#hws sparta

[monaluisa]

Me when I (Dorian warrior chad) survive the plague instead of my virgin Athenian sister

An AU where Sparta survived instead of Athens won’t leave my mind, so here’s some Byzantine Argurios for you guys :)

[athensandspartaadventures]

Sparta C6 and Athens A7 please ;w;

i am LOVING the chaotic energy of this one, thank you :D

pick your preference:

Athens imagining Sparta doing this because his mind is a bit detached from reality

Sparta imagining this because it's the inner self he can't express or he'll die

Corinth imagining this because she needs to entertain herself somehow

[athenov]

would sparta or makedon be Heracles' biological father? i lean more into makedon since the concept of a unified greece dates back to Phillip the Great's campaigns. idk just thoughts

[acetechne]

Sparta A for the pose thing! >:D

no i don’t know what is happening with the colours. I WAS going to draw something more revealing but my brain went for the hoplite armour because i havent drawn it in a long time

[gentlehue]

bad news regarding the email i got an automated msg talking ab how its summer break good news the automated message says she'll endeavour to reply so im holding her to that

[attichoney4u]

Big inspiration from @allbeendonebefore. The designs for Athens and Thessaloniki were based from her work!

Recently, I came across a post from the talented @margaretartstuff, which inspired me to do my own take of the "myth of the mermaid".

The human is Thessalonikia (that's how Thessaloniki was called in ancient times) and she converses with the person whom she was named after, Thessaloniki.

I don't know how popular this myth is outside of Greece, but I still wanna share it due to how tragic it is. It goes that when Princess Thessaloniki, Alexander the Great's half-sister, learnt about her brother's death, she jumped from a cliff to drown. She didn't die, but instead, she turned into a mermaid. Ever since that day, she stops every ship passing by and asks "Is Alexander the Great alive?". The captain must answer "He lives, and he reigns, and he conquers the world" if he wants to keep sailing safely, or else, the mermaid will send a fierce storm to crash his ship. This dialogue is depicted above. So, if you ever find yourself in Greece and a mermaid asks you about Alexander the Great, you know what you should answer. ;)

[lightprkdraws]

Did I ever tell y'all about my two hetalia OCs I had made for ancient Athens (right) and Sparta (left)? Because here they are!

[draxeanlxia]

Lately people have realized/remembered that HW Link/LU Warriors is basically Helen of Troy. Which if you don’t know the story, Paris, a Trojan prince, came to Sparta to claim Helen, in the guise of a supposed diplomatic mission. Before this journey, Paris had been appointed by Zeus to judge the most beautiful goddess; Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite. In order to earn his favour, Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world. Swayed by Aphrodite's offer, Paris chose her as the most beautiful of the goddesses, earning the wrath of Athena and Hera. Her kidnapping (depending on the version of the story) led to the Trojan War.

With people realizing this, it made me remember a headcanon I had for a Percy Jackson/LOZ/LU crossover that I will probably never write.

The headcanon? HW Link/LU Warriors is the demigod son of Aphrodite. Ironic and a bit karmic since he basically Helen of Troy.

Well have fun with this little headcanon of mine.

[aphaskengland-bitter-tea-drinker]

[peonycats]

I have a question. In your Headcanon, Germania isn’t one person, but a bunch of people who represented the Germanic Tribes. By that Logic, wouldn’t that mean Ancient Greece shouldn’t be one person, since the Greek City-States were all separate entities. Sure, cultural and language they were all Greek, and briefly unified under Leagues and Alexander (Although, they didn’t last long), but they still had their own identities, such as Spartan, Thebes, Macedonian, Athenian

yessir! Ancient Greece as she is called, doesn't represent all of Greece (at least for most of the time Ancient Greece existed) Sparta, Thebes, Macedon, and Athens all have their own unique personifications, and though I'm not 100% settled in this, Ancient Greece was originally the personification of Athens, and later came to represent the southern Greek states during and after Alexander the Great's conquests, and became the Roman province of Achaea.

