#calypso dated ODYSSEUS

[hammysamhah]

hey guys! i thought i'd cook with a new auuuu

epic the musical x octonauts au! i kinda just call it the Epic!Octonauts au

INFORMATION BELOW! vvvv

i don't have EVVVVERYTHING down yet but the story is the same as epic but instead of barnacles wanting to return home to his wife & son, he wants to return home to his sister & nephew (sorry ursa)

lemme list out who i think some characters should be just cus i have like some characters mapped out

i don't have everything figured out yeeet but i'll get there

odysseus- barnacles

eurylochus- kwazii

polites- peso

winions- vagimals

polyphemus - pete

poseidon- calico jack

zeus- inkling (HEAVY maybe... dk how i feel ab this one)

athena- tweak (maybe)

hephaestus- marsh

circe- dashi

tireseas- shellington

hermes- paani

calypso- tracker

anticlea- natquik

penelope- bianca

telemachus- orson

astynax- ursa

i think that's all i have rn

BY THE WAY tracker, instead of wanting to date barnacles, just really really wants him to be his brother!

dashi still acts the same as circe and there are still suitors for bianca tho. i scramble up the story quite a bit and there's still a lot of tweaks (heh.) that need to be made so the story makes a bit more sense (mostly for the ithaca characters cus it's difficult to work around since i changed the plot lol. basically since barn has been gone for so long they want bianca to officially take over and then marry her to be king or whatever)

here's some other doodles i've made. not every design is set in stone yet

[themaskedmuse]

Do you think Odysseus kept track of the dates as he was at war and trying to make it home? and would have a quiet moment alone on Penelope of Telemachus’ birthdays to try to remember them and what he was fighting for? To celebrate the birth of a son he hadn’t gotten to know yet or a wife he yearns to grow old with?

Do you think he would keep to himself on his and Penelope’s wedding anniversary as he suffers through another year not by her side?

Do you think that when he gets to Calypso’s island that the stars would be different, since the island is supposed to be untraceable, where no one can come or go? Do you think that means he couldn’t tell what the date was?

Do you think that when he realized he couldn’t keep track of the dates for their birthdays or anniversaries for the first time in over 13 years that he could only weep, as he had lost the only physical connection he had to them apart from himself and his memories?

Just

Tragic Odysseus thoughts that I am going to share to not be the only one suffering with them

[achillesisnotcomingdown]

Just imagine if the guys of the Iliad were yeeted in PJO universe

Odysseus is lowkey terrified of Percy but also he knows befriending Poseidon's son is definitely better than making him an enemy. So he's like "that's great Percy I'm proud of you 👍" but constantly keeps a distance of minimum 5m between them, safety measure. Leo once mentions dating Calypso and Ody immediately has a mental breakdown.

The constant beef between Achilles and Will because 1) Apollo 2) they both are healers and they would aggressively disagree on medecine techniques ("wtf would you use that for an arrow wound are you stupid" "shut up my boyfriend never died because of me")

Also Patroclus and Nico chilling under a tree like "are all blond men like that?" "no. Maybe it's just the blond demigods"

Put Agammenon and Clarisse in a room together and 15mn later he will come out crying

Helen gets kidnapped by cabin 10 and Menelaus has to wait outside. Beckendorf comes to him "girlfriend too pretty ?" "girlfriend too pretty" and they nod at each other in silence

Diomedes and Jason bond over common childhood traumas experiences ("I started combat training not long after my dad died when I was 4yo" "woah its about the same age I first met the pack of wolve who raised me")("just bc im the son of Zeus everyone expects me to be this flawless leader. But I don't even have the time to ask myself if I want that. "oh trust me I know how you feel")

Annabeth definitely becomes besties with Ody and Diomedes. They probably play 3 persons chess while talking about the shits they've all done for Athena

By the end of the day everyone agrees the gods suck and everything is always their fault

[high-fructose-porn-syrup]

Me, personally? Forever thinking about the missed potential of post-BOO Valdangelo with Odysseus and Penelope parallels, where Will keeps persistently flirting with Nico and Nico, as a way of indirectly rejecting him, tells him that he can't date Will while he's still working on Leo's shroud, y'know, bc everyone else thinks Leo's dead, so he keeps adding and adding and adding to it because he knows Leo's alive, meanwhile Calypso dumped Leo once she got off the island, so now he's stranded with Festus trying desperately to make his way back to camp, and maybe prior to the explosion Leo makes Nico like, a little automaton mouse companion. To keep him company in case he doesn't make it.

It'd be a lot better than TSATS I'll tell you that.

[charlietheepicwriter7]

Ody!Luke would probably have a heart attack if he finds out how much of his own journey Tele!Percy ends up following. Especially if he finds out about Calypso.

speaking of which, would Tele!Percy feel pity for her, or would he lean more towards anger/resentment at how she treated his father and kept him prisoner on her island for seven years? And would he fear getting trapped as well? Or would he pray to Athena and/or Hermes to rescue him?

So, I think there's a section of Odysseus' story that he wouldn't tell Telemachus once he's returned. Penelope, definitely, that girl knows everything, but Telemachus is still just a little boy in Ody's mind. Telemachus doesn't need to know that his dad was basically s3xually assaulted for 7 years (because we're using the Epic version).

And I know the PJO fandom has a soft spot for Calypso. She's dating Leo for a reason in current canon (i think?). So I haven't decided if Calypso is just as bad as she was during Epic or if she's mellowed out over the years.

Luke, during the events of the Sea of Monsters, is freaking out. He knows what's at the end of Percy's journey, and he's actually racing Percy to get to the fleece before him, instead of just waiting back and planning to capture Percy when he gets the fleece.

I like the idea that Percy doesn't find out about how bad Calypso was to Odysseus until Luke breaks down and frantically apologizes to Percy after he learns where Percy was for those two weeks.

[emma-o-yt]

Rick Riordan's problematic age gaps

Apparently reddit hates criticism because this got removed from there after a few minutes, maybe I can get it back up...anyways.

The age of consent in Texas is 17, Texas is where Rick lived (according to wikipedia) up until 2013. And yet...here we are.

Where do I even begin with this bullf*ckery? How about the most egregious of all?

Luke and Annabeth

We have two lines confirming their mutual feelings, one from The Demigod Diaries:

"Overtime, Annabeth developed a crush on Luke. As Annabeth got older, Luke developed feelings for her, too."

Mark of Athena (from her conversation with Venus):

"First there was Luke Castellan, her first crush, who had seen her only as a little sister; then he’d turned evil and decided he liked her—right before he died."

Now let me remind you, Annabeth and Luke have a seven year age difference, they knew each other at 7 and 14. By the time he died, Annabeth was just 16, while he was 23. And it's implied he begun returning her feelings a little before he asked her to run away, perhaps when she was 14. He's paralleled with Percy as Annabeth is his string in the river styx. He asks Annabeth explicitly if she loved him romantically (and she denies because Percy is there).

It's disgustingly inappropriate but at the very least they don't end up together...as for when they do...

Sadie Kane and Anubis

When it comes to immortal romance, I usually go for coded age. Anubis is thousands of years old but is mentally and physically 16, which is fine and dandy except for the fact that Sadie is 12. What do you want me to say except Rick is disgusting for promoting this.

Speaking of extreme age gaps:

Calypso and Leo

When you have a philosophy that every character must end up in a relationship, you run out of sensical options to pair up. Now, I'm a Caleo hater mainly because of how it retconned PJO and also because they are very toxic.

Now hold on, doesn't Caleo fall into coded age? Calypso is 15/16 and Leo is 15, so it's A okay! I suppose, if it wasn't for Calypso's past loves.

Odysseus, he had a wife and a son who was 20 years old in his final year on Ogygia, he is well into adult age. She also mentions the privateer Francis Drake and his wife Elizabeth, he was 45 when he married her.

If your defence is that she's actually thousands of years old, then that must also apply to Caleo. You cannot have it both ways.

Hazel and Frank

It's not that bad but it's necessary to mention for the point I will be making.

The timeline is messed up but I think they're 13 and 16 and meet at 12-15. I mean, come on.

Misogyny and Racism

What do these have in common? Well in 3/4 or 4/4, the younger one is female. In 2/4 or 3/4, the younger one is a person of colour.

Remember Nico? His crush on Percy as revealed in HoH? Well in MoA, there's a cheeky little red herring that happens a bit before Annabeth's talk with Venus (where it is revealed that Luke liked Annnabeth back). She wonders if Nico had a crush on her, but denounces him as too young. Now, Nico's age is inconsistent, I am unsure of his gap with Annabeth but I do know his gap with Percy. It's 3 years 5 months in PJO and 2 years 5 months in HoO (the series we are currently in).

So in RR's messed up mind, a white boy having a relationship with someone 2 to less than 4 years his senior is inappropriate. But a black tween girl dating someone 3 years her senior is just fine, a 12 year old biracial black girl dating a 16 year old is daijoubu, a 15 year old mestizo Latino boy dating an elderly woman is relationship goals, or the reverse a 15 year old girl dating middle aged men is a tragic romance and a 12 year old girl having mutual feelings with a 19 year old man is a "love story for the ages"!

The tv adaptation is so infuriating for this, they made Annabeth black, a lot of the changes they made came off as micro aggressions but especially her relationship with Luke. It's reduced to Luke simping for Annabeth behind her back and it's even worse because you can visibly see how large their age gap is. Heck, Charlie Bushnell and Leah Jeffries have a smaller age gap than book Luke and Annabeth.

Adultification is a huge real life issue. Children of colour and especially female children of colour are seen as less innocent than their white counterparts. Rick, who is dedicated to inclusivity should've known better than to include these illegal relationships. Stans will try and make excuses but it's there, deal with it.

As a black teenage girl who has been a fan of Rick's work for 12 years, I am disappointed.

[literallyjustforlurking]

Fight Little Wolf (Wolves)

The idea is that Jason is Telemachus reincarnated. This would make the beef between Percy and Jason on the Argo hilarious because it's like Jason's version of a teenage rebellion but also Jupiter having to deal Poseidon claiming Jason as his grandson. Because obviously any version of Poseidon's son is his son even if it's before his son exsisted. (He still refuses to acknowledge Odysseus as his son-in-law)

Athena is cooing over having her nephew/little brother back. Hermes and Poseidon are arguing over whose grandson Jason is.

Jason does not want to be anybody's grandson. Jason gets no say in this.

The best part though is when Annabeth and Jason are stuck in CHB for months while Percy is in his coma. Jason/Telemachus finally understands how his dad felt the entire time he was away from them. Annabeth/Odysseus doesn't understand why they can't just have their family together for one day, please.

Percy keeps hearing about this Jason dude at CJ and something about him makes a shiver runs up Percy's spine. Percy (incorrectly) identifies this as hatred. It is infact Penelope just being really upset that people keep forcing responabilites upon her son.

Because of this Percy is kinda hostile towards Jason when they first meet. Jason (who is excited to see his mother, the woman who raised him, who protected him from the suitors and who he protected in turn, the only solid presence in the first twenty years of his life) totalty doesn't break down crying when Percy gives him a slightly unimpressed look when they first get to New Rome, Why Would You Say That?

Neptune is really confused on when he got a grandson but is also will to fight Mercury over grandparental rites just for the lols.

Athena is planning on duking it out with Hera for mentorship rites.

I also have the feeling Hera really likes Penelope, who in Hera's opinion is the perfect mortal wife, so she is willing to co-parent Jason with her and just cut Zeus out of the equation entirely. Hera is not willing to share with Athena.

Odysseus!Annabeth is not willing to share with Hera who not only kidnapped Percy but also used magic to force Jason to be with Piper cheat on Reyna. This all reminds Odysseus!Annabeth way to much of Circe and Calypso and, just like everything else in her and Percy's lives, is giving the poor girl war flashbacks.

(I don't know whether or not Reyna and Jason were actually dating before Jason was taken but I think it would be funnier if they weren't and Odysseus!Annabeth is just desperatly projecting while Jason is despertly projecting becasue I just got you back please don't piss off another major olympian we're demigods I won't survive the ten years it takes for you to get back home)

Did this entire idea come from a post I saw that called Jason Lupa's little wolf? Yes, your point?

[mythologypaintings]

Calypso Receiving Telemachus and Mentor in the Grotto

Artist: William Hamilton (English, 1751–1801)

Date: 1791

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Private Collection

Description

The story depicted in the present painting is narrated by Homer in The Odyssey. Telemachus, Odysseus's son and Mentor, Odysseus's long-time friend, go on a journey to find out news about Odysseus' whereabouts after he has been missing for twenty years. For seven of those years, he was imprisoned on the nymph Calypso's island, until the gods intervened and forced her to let him go.

When Telemachus and Mentor shipwreck on her island, Calypso is still mourning the loss of her beloved Odysseus. She immediately recognizes the similarity between Odysseus and Telemachus, and knows that he is the son of the hero. She pretends not to know who he is, and tells him that no one is to enter her island.

Telemachus tells her who his father is, and asks for her mercy. Calypso is so impressed by the youth, she offers him a warm greeting and shows him the natural beauty of her island. She reveals to him that his father Odysseus had in fact been to her island, and she laments his having left her broken-hearted. Telemachus regales her with stories of his adventures prior to his landing at her island.

[child-of-helios]

hello. I've a rather stupid question. I've only read the books once, as a kid, and I don't understand why people hate calpyso x leo. whys it so bad? why does everyone seems to hate it on here?

xxx,

eurydice

First of all, this is my first ever ask, I've made it mother :D Secondly, I'd gladly explain! Though please note that it really has been a good while since I've read the books too, so my memory is kinda foggy :] Warnings for: Slight mentions (but not too much) of rape, pedophilia and mental illness (oh boy this is a tough one)

So, I have made a post abt this before, but it was written in a fit of rage so not my proudest moment (but my most popular post, oops). Anyways, I feel that the hate towards Calypso x Leo is because of a few reasons. 1. It simply didn't get enough development to feel worth it imo. Similar to Jason x Piper, I felt like there wasn't enough there to warrant a canon ship. There is also the fact that personally, I thought that their dynamic was more of a familial or that of siblings, which made me uncomfortable. I would've much rather have them be friends. 2. The uncomfortable age gap. It feels very weird because while yes, Calypso was depicted as a teenager, she is thousands upon thousands of years old. The fact that she fell in love with a literal child is incredibly weird. It was weird enough with Percy, but at least they didn't end up dating. With Leo though, she did end up dating him and the age gap feels very odd. Its even weirder knowing she had a relationship with Odysseus, who by that point was a pretty old dude so she was probably very mature and an adult (though she doesn't act like it). 3. Calypso is kinda a rapist. In the Odyssey myth, she forces Odysseus (a married man) to sleep with her. I'm sorry, but I can't support any relationship involving a rapist unless its rapist x prison cell. It makes me uncomfortable because she could very well take advantage of Leo, a mentally ill teenager with self-esteem issues. 4. Her toxic treatment of Leo. Calypso was very pissed when Leo arrived on her island, rightfully so after what she had gone through, but even then her treatment of his was outright cruel, especially compared to that of Percy and Odysseus. She made him sleep outside, exposing him to the elements after he got flung through the air and ended up on her island, which must've caused some damage. Then after they started dating, I still felt uncomfortable reading about the two, because their dynamic just didn't work, and I don't recall her apologizing to him for her treatment of him. 5. Leo's arc was thrown away. I think the worst of all, is how this impacted Leo's character. He should've had an arc where he learnt to love himself, but because of Calypso he didn't. I think the moral was supposed to be: 'even if you're mentally ill or have problems, you still deserve love!' but it came over more as: 'ignore your issues and get all your love from someone else.' Isn't it more important for kids to learn about self-love? And as an extra: what could've been. I think that Leo shouldn't have gone back for Calypso, that that ship shouldn't have happened. I prefer him going back to Echo and them learning about self-love together as buddies (and maybe evolving into more than that). Echo was stuck in an abusive relationship with the Narcissist, so I think it would a good arc for them both. I also think that if you really wanted a romance, Jason x Leo would've been much better. We know that Rick can write good gay romances, we know that Piper turns out to be a lesbian, so why not make Jason and Leo gay? I think it would add much more to the tragedy of Jason's death, but that's for another post (and this one is getting too long already oops). In conclusion, I think Caleo is bad for many reasons, but especially because it didn't have enough time to develop and the dynamic was simply too creepy for me to get invested in. Sorry for the super long post- Have a lovely day :D

[cloudghoulz]

idk why some of y’all think that calypso is completely innocent and should be viewed sympathetically because of her being lonely.

like ok, if you don’t interpret the “soon, into bed we'll climb and spend our time” line as implying SA (personally i’m on the fence about it), cool, that’s your opinion.

but you can’t ignore the fact that despite him telling her multiple times that he is not interested she continued to harass him.

and yes, she’s lonely. yes, she probably doesnt understand how love works. but, while that explains why she acted that way, that’s not an excuse. it still is shitty behavior.

also, correct me if i’m wrong, but i’m pretty sure trying to pressure someone into loving/dating you is considered sexual harassment.

it is also stated (via the line: “seven years, she’s kept you trapped”) that calypso is in fact the reason why odysseus is trapped.

and before any of y’all come up in here saying “calypso is cursed to fall in love with anyone that ends up on the island”. girl. that’s percy jackson lore.

anyways i’m so sick of this goddamn fandom. media literacy is definitely dead.

[clonerightsagenda]

The Erebus and the Terror were the two ships in John Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition. The vessels got stuck in ice and the remaining crew abandoned ship only to die in the Arctic. Erebus is the Greek myth personification of darkness and is also used to refer to the Underworld. Terror is self-explanatory. (In contrast, Shackleton's expedition aboard the Endurance also got icebound, but they escaped with no loss of life. Name your ships wisely.)

The Boeing Starliner capsule Calypso malfunctioned while taking astronauts up to the ISS. Because of these issues, the capsule returned to Earth without them, leaving the astronauts stranded for months now. Their return date keeps getting pushed back. In Greek myth, Calypso is a nymph who keeps Odysseus imprisoned on her island for seven years despite his desire to return home to his family.

[madamefeu]

Which Epic Characters Can Say The Bad Word For Gay?

Odysseus: No. He isn't gay, he's Penelope-sexual

Polites: Yes, the glasses and the headband radiate shy mousy bisexual energy. He's too nervous to ask if he can buy you a drink, you'll have to ask him

Eurylochus: A man who disobeys direct orders from his captain and king and ruined his one chance at getting home to his wife by opening the wind bag just because the men under Odysseus' command wanted him to? Yes, but I'm not happy about it. He's the kind of guy who will marry you and then leave you for a man three years into your marriage. He will tell everyone that you're homophobic if you're upset by the fact that he's leaving you for another man

Athena: Yes, the aromantic asexual virgin goddess can say it. Athena said aro-ace rights long before most humans did

Poseidon: No, get your minds out of the gutter, he does not want to fuck Odysseus, he wants him dead

Circe: No, she's the kind of woman you're convinced is gay until she says 'my boyfriend'. She turned Scylla into a monster because the man she was in love with loved Scylla and not her, Google it

Hermes: He is what every bisexual wishes that they looked like, he can say it

Tiresias: Yes, absolutely, the dead demigod who has a fucky relationship with gender and an even fuckier relationship with sexuality gets to say it more than anyone else

Aeolus: Their gender is debatable, so yes, they can say it

Scylla: For my own safety, I'm going to say yes, because lesbian monsterfuckers will dox me if I say that the hot monster lady can't say it

Calypso: No. Just no

Zeus: Also no, you don't need me to tell you why

Apollo: Yes, the fruity bisexual bard god who accidentally killed his boyfriend with a frisbee gets to say it

Hephaestus: No. He's the kind of straight guy that lots of gay guys crush on, despite him being happily married to a woman

Aphrodite: No, but would immediately set you up on a date with your fate-determined soulmate if you came out to her. She is the ally to end all allies

Ares: Considering that he was primarily worshipped by the Spartans, whose soldiers had a very homoerotic culture, I'm going to say yes. He's bi, but is happy with Aphrodite

Hera: No, but she wishes that she could, and we all know why, her marriage sucks

Telemachus: No way, men terrorised him and his mother for eight years in their own palace, he sure as hell doesn't want to sleep with them

Penelope: Nope, and not because she's straight, but because she is Odysseus-sexual. She wants no one but him

[somepsychopomp]

King of Ogygia

So yeah this is my AU where Calypso successfully brainwashes Ody into being her pet man. I'm hoping to post the full fic to Ao3 at some point in the future but for now, here's the first 3 chapters condensed into 1 part. Also this is a rough draft so if u see any typos, no u don't.

+++

Summary: Every day for the past seven years, Odysseus had spent his time living in paradise with his beautiful wife. Calypso provides all that he asks and he gives his whole heart to her, as well.

Yes, she's a bit... demanding. But she is a goddess and he is only a man. It must be expected that, in exchange for such a wonderful life, there's some discomfort along the way.

Word Count: Approx. 5.8k

(WARNING FOR: on-screen SA, though brief, and some other depictions of domestic abuse.)

+++

Ogygia was a beautiful island, if not small. One could wake up at dawn, walk along the soft, white sand that met the sea, and return to the spot he started at by dusk. 

Which was what he was doing. He’d asked his kindly wife to let him wander the shores on his own for once, wasn’t he finally ready?

When asked why he felt compelled to do so, he merely said he’d like some time and silence to think and to enjoy all the sights their home had to offer. After all, while she had gardens to tend to and tapestries to weave, he had little in terms of industry to keep his hands occupied. Whenever their sprawling home was damaged, he did not have to take up nails or a hammer to mend it, for his wife could repair any damage from rain or wind with a deft flick of her wrist. Nothing in her paradise could ever be broken.

She let him go, on the condition that he return by nightfall and not a moment later. 

He understood her warning well, that there would be punishment if he disobeyed his dearest wife. So he packed a rucksack with enough food to serve as a midday meal and a waterskin, his sandals at the bottom of the bag, and set off at dawn. 

It only took about half a day to reach the far side of the island. Here, the sand was still soft and white, but it grew cold under the shadow of the island’s mountain. 

What Ogygia lacked in size, it made up for in splendid geography. Beyond the beaches, there was a ring of wooded land where all sorts of strange plants bloomed and where beautiful birds sang. And at the center of the island, a small mountain peak. The most magnificent thing about it was that the mountain was hollow; within its sprawling caverns hid a beautiful palace adorned with marble columns and balconies overlooking the sea from every angle. The mountain’s face was adorned with neat stone paths, creeks, fountains, gardens, gazebos and arches. Though it was a struggle to memorize all the routes, once he had them in his mind, he found it quite easy to go anywhere he wanted on the island. 

This side of Ogygia though… it held somewhat less of a splendid sight. 

A massive series of cliffs rose high over his head, nearly as tall as the mountain itself. The sheer rock, exposed to the wind and other elements, was a dull gray color. For the longest time, his wife had refused to bring him here, insisting there was nothing worth looking at. But he saw. 

He saw the nests the seabirds made on the cliff ledges, could occasionally hear their cries. He’d yet to find any fledglings, leaving him to wonder if they had their offspring somewhere far away. 

And there were tide pools in the shadows of the cliffs, who hosted an endless supply of little creatures to find. He had to be careful, though. At low tide, it was easy to walk out and find the secret entrances to underwater caves where more adventure awaited. Though they tempted him, his wife told him firmly to never venture there. She would not let him be caught by the high tide.

So he sat with his back to the sheer rock as he unwrapped and ate his salted fish, fresh bread, and honied dates, sipping his water as he watched the seabirds glide toward the horizon. Though he’d been walking for hours, he didn’t wait to pack away his belongings and continue on his way. If his wife found out he’d lingered on the far side of the island, she’d surely grow upset. 

After about an hour, his feet began to ache from walking barefoot all day. He stopped to pull a hefty branch from a wiry tree by the beach and used it as a walking stick. His discomfort wasn’t to the point where he would want to don his sandals, so he kept walking. In truth, he wasn’t sure he’d done much thinking on this little trek of his. Mostly he thought of nothing, observing the lapping waves and enjoyed the silence that came with isolation. 

After another hour or so, he shivered and came to a stop. He glanced over his shoulder, unsurprised and yet relieved to see no one there. 

What was this strange feeling that compelled him to stop? 

It almost felt like he was being watched, but he knew what it felt like to have his wife’s eyes on him. Beyond gardening, weaving, cooking, singing, dancing, and reciting poetry, his wife’s most favorite activity was to keep him within her sights. 

Maybe if he had more time, he’d investigate. The forest, while lacking much complexity in its design, had fewer pathways than the mountain and it was easy to feel lost among the trees and foliage. He would’ve liked to venture outward. Perhaps there was some curious little creature his wife had yet to mention to him…

Making his choice, he tapped his walking stick against the sand and kept walking along the beach. He knew his wife would have dinner ready by sunset and did not want to disappoint her. 

He kept rubbing the back of his neck as he walked, still bothered by the thought that something was watching him. Which was likely, all things considered. A number of animals also called the island their home. Some, like the rabbits and wild goats, he used to hunt freely. Ogygia was fully under his wife’s control, so the populations never seemed to dip as a result of his hunting. Though lately, he set traps and pursued prey less and less. There wasn’t much thrill in it, not like his occasional dream of a massive, wild boar charging at him. 

With the sun sinking beyond the horizon, the air much cooler than midday but not unbearably so, he came around the final bend and upon the pathway that’d take him up the mountain at a gentle slope. 

He stopped dead in his tracks and dropped his walking stick. “What?” 

And then he was running. 

He ran past the pathway that would take him home and dropped to his knees before the prone figure lying face down in the sand. Whoever they were, they didn’t respond as he touched their shoulder. Their face was obscured by long, brown hair and most of their body was covered by a ragged, wet chlamys. Fearing that, somehow, a corpse had washed up on their isle, he turned the body over with a grunt. 

His eyes widened. It was a woman. Even with her hair a tangled mess, her skin having taken on a sickly pale pallor, he could tell she was beautiful. She had the angular nose and jaw of a proud, stately woman, coupled with a kind of serene grace to her soft lips. 

He pressed his ear to her chest in the hopes she was alive. For a moment, he wasn’t sure he could hear anything. But faintly, very faintly, he made out a dull beat like a distant drum. He breathed a sigh of relief and fetched the water skin from his bag. Gently, he brushed the sand from the woman’s face and hefted her head and neck onto his knees. He was careful to let only a thin trickle of water into her mouth to avoid choking her. He stroked the length of her throat to coax her to swallow. 

At last, the stranger stirred. She coughed, then groaned. He could hear the rasp in her voice and said, “Please, drink more.”

Though she didn’t open her eyes, she slowly drank more water. 

“Don’t worry,” he said softly, unsure if she could hear him, “My wife is a healer, she’ll be able to mend you.”

He hurried to slip on his sandals before hefting the woman into his arms. Though he wasn’t a strong man, he found strength enough to hurry up the path toward home. He followed the sound of singing until he came upon the outdoor kitchen where they often dined in the evening. 

“You’re nearly late!” a voice called, “It’s almost dusk. You had me thinking I would have to go out and-”

His wife turned around. Her supple smile fell from her face as she took in the sight of her husband, breathing hard and brow beaded with sweat, as he set the strange woman down on their dining table. 

“Calypso!” he said, “Come-”

She was in front of him before he could blink, her hand wrapped around his wrist. She pulled him even closer, eyes narrowed and cold. 

“Please,” he said, voice lowering to a murmur. He felt the hand around his wrist tighten. He knew what it felt like when his bones were on the verge of breaking, she did too, and she was merciful enough to spare him the pain. 

“Who is she?” 

He answered truthfully, “I don’t know, I found her on the shore. Can you help her?”

Calypso narrowed her eyes. She was always wary of strangers. 

“Why would I do that?”

He stifled a flinch as he felt the pressure begin to build. He was losing sensation in his fingertips. He said, “I was once a haggard stranger on your shore. You spared me, won’t you extend the same kindness to another lost soul?”

Calypso dug her nails into his flesh. Thankfully, she kept them short so she could do her work more easily. 

She asked, “You promise you only found her just now?”

He nodded. “Please, my wife.”

At last, she sighed and let him go. Calypso waved her hand and the chairs flew from the table. She turned the woman’s head from side to side, frown deepening as he fetched her jars of herbs and ointments from the storeroom inside. Calypso, ever the healer she was, rubbed some sort of salve on the woman’s chest. 

It was so pungent, it made his eyes water. But he stayed, curious to see how his wife would tend to someone else. Once, maybe a long time ago, she nursed him back to health as well and saved him from the brink of death.  

Using some hot water from the pot over their fire and a handful of herbs, she crafted some kind of herbal tea. Calypso blew on the surface as she delivered it to the table. 

He tucked one hand under the woman’s head and raised it ever so slightly so she could drink more easily. Calypso drip fed the woman, her face laced with disinterest. 

“My dear husband, if this doesn’t work, then this poor woman should be considered a lost cause. You might as well get to work chopping some trees for her pyre in the morning.”

After a moment, Calypso added, “Or we could bury her in the garden, put her to good use.”

The stranger surprised them both by sitting up of her own accord to go into a coughing fit. Her coughing had a wet quality to it, though he couldn’t tell if it was from the sea water or the tea. He winced in sympathy for her. 

“Where-” she began. Tears laced her eyes from how fitful her coughing was. 

He quickly said, “It’s alright. You’re safe here.”

Calypso shot him a look that he knew very well as a silent warning. He urged the woman to lay back down. 

As she blinked her eyes, he could see that they were the loveliest shade of green. Verdant like a field in early summer. Of course, not quite as lovely as his wife’s golden, immortal eyes, but fair enough for a mortal. 

“Thank the gods you’re alive,” he said, glad to see the woman was not as close to death as he was when he first arrived at Ogygia. 

His wife cleared her throat. “There’s only one goddess here.”

“Of course,” he said, daring to hold out a hand. Calypso took it and squeezed, refusing to let him go. “My apologies.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at them. “Who are you?”

His wife pressed her other hand to her chest, “I am the divine Calypso, queen of Ogygia. And this is my dear husband, Odysseus.”

Since his wife, wise in ways beyond that of mortals, didn’t seem interested in speaking further, he asked, “Tell us, where have you come from? Who are you?”

The woman’s eyes shifted from Calypso to meet his own. She sat up slowly, unblinking. 

“My name is Penelope.”

A lovely name. 

“Well, Penelope!” he said, “We have plenty of food here. And rooms, too. If my wife and queen is willing to oblige.”

Isn’t that right, Calypso? 

But his question died on his tongue. Odysseus had seen his wife in all manner of moods. He’d seen her happy, calm, solemn, and furious. He thought he knew her well by now. 

But the sheer venom in his wife’s eyes as she glared at Penelope was unrivaled by anything he’d ever seen before. Her hand squeezed tight around his own and Odysseus didn’t even have a spare second to warn her, to plead, to calm her before–

Not a sound passed his lips as a clear crack sounded through the still air. 

Odysseus only turned his head away so that their guest could not see him grimace. A sharp, throbbing pain began to radiate from the side of his hand, running from his thumb to his wrist and quickly spreading.

Calypso blinked and schooled her expression, but she didn’t let go of him, seemingly content to ignore the fact she had broken his hand. Perhaps that was for the best. He knew she didn’t mean it and it would be preferable to not scare their guest. He was sure she had survived horrors of her own on the open sea and did not need to witness more. 

Odysseus cleared his throat and put on a smile. “Ah, so, who else is hungry?”

+++

(SA starts here)

This was his punishment. 

Nothing needed to be said. Nothing needed to be explained to him. For all the ways he was a fool, he knew what he’d done. 

He brought another woman into Calypso’s house, even carried her in his arms.

Odysseus went through dinner without complaint, ignoring his injured hand even as it throbbed and hot sparks seemed to shoot through his arm every time he flexed his fingers. They were silent throughout dinner, Calypso uninterested in entertaining, Penelope hungry and reserved, and Odysseus trying to not mind the pain. 

They gave their guest a room, one far from their own wedding bed. He was grateful for this. 

Almost as grateful as he was for the sight of his beautiful wife over him, the curve of her bare breasts and soft hips visible in the moonlight. She’d let her hair down, her delicate braids flowing over her shoulders. Calypso devoted so much time to her hair and it showed; her braids were dressed with beads of gold, pearls from the sea, and streaked with a rich, lavish violet dye that came from her own garden. 

He felt the weight of her golden stare upon him and attempted to reach out to her, to pull her into a kiss, but she would not be cajoled. Instead, desperate, he touched her waist. She let him, but didn’t do much else. 

His other hand, his injured hand, was pinned to the bed by his head. 

Calypso moved effortlessly, rocking herself on his cock as she pressed her thumb into the flesh of his palm. Not enough for it to hurt, but just enough that it was a constant reminder. 

He was never certain if it was a trait of the divine or just his wife, but she could do things to him. Make him do things, too. She could manipulate his body to her liking, just as she was doing now. Odysseus had no idea how long he laid under his loving wife, only that it was late into the night and he was tired.  

He craned his head back, taking labored breaths as he remained throbbing, leaking, wanting, even though he was exhausted and Calypso’s ministrations had begun to hurt.

He whispered, “Please…”

They’ve gone at it like animals until sunrise in the past, though that was mostly back when he was new to her island and still learning how to please his wife. She could be ravenous when she wanted to be. And while she could stir the lust within him with no effort at all, just a snap of her fingers, he was just a man. 

He caressed her hip. “Calypso...please…”

Finally, she spoke. “But doesn’t it feel good?”

Odysseus’ head swam. He wanted to rest. He wanted his wife to take pity on him. 

The thumb against his palm pressed ever so slightly harder, sending fire through his veins. He choked out, “Of course it does.”

“Don’t you love me?”

The pressure was unrelenting. Her hips had slowed to a ceaseless grinding. He gasped. “I do.”

At last, Calypso leaned down. He tried to meet her for a kiss. 

Her lips brushed against his ear. “Then act like it.”

She twisted her thumb into his palm. His hips bucked as his teeth clenched and his wife hummed in satisfaction. He felt so wet and hot, and tired. Despite the pain in his hand, a disorientating numbness had also settled deep under his skin. The air smelled of sweat and lust. 

It took a while longer until she was satisfied. When she was, Calypso settled against his side, her bare body against his own. He cradled her close. She traced her fingertip in circles across his chest before splaying her palm flat against his skin. He had so many scars and yet she still loved him, still called him handsome. 

Her fingers trailed up to his throat and caressed the side of her neck.

She closed her radiant eyes and sighed, “This is why I shouldn’t let you wander on your own. You always get into trouble.” 

“I’m sorry.”

She didn’t respond. Odysseus exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, sinking into a fitful sleep as his hand and body continued to ache. 

+++

When morning came, he knew she had forgiven him. 

Odysseus woke up and was met with no pain and the ability to freely flex his fingers. The rest of his body was free of any discomfort as well. 

Such an amazing healer. He rolled over and kissed his wife awake. 

The sun was only just rising. Their gossamer curtains fluttered with the gentle breeze. Some days, they were both up early to tend to whatever needed tending. Other days, Calypso willed a soft rain to befall the island. The cool, sleepy weather would compel them to stay in bed all day long, lounging and feeding each other fruit and whispering sweet nothings. Such was life with a goddess. 

Calypso’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. 

He whispered, “Morning, sleepyhead.”

She yawned and stretched her legs. She suggested a bath together and he agreed, thinking he should clean himself up before facing their guest. 

There were multiple options when it came to bathing in Ogygia. There were a number of mountain springs where the water was always clear and clean of debris. Or they could venture deeper into the mountain, where a system of hot springs awaited them. There was also a plain old bath house a short walk from their chambers, it held a rather nice view of the island’s south side. 

Calypso took him to her favorite waterfall carved into the side of the mountain. As she stood under the spray, letting the water run over her face, Odysseus pressed his chest to her back and kissed the nape of her neck. They were nearly the same height. She stood a touch taller than himself, his gracious and buxom wife, and he only loved her more for it. 

He felt her hand reach back to caress his hair. He grinned softly. 

Without warning, she forced his head forward until he was under the fast-flowing water. Odysseus sputtered and murmured his protests against her shoulder. When she let go of him, she was laughing as he pushed the wet hair from his eyes. 

“Very funny,” he said. 

But the important thing was that she was laughing. Nothing mattered more to him than his wife’s happiness. 

When it was his turn under the waterfall, Odysseus had that strange sensation of being watched again. He glanced around but found no one else present, not even their guest. It was just him and Calypso, wasn’t it?

He soon waded out of the water as Calypso finished drying herself off. 

“So…” she said, donning a beautiful emerald peplos trimmed in white. “How are we going to get rid of our intruder?”

Odysseus froze as he rubbed a towel through his hair. He stared at her. 

“What do you mean?”

“Her,” Calypso said, as if even speaking Penelope’s name was beneath her, “We can’t have someone else on the island with us. You know that.”

Well, it was true that wherever Penelope had come from, she was never going back. 

Calypso fitted a golden band around her wrist and said, “Now, if you aren’t willing to kill her, then I’ll have it done by sunset. What do you say, Ody?”

He used the excuse of dressing himself to hesitate. Odysseus donned the iris colored chiton his wife worked so hard to weave and dye. Such a color was typically reserved for royalty only, but even the finest and rarest dyes could be made in abundance here. 

“Odysseus,” she said. 

He sighed. “It seems cruel to kill her while she’s helpless.”

Calypso approached him. He leaned forward without being told as she tied a silken strip around his head to keep the hair out of his eyes. One by one, she slipped the leather bands over his wrists and laced them tight. 

“My tender-hearted husband, then what are we going to do with her?”

He wanted to ask why she was so against someone else staying with them on the island. Perhaps Penelope was god-sent to provide them with companionship. Why refuse her refuge when Odysseus was given endless kindness? 

But he knew the truth. Penelope was a woman, and Calypso as the resident goddess-queen had no interest in female company. 

“She might not recover from whatever she’s been through.”

Calypso gave him a skeptical look. “So you’d rather she have a long, slow death?”

“I’d rather see what the Fates have to say about her, before we do anything.”

She didn’t seem very happy with his response. If she wanted to kill the newcomer, Odysseus would have no way to stop her. 

Calypso sighed. “Either way, her life ends.”

“As you wish,” he said. It was getting to be mid-morning now. He should bring Penelope something to eat and drink, at the very least. Hunger was a terrible beast, and thirst just as wicked. 

Odysseus ventured down to the storerooms and filled a tray with bread and spiced olive oil, fresh figs, and ripe olives. He knew the water on the island was safe to drink without intervention, but thought it’d be more polite to offer their guest the opportunity to drink according to her homeland. He didn’t know much of the outside world, but was aware that the water was unclean and had to be mixed with wine to make it potable. He filled a larger pitcher with water and a smaller cup with wine. 

Penelope’s quarters consisted of a guest house at the foot of the mountains, shaded by the lush forest and complemented by a pond where a pair of white swans were known to frequent. He entered the front exterior, climbing the marble steps and venturing inside, where the far wall was hewn from the mountain’s very stone and dotted with uncut gemstones. 

“Penelope?” 

He set the tray down on the nearest table and ventured farther inward. He was surprised to find her on her feet, examining the tapestry upon the wall of her bedroom. Threads of sapphire and silver mimicked the crashing waves at midday. Her hair hung in loose tresses around her face, still stiff from saltwater. 

Penelope met his eyes and didn’t seem startled to find him in her quarters. 

“Good morning,” he said, “I’ve brought you something to eat.”

A little songbird had settled on the windowsill above the front entrance and was warbling out its pretty melody. Penelope followed Odysseus and took a seat at the table. He sat across from her at a respectable distance and pushed the tray closer to her. She stared at him. 

“Does your hand not hurt anymore?”

“Hm?” he looked down at his hand, “Oh, no, no! I’m fine. Please, eat.”

She didn’t eat. Her green eyes seemed cold despite the sunlight streaming through the windows. She pushed the tray until it sat in the middle of the table and said, “I feel it inappropriate to dine while my host does not.”

It was true that he didn’t have anything to eat yet. Most mornings, he fixed himself a meal. Sometimes, his wife joined him. But being a goddess, she didn’t have quite the same need for food as he did. She simply ate when she wanted to. 

Then it occurred to Odysseus that maybe Penelope was afraid. He offered a smile as he took a bit of bread, proving that nothing had been poisoned or tampered with. 

Penelope finally plucked a fig from the small bowl on the tray. She took a bite of its supple flesh and chewed slowly, brows furrowed in confusion. Odysseus chuckled softly. He knew the food here was perfect. As an island paradise, every bite of every meal was without flaw. It was something that took time to get used to. 

For a little while, the two of them sat and ate in silence. Odysseus was amazed that Penelope had recovered so quickly, when he had vague memories of being bedridden for days, or even longer, when Calypso first found him. He was weak, malnourished, and suffering from multiple infected wounds. 

Penelope was first to break the silence, “Tell me something, o’ King of Ogygia.” 

Odysseus cleared his throat in surprise. “King? Please, you misunderstand! It’s only myself and my wife here. And while she’s certainly queen, I’m only her husband.”

Penelope was silent for a moment. She studied him, her eyes narrowing before her entire expression smoothed over. She leaned forward and asked, “Where are we? I’ve never heard of any island by the name of Ogygia.”

He was beginning to realize that Penelope might very well make a full recovery. Which meant she may have to learn of Ogygia’s true nature, that no one can leave. But why torment her with knowledge she didn’t need to know yet?

And if she was going to die, she might rest more peacefully having never known the full truth. He pitied her silently, as he would never age or grow sick while he called this place his home.

Odysseus gestured to the paradise outside, “Well, it’s Calypso’s island. Her paradise. You cannot find Ogygia by searching for it. As far as I understand, it’s simply a matter of fate if the island finds you.” 

Penelope nodded in contemplation. She continued to study him. Of all the questions he expected her to ask, she found one that nearly made him shiver in the warm morning sun. 

“Then… if you are no god, where did you come from?”

His smile began tighter, more pinched, as he tried to answer honestly, “I don’t know. Whatever life I had before… I don’t remember. Calypso tells me I was very hurt when I arrived. I assume whatever injuries I had led me to forget.” 

He shrugged and added, “Or perhaps I was bewitched!”

Odysseus chuckled at such a silly suggestion and stood. He was going to take a walk through the gardens and thought the fresh air might do Penelope some good. She agreed to accompany him. He walked at a slower pace than usual to accommodate Penelope's gait. She walked slowly, as if fatigued already. It didn’t bother him, he spent the time pointing out the many beautiful fixtures the island had to offer. 

Past the series of stone arches draped in vines and flowers, the pathway split into two. One led farther up the mountain while the other led to another guest house. Odysseus walked right past it, ignoring the building with its overgrown ivy nearly concealing it from sight. 

“The bath house is up ahead, if you’d like to… Penelope?”

Odysseus suddenly realized he was alone. He looked around and spotted Penelope making way for the neglected guest house. He jogged after her, confused as to what could be so interesting about this place. 

By the time he caught up with her, she was standing in the open doorway, gazing inside. He came to a stop next to her, but found nothing of interest. The house was as it always was, dim inside since the vines and ivy overtook the windows. The air was a little stale and musty, and cold. 

Penelope spoke softly, “You say this island is a paradise, but this place stands neglected and derelict. Why?”

Odysseus didn’t have an answer. “I’m not sure. It’s my wife’s will.”

This was the house she kept him in while he was recovering, however many years ago that was. 

“What are all the markings on the walls?” Penelope asked. 

He looked closer. He’d nearly forgotten. 

“Oh, I did that,” he said, embarrassed, “I suppose I was overcome with a little bit of madness at the time.”

The walls of the modest house were covered in thin scratch marks. Not erratic like an animal, but in neat rows. 

“I think I carved a line for every day I was here. I can’t possibly fathom why, though.” Odysseus laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m grateful for Calypso’s patience. I doubt most women would forgive their husbands for vandalizing their house.”

It was probably why Calypso did her best to hide this building from sight. She didn’t need it and Odysseus wasn’t comfortable being reminded of his confusing, maddening past behavior. 

“Come, there’s more to see,” he said, eager to leave. 

+++

What a coincidence it had to be, for a woman named Penelope to arrive on her shores. Calypso was certain it was his Penelope defiling her island at this very moment. The two of them acted as if they had never met before, but what if it was a ruse on that wretched woman’s part? 

Penelope could simply be biding her time, waiting until she thought Calypso’s guard was down to steal her man away. 

But Calypso was no fool. Odysseus was her love, her husband, hers now. 

It had made her stomach twist to see Ody carrying another woman in her arms the night before. It made her furious when he left this morning to fetch that bitch something to eat, believing Penelope was nothing more than a wayward traveller.

But Calypso knew better and it was up to her to protect her husband from any pains his past might bring. 

In a moment when she was alone, Calypso closed her eyes and concentrated her divine power. She was no mere nymph; she was the daughter of Atlas, a goddess of beauty and magic. Calypso searched her island for a host and found it in a songbird nesting in one of her branches. 

Ogygia was hers to control. All its inhabitants made up her domain. 

She poured her mind into the little bird and took flight, following Odysseus as he wandered down the path to Penelope’s quarters, bearing a tray of food as if he were a mere servant. 

Calypso watched her husband sit with Penelope and even eat together. It disgusted her, made her want to flood the island up to the guest house’s level so that Penelope could drown. But alas, her poor, foolish husband would be in trouble, too. 

Odysseus caught her attention when he said, “...and while she’s certainly queen, I’m only her husband.”

At least he knew his place. At least he remembered who he had to be faithful to. 

Penelope was a clever one, probing Calypso’s unsuspecting husband for information. She seemed curious about him and where he had come from. 

It could’ve all been a coincidence. 

But Calypso was no stranger to fate. She was stranded herself on this isle with no company for a century. The only other times she saw another face was when the occasional god came to visit her with stories in exchange for the ripe fruit or luscious flowers from her garden. But that was only once a decade if she were lucky. 

