accuracy" or "why don't you see them as different?" or "it is boring to do the same thing" or "no one cares it wasn’t supposed to be accurate" or "shut up you just kill the fun for everyone" now make side by side comparison to Nolan movie and point out the difference or comparing them or even complaining about the things they didn't like about the movie...
Why is the experience always bittersweet? On one hand is great to see all the objectively awful decisions to be called out but on the other hand....bruh.....
It doesn't surprise me, sadly, that we have pre-orders (even if I am not sure it is exactly as presented) because the pre-ordering of tickets had opened like a year before the actual official casting or plot choices were shown. In fact for many people who enjoyed Nolan's work were (foolishly in my opinion) expecting Nolan's work this time too to be respectful to the text and show the same attention to detail as he did to other stuff like Dark Knight trilogy or Oppenheimer or Interstellar or something.
Nolan had a good reputation for cinematography so when the idea that the Odyssey would become a movie many people thought (foolishly again) that this would actually be a good one. We got our culture being trampled over so many times so the idea that an arguably good director would do something about it seemed appealing which is also why money were also invested in the movie from our part even before the scenario and cast were announced.
This is a big reason why I am against pre-ordering anything. I find it foolish to pre-do anything before you have everything at hand especially when money is at stake. No I will not pre-order the latest phone before it is even out before I have the chance to see if I need it or before I go to the shop and see it. No I will not write critique on something before I have tested it etc. Pre order tickets solely because of the name of the producer and director is foolish.
I am not sure if the sales were as high as this post claims but even one ticket being pre-ordered like a year before even the actual announcements are made to me is foolish.
2 project anon here i saw you say in an ask about after nolans odyssey there's 2 more projects to go so I was curious what are the projects
Hmm I am not sure because honestly there are a lot...but I think what I expect to see being to the sacrilegious side are the upcoming musical by Jorge which if it is half as bad as the previous one then we are up for another wild ride of mischaracterization and misinformation. The second is one sci-fi movie (I think) or series or something about "Penelope of Sparta" which was around supposedly to air to Netflix
However it seems also that Jorge's musical is up to get its own animated movie too and all
So yeah 2020s is officially the worst decade to live in if you are a Homer enjoyer at least one of those that had enough with distortion of the original text for the sakes of whatever 🙄
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To see the same fans of the musical that came for my head for comparing their favorite musical to the original story with the usual "they do not owe you accuracy" or "why don't you see them as different?" or "it is boring to do the same thing" or "no one cares it wasn’t supposed to be accurate" or "shut up you just kill the fun for everyone" now make side by side comparison to Nolan movie and point out the difference or comparing them or even complaining about the things they didn't like about the movie...
Oh my gosh I just can't have enough of this guy!!! His performance is simply PERFECT in the movie!!!!! I mean...look at this sneaky bastard energy he managed to convey (in combination to "religious and pious af" energy of course)!!!!
Christos Tsagas my beloved!!!! ♥️ You truly were the one!!!!
We were criminally denied your glory at a full Odyssey adaptation by an amazing director such as this!!!!
Still the one and only casting for Odysseus! I mean look at that scoundrel enjoying the crowds' attention!
Hiding in the shade to hear everything
Walking alone in the shadows, constantly thinking:
Being among the soldiers, watching:
Staying close to the events and to the central priest:
Being in deep thought or having second thoughts:
And man that stance man! That stance!
you gotta tell when a dude KNOWS how to bring Odysseus to life! Even that "I support one leg on a higher rock because looks cool" hahaha the dude KNEW Odysseus you cannot tell me otherwise!
I love you Christos! I miss you man! ♥️
I'm sorry guys....I can't! Seriously I MUST say this! Look at how fantastic Cacoyannis managed to choreograph this scene!!! Odysseus's religious zeal in just one, wordless sequence!
First off he removes his hat in respect of the space he is in but above all at the presence of Calchas (a priest);
And then comes the prophecy;
He has stopped himself from reading the text. He looks at Agamemnon in terror and then he is looking towards Calchas with a
"You can't be serious!"
look on his face. He is horrified, confused, shocked. He probably never in his life would have expected a human sacrifice to be demanded by the gods that he knew usually do not demand such a thing!
His attitude shifts later not only because of how he sees social energy shift around him but also because yeah
"Fine...gods demanded it, gods will have it! What we think is irrelevant!"
He is a people-person in one way. He is a great estimate of public opinion and yes he WILL use it so the gods will get the redemptory sacrifice and yes he WILL enjoy the love of the crowd too but above all he will get his duty done and give gods what they want! And you STILL can see his own understanding to those who suffer!
Michael my man! You did more for Odysseus as a minor background character than many others didn't do with him on screen for the entire movie!!!! And Christos my man RIP and thank you for your amazing performance!