[thesportssoundoff]

DWCS Season 3, Week 2 Preview Primer

Contract totals thus far:

Signed:

1 HW

1 MW

Victor Reyna (10-3, 32 years old, Pro since 2012) vs Miguel Baeza (6-0, 26 years old, Pro since 2015) Welterweights

Victor Reyna Where He Fight At? Like a lot of dudes from Texas, Reyna has pretty much stuck to that region of the United States. He fought a few times in Legacy Fighting Championship and has been primarily fighting for Combates Americas as they've undergone a bit of a growth spurt since 2017. Who’d He Ever Beat? Evan Cutts has some MMA name panache I suppose. Cutts was a part of Bellator's attempt to make a TUF and he's also known as the dude who ended Reagan Penn's brief pro MMA career. He also has a win over Daniel Rodriguez; a then undefeated fighter who has an 8-1 record and a few Bellator appearances. He's even got a key loss on his resume vs Kevin Holland. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? Reyna's fought A LOT of guys who fight quite a bit and so his record of opposition is 80-40. That's pretty damn solid! TUF veteran Marc Stevens was 20-10 when they fought (also Reyna's last loss) as well as 4-0 Kevin Holland, 6-2 Evan Cutts and 6-1 Andrew Parker. Reyna's last fight was against 16-10 Heyward Charles. Why Is He Here? Well he's the beneficiary of an injury!  Fortis MMA's Ramiz Brahimaj got hurt and on 10 days notice, Victor Reyna gets the call up. Reyna has bounced between 170 and 185 lbs a lot in his career so I'm a touch concerned about the chances he makes weight on short notice (although on some of these fights, he weighed as low as 174 lbs). Reyna is here because they needed a Contenders Series main event and he was available. About it. This doesn't mean he CAN'T  get a deal! It just feels more like a case of needing a guy on short notice and having the right number to the right matchmaker or so on so so forth. Reyna's interesting in that he kind of embodies the prototypical MMA prospect tester on the regional scene.

Miguel Baeza Where He Fight At? Florida and only Florida. Places like Fight Time and Titan FC adorn the short resume of Mr. Baeza. Who’d He Ever Beat? Nobody of note! At 6-0 and fighting primarily out of Florida, Miguel's pretty limited in his opposition. The most interesting/insightful factoid is that he holds wins over a pair of brothers in Florida (Gus and Mike D'Angelo). Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 14-10 is the record of Baeza's six opponents at the time of their fights. Gus D'Angelo was 2-2 and Mike D'Angelo was 3-2 when they fought. 5-2 Leo Valdivia is probably his best record opponent who he beat by split decision. Why Is He Here? Baeza was originally supposed to face Fortis MMA's Ramiz Brahimaj in what feels like one of those DWCS fights that's name prospect from region A vs name prospect from region B and whomever wins gets a contract a la Austin Tweedy vs Te Edwards. Baeza has limited footage out there on the interwebs but from what I've seen; he fits the Contender Series model. He's an athlete young guy who seems to hit really hard or at least hard enough to overcome his sometimes apparent flaws. He also fights with an air of composure about him and being composed and knocking people out gets Dana White excited.

Alton Cunningham (7-1, 26 years old, Pro since 2017) vs Tony Johnson (7-2, 32 years old, Pro since 2007) Light Heavyweights

Alton Cunningham Where He Fight At? Alton Cunningham is a former DWCS guy! He fought last season vs Bevon Lewis. Beyond that? Cunningham has a few LFA cameos and a Pure FC spot or two (a developing little regional promotion in Wisconsin). Who’d He Ever Beat? Nobody of note. Cunningham's toughest opponent was the aforementioned Bevon Lewis who he was finished by in the first round. He's beaten a few fighters with winning records but nobody you've heard of beyond that. The most interesting bit of Cunningham's record is that his last four fights have been at LHW, MW and HW. Dude's been all over the damn map so far. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 54-39-3. Is that good? Bad? I'm kind of not even entirely sure. The undefeated Bevon Lewis at 5-0, 16-27 BJ Lacy and 4-1 Eric Murray Jr in his last fight at LFA are pretty much his best opposition. Why Is He Here? Well there are a few things I suppose. For starters, he's an under 30 guy at 205 lbs. That on its own gives him a secondary chance at the Contenders Series. Most of the guys who get second shots on the Contenders Series are fellas who fight at the bigger weight classes because need trumps value sometimes. Cunningham's also a pretty solid regional prospect at LHW which adds to his value. He's also, when he's on, a really good action fighter. Alton Cunningham struggled with the power of Bevon Lewis which is horrifying since Lewis is a natural 185-er and Cunningham is a big dude 205 lber but all sins can be forgiven I suppose. They literally found a dude who fought twice since 2015 to fight him in hopes he'd get a win. Cunningham is here because there just aren't a bunch of dudes like him here.

Tony Johnson Where He Fight At? Tony Johnson has been boxing and doing BKB stuff more than he has been doing any sort of MMA. Case in point, Johnson has STRIKEFORCE (and not the version of it most of us are familiar with) on it. The headliner for the Stikeforce card he fought on? Babalu Sobral vs Bobby Southworth. He did fight on a Bellator card in 2018. Who’d He Ever Beat? Justