My honest reaction to no longer you

odysseus is generally seen as 'morally ambiguous' due to his not always being seen as the best of people- but this is a very modern and feminist take, and whilst nothing is inherently wrong with the idea of feminist takes and retellings, it skews what we have and already know of the myths, and this can be seen most predominantly in the character of odysseus. odysseus is two things:

- not meant to a hero

- not meant to be good

he is written as a man faced with impossible odds, and who loses some- if not all- of his morality in doing so. BUT where does the idea of him being 'bad' come from? the penelopiad by margaret atwood, a woman known for being quite vitriolic towards men of any kind. in recent years, people have picked up on three major things from the odyssey:

- the hanging of the maids

- odysseus cheating on his wife

- odysseus going mad at the end

NOW, to break it into points:

the hanging of the maids is so often seen in a feminist light due to margaret atwood, where odysseus is painted as some cruel, vile, disgusting predator who loathes women. this isn't true to the odyssey AT ALL. in the odyssey it is explicitly stated by the nurse that raised telemachus: 'i shall single out those who betrayed you, my lord' and by one of the maids herself- melantho: 'if we sleep with the suitors, when they become king we will be in favour with him.' and THIS is why he killed the maids. not because he was insane, not because he was bad, but because they had betrayed not just him- but his wife. not all the maids were killed, only those who slept with the suitors. the argument most often used for this is that the women couldn't say no, but this goes against what the maids themselves say in the odyssey when they believe no one to be watching.

odysseus cheating on his wife HE DIDN'T. but he is a man, and as a man, he cannot be raped. he is a terrible man for sleeping with circe and calypso when he could have- as epic decides to say- say no. which is untrue!! these are goddesses. titanesses. circe is the daughter of helios, and calypso is daughter of atlas. they could overpower him simply by looking at him. circe turned his men to pigs, even with the moly she could have easily done the same- or worse- to him. the idea of him choosing to and being unfaithful stems from madeline miller's, Circe which whilst not inherently bad, goes out of its way to put all men in a terrible light, because the heroes deserves no rights in feminist retellings. odysseus wanted to say no, but could not as hermes explicitly told him he couldn't. on the flip side, calypso threatens, ensnares him and only releases him when told to by hermes and the council of the gods. in the odyssey it is literally stated: 'and odysseus stayed on the shores weeping for home before joining the nymph in her bed.' he did not WANT to sleep with calypso, but was left with no other choice but to do so. this is a recurring theme for calypso.

but he is blamed due to his gender, and the idea of 'feminism' and 'patriarchy'.

and now, the real reason for odysseus being seen badly:

the telegony the telegony is a myth written after the odyssey with telegonus- son of circe and odysseus- as the main character. in this he travels to find his father and meet him, but accidentally kills him on the shore. (peneleope marries telegonus, and circe marries telemachus) but this is where the idea of odysseus' insanity comes from. in the telegony, it is stated he went mad after the war, and couldn't survive without bloodshed, and so he went out seeking war, and women, and battle, and went mad in this.

the statement: 'generous to odysseus' is wholly unfair, because he is a man forced to lose everything, assaulted, violated, tortured and imprisoned with no hope of survival. he goes to war knowing he won't return for 20 years, won't see his wife, and won't watch his son grow. he is a man not a god, or a demigod. he's just some dude doing his best.

Sometimes I like to sit and imagine that the reason baby Astyanax didn't cry at Odysseus' appearance is because he instinctively associates war-helms with his father.

Even when Odysseus takes him over to the balcony to drop him, even as his mother cries out at the sight of him in Odysseus' hands, he doesn't cry, because his father is right there with him

Book 3 of the Iliad. Menelaus one leather strap away from ending the war until Aphrodite saves Paris’s neck.

I’m using this project to try different things artistically. I’m trying different brushes and trying to make myself draw more action oriented poses.

Continuing on my water journey with a Patroclus and Achillies drawing

Five Fic Friday

Another random list of fics I think you guys should be reading:

Sober by Crimsonfox141 | E | 12.8k |

There was a part of his brain, completely overridden by the alcohol in his system, that didn't want it to happen this way. Of all the fantasies he'd had about Patroclus, none had involved drunken groping at a house party.

to the breath of my lungs, beneath the stars by AdelineAround | E | 5.7k |

Patroclus has a breeding kink, there is no doubt about it. It is only when he and Achilles are reunited in the afterlife, within Elysium, that he finally acts on it.

Patroclus the Rider by BCB | E | 1.2k |

Patroclus rides Achilles and dominates him due to Achilles whining. That's basically it.

Love, and How the Heart Grows Ever With Age by Cavalierious | E | 2.3k |

Patroclus and Achilles are just old dudes in love. Written for Let Them Lay Together, a Patrochilles Zine.

I Hoped That You Would Come by @ferrisulichsdayoff | M | 30.8k |

After his death, Achilles finds himself in the underworld. Prepared to face his judgement and eternity, he marches into hell, only to learn that Patroclus never arrived. He sets up vigil outside the gates, and waits.

Fics are listed in no particular order. Want more? Check out some Pyrrha themed fic recs. Also check out some Spicy patrochilles fic recs.  

Some fun gay couples who’ve stolen my heart throughout the years

Bro, my unyielding loyalty towards you is totally normal and healthy, I swear. It's just that it's definitely my duty to rip out your enemies throats with my bare teeth. You are the love of my life and I am your most valuable tool. Each night, I fantasize about dying in your arms, covered in blood, and then I close my eyes one final time, satisfied because I can feel your fingers on my face as I take my last breath. Haha anyways

Introduction to The Iliad, Emily Wilson

"The gods' chosen" "the gods' champion" no that's the god's little wind up toy. The gods' chew toy. The gods' favorite barbie doll

from the introduction to emily wilsons translation of the iliad

dude you should have been at the club last night it was insane. the dj was playing the lament and funeral of hector from the iliad and everyone was beating their breasts and tearing open their garments. at the end we all built up a funeral pyre in the middle of the dance floor and set it aflame. we were all feeling the inherent human connection through millennia old poetry, it was wild

Athena holding Achilles back in the agora, first chant

Another Odysseus, it’s been a while (yes this is my new favourite pose to draw)

I find it incredibly funny from a meta/author perspective, that Ancient Greece decided to name their protagonist that angers many people “Anger Bringer” but, even funnier, is the in universe understating that anyone who meets Odysseus must have had the thought “oh dear, how unfortunate to be named hateful/hated” and then they have exactly One conversation with him and go “Ah I see now”

For reference, Odysseus’ name sounds very much like the Greek word odussomai, which can roughly mean “I am angry at” or “I am the cause of anger” (or simply “to hate” or “to dismiss”), a fact that is used for ironic effect frequently in the Odyssey.

It’s also specifically stated in Book 19 that Odysseus’ grandfather, a master thief and one who has also pissed off a lot of people, specifically named him this because “I am disliked by many, all across the world, and I dislike them back. So name the child Odysseus.” 19.428

Bro looked at his grandson and thought “Ahaha, this one’s going to be a troublemaker like me. Better get him started early.”

It’s like a terrible allegory for cause and effect or something.