#classics fandom challenge: go one (1) day without shitting on tsoa

[johaerys-writes]

i just read someone blaming madeline for patrochilles as a couple existing and telling people to write/read apollon x hyacinthus… as if aeschylus, one of the most influential names in greek literature, did not literally write them as a couple back in ancient greece… but it was certainly madeline who came up with the idea!! plus apollon and hyacinthus do not have the same dynamic as patrochilles, acting like apollon and hyacinthus is a substitute for patrochilles is stupid. it makes it seem like you think the person just likes the couple because they're m/m and therefore any m/m couple works for them. i honestly consider this almost something at least slightly motivated by homophobia… something like damn these people should restrict themselves to this ship that I chose because I know what an acceptable queer ship is and, anyway, since they only like queer things without any other personality factor any couple consisting of two men will be their otp! that's not even as complimentary to apollo x hyacinthus as they think it is, it's basically throwing them in the shadow of patrochilles. people really show that they do not read the ancient sources while complaining endlessly that people do not read the ancient sources….

Ah but of course, why don't you ditch your current blonde x brunet pairing and embrace this new and shiny blonde x brunet pairing? After all, they have so much in common.... featuring one blonde and one brunet character 🙄

Honestly, I used to be moderately interested in apollo/hyacinthus, I even enjoyed some art here and there, but the way so many people on tiktok/instagram/tumblr etc recently seem to be trying to push Apollo/Hyacinthus as the new "it" thing, or seem to be in a race to publish the TSOA version of the pairing while simultaneously shitting on tsoa is just.... lmao.... and, you know, that's perfectly fine. Whatever gets people writing and creating is fine by me but why do you need to bash another pairing in order to uplift your own? There's room for everyone here. But a lot of people don't seem to get that. Trying to bring current fandom fuckery and discourse into millenia old ships is at least laughable to me. Like please, I beg you, find another hobby.

(Also, re: the whole "madeline miller invented patrochilles" thing, I just have to quote what a mutual told me recently: when will those ancient Greeks (Aeschylus, Plato, Pindar, Sosias, among others) stop taking inspiration from TSOA for their patrochilles fanfic and fanart???? 🤨 Enough is enough!!)