Then her Odysseus came. Her handsome Odysseus, who needed her hands to heal his broken body and broken heart. But he was a married man when she found him, another cruel twist by the fates. 

Now that he was her spouse, she was never going to let him go. 

Especially not when faced with her greatest challenge yet, another woman. 

Calypso took flight and entered a window high in the mountain where she landed upon the floor of her private chambers. She pulled herself from the body of the poor little bird, now dead from the strain of carrying divinity within itself. 

Her husband knew better than to venture here, to the zenith of the island. Calypso’s most powerful potions and charms laid hidden here, accrued over the many lonely years should she ever need them. 

Stained glass windows in shades of emerald, sapphire, ruby, and gold threw colorful, shifting beams of light across the floor, where a mosaic of the heavens resided. Marble columns lined the circular room. The tables and shelves here were all cluttered with sealed boxes and bottles, some glowing and others humming faintly with power. 

Calypso waved a hand and a heavy, wooden chest popped open. She rifled through its contents until she pulled out a bottle that fit in her palm. It looked as if it were filled with plain water, but she knew better. This was the end result of much trial and error until she had a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and lethal poison. 

She closed her hand around the bottle. 

“You can’t learn,” she said to herself, “You can’t remember. I won’t let you.”

All she had to do was mix this poison with their pitcher of water at dinner tonight and Penelope will be dead by morning. 

Calypso herself might have a faint stomach ache, but it was a price worth paying. Though she wasn’t quite sure of how it would influence her husband, she was more than able to protect him from death here. 

“I’ll keep you safe,” she promised. Safe from the world, from his past, from himself. It was what any good wife would do. 

+++

Alright! That's all I'm posting for now!

FYI, it's made pretty clear throughout the fic that something's up with Penelope & it's really clear after this part that something else is going on with her. Sorry to spoil the fun, but it's actually Athena in disguise. She's doing some recon on Ogygia to try and figure out wtf happened to her bestie bc she really thought for sure that Ody would recognize her.

[artemlegere]

The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis

Artist: Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748 - 1825)

Date: 1818

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Getty Museum Collection, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Description

Fixing the viewer with a dreamy gaze, the fair-haired Telemachus grasps Eucharis's thigh with his right hand while holding his spear upright with the other. In the 1699 French novel Les Aventures de Télémaque, loosely based on characters from the Odyssey, the author Fénelon describes how Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, fell passionately in love with the beautiful nymph Eucharis. His duty as a son, however, required that he end their romance and depart in search of his missing father.

The ill-fated lovers say farewell in a grotto on Calypso's island. Facing towards us, Telemachus's blue tunic falls open to reveal his naked torso. Eucharis, seen in profile, encircles Telemachus's neck and gently rests her head upon his shoulder in resignation. In this way, Jacques-Louis David contrasts masculine rectitude with female emotion.

David painted The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis during his exile in Brussels. The use of saturated reds and blues contrasted with flesh tones and combined with a clarity of line and form typifies the Neoclassical style, which is characteristic of David's late history paintings.

[oxyintelligent]

Some misconceptions about Greek mythology that I’ve been seeing a lot lately and I’d like to clear up

Disclaimer: I’m not a classicist, if there is any source backing up these claims, please let me know.

1. The idea of Medusa being a beautiful maiden who was raped and cursed was invented by Ovid. In the greek version, she was born a hideous monster

This one has a kernel of truth. There is a shit ton of misinformation about Medusa on tumblr and it’s great that more people are becoming aware of Hesiod’s Medusa and the archaic art about her- however, some people are overcorrecting.

Ovid did not invent the idea of the beautiful Medusa. Pindar, a greek lyricist from the C5th B.C, describes the gorgon as “fair-cheeked Medusa”. Around this time, we start seeing artwork depicting Medusa as someone who looks like a normal, even good-looking, woman.

2. The roman Minerva cursed Medusa, the greek Athena didn’t do anything to her

I’ve seen this claim so many times and it perplexes me. Athena helped Perseus kill Medusa and desecrate her body. In some versions, she even kills Medusa herself. And, even though it’s not a curse like in Ovid’s tale, we do have an ancient greek source where Athena punishes Medusa with death for an act of hubris.

3. Medusa was a priestess of Minerva/Athena (This is the last Medusa one, I swear)

There is no ancient text claiming this. None. Not even Ovid’s. The closest thing comes from Servius’ Commentary on Virgil's Aeneid (C5th A.D):

“But another story says that Medusa was a virgin of remarkable modesty, and because of this, she was accepted by Minerva. After being violated by Neptune, she is said to have brought forth the horse Pegasus. When Minerva discovered this, it is said that she cut off Medusa’s head and affixed it to her own breast, granting it the power to turn anything it saw into stone.”

4. Odysseus never cheated on Penelope in the greek sources, the romans invented that

I’ve had multiple people say this to me, where does it even come from? No, even if you label his encounters with Circe and Calypso in The Odyssey as non-consensual, there are still countless greek sources where he cheats on Penelope, the oldest being the Theogony. And, yes, there are also greek sources where Penelope cheats back.

5. Ariadne and Dionysus are the wholesome version of Hades and Persephone

Mmm… not really? This is a myth that has multiple versions. In a lot of them, Dionysus kidnaps, rapes and/or kills Ariadne- and these are not obscure variations, he kills her in The Odyssey!

6. Aphrodite’s appearance changes depending on the eye of the beholder

This was invented by Rick Riordan for his Percy Jackson series. It’s not actual greek mythology.

7. Circe turned Scylla from a beautiful nymph into a monster

Again, this is a myth that has many versions. In the earliest sources, Scylla was born a monster and her mother was Ceto. The first account that we have of Circe changing Scylla comes from Ovid, but there are also some obscure texts where Amphitrite is the one who transforms her.

8. Psyche was just a fictional character, not a real goddess who was worshipped

She was! Psyche is invoked in the greek magical papyri alongside Aphrodite and Eros. She is also depicted in art dating back to the 4th century BCE.

9. There are no myths where Ares rapes someone

The myth of Rhea Silvia was told amongst the greeks as well, who called the god that raped her Ares.

10. Eris is the daughter of Zeus and Hera

This comes from Homer and Quintus referring to her as the “sister of Ares”. However, they were being symbolical- strife is the sister of war. They didn’t literally mean that Zeus and Hera are her parents.

[quackoyesyes]

Epic modern AU I’ve started to cook!

I just wanted to try out capcut for the first time but if I continue, a story where odysseus loses penelope and telemachus on a plane ride to Ithica and must try find them (here he somehow got into a date with both circe and calypso and he breaks down). I love snapcube dubs