Pinned
dee/silas. they/she. greek mythology sideblog. unfortunately i am a massive hater and am often very critical of a lot of modern adaptations of greek myth. i try not to be too haterish this is mostly me rbing greek mythology stuff i like
enjoy this beautiful drawing
a quick psa to anyone recently getting into greek mythology and is a victim of tumblr and/or tiktok misconceptions:
-there is no shame in being introduced to mytholgy from something like percy jackson, epic the musical or anything like that, but keep in mind that actual myths are going to be VERY different from modern retellings
-the myth of medusa you probably know (her being a victim of poseidon and being cursed by athena) isn't 100% accurate to GREEK mythology (look up ovid)
-there is no version of persephone's abduction in which persephone willingly stays with hades, that's a tumblr invention (look up homeric hymn to demeter)
-as much as i would like it, no, cerberus' name does not mean "spot" (probably a misunderstanding from this wikipedia article)
-zeus isn't the only god who does terrible things to women, your fav male god probably has done the same
-on that note, your fav greek hero has probably done some heinous shit as well
-gods are more complicated than simply being "god of [insert thing]", many titles overlap between gods and some may even change depending on where they were worshipped
-also, apollo and artemis being the gods of the sun and the moon isn't 100% accurate, their main aspects as deities originally were music and the hunt
-titans and gods aren't two wholly different concepts, titan is just the word used to decribe the generation of gods before the olympians
-hector isn't the villain some people make him out to be
-hephaestus WAS married to aphrodite. they divorced. yes, divorce was a thing in ancient greece. hephaestus' wife is aglaia
-ancient greek society didn't have the same concepts of sexuality that we have now, it's incorrect to describe virgin goddesses like artemis and athena as lesbians, BUT it's also not wholly accurate to describe them as aromantic/asexual, it's more complex than that
-you can never fully understand certain myths if you don't understand the societal context in which they were told
-myths have lots and lots of retellings, there isn't one singular "canon", but we can try to distinguish between older and newer versions and bewteen greek and roman versions
-most of what you know about sparta is probably incorrect
-reading/waching retellings is not a substitute to reading the original myths, read the iliad! read the odyssey! i know they may seem intimidating, but they're much more entertaining than you may think
greek mythology is so complex and interesting, don't go into it with preconcieved notions! try to be open to learn!
the souls of acheron
okay okay but imagine you found out that Some Guy was spying on you during your most intimate moments of your daily life and you’re tripping absolute balls on literally so much acid and you have the strength of the gods running through your veins. deciding to brutally murder that guy is simply the logical next step here!!!!
the bacchae is really every bit as personal a family tragedy as oedipus rex, if you think about it (has been thinking about it for months, since i last read the bacchae)
dionysus personally victimizing pentheus because pentheus won't believe he's a god in the same way that agave didn't believe semele that her lover was zeus. and they're cousins
DIONYSOS
You and you alone will suffer for your city. A great ordeal awaits you. But you are worthy of your fate. I shall lead you safely there; someone else shall bring you back.
PENTHEUS (still trance-like)
Yes, my mother.
DIONYSOS
An example to all men.
PENTHEUS
It is for that I go.
DIONYSOS
You will be carried home –
PENTHEUS
O luxury!
DIONYSOS
cradled in your mother’s arms.
PENTHEUS
You will spoil me.
DIONYSOS
I *mean* to spoil you.
PENTHEUS
I go to my reward.
-The Bacchae, Euripides
See the Villain potential?
Alphonse Mucha- Sappho
What are American adaptations of Greek myth you think are actually good?
Tough question but i would consider:
These in my opinion are very worth watching.
Yes O brother movie is a satirical one, but it's refreshing how it took the Odyssey myth and made it something of its own. Yes Disney's Hercules isn't at all following the original myth, but the team behind it wanted a fun and joyful movie about Greek mythology without trying to include any modern bias now they put on their live actions.
The other movies for their time they may lack groundbreaking cgi, but for their time they tried their best and delivered.
He grows out of it right?
the shape of me
“Are there any myths where Hera is shown with affection, either toward Zeus or anyone else? I feel like we only ever see her angry.”
Sure, she can definitely act affectionate, as for instance in Book 5 of Quintus of Smyrna's Posthomerica, where she embraces and kisses Hypnos when they happen to meet: „She clasped and kissed him, being as good as her son-in-law ever since he put Kronos' son to bed for her on Ida's summit, when he was angry with the Argives.”
She is also affectionate with Thetis: in Book 24 of the Iliad she welcomes her kindly on Olympos and is the one to offer her a drink, but most of all in Book 4 of the Argonautica of Apollonios Rhodios where she says to Thetis: „You, however, I reared from babyhood myself and ever Have loved beyond all others who abide In the salt sea…”.
There are other examples of her showing positive emotions for gods and favoured mortals alike but I'd say this is Hera at her most expressively affectionate, either physically or verbally.
sorry for being indecisive, I haven’t had any prophetic dreams to guide me in a while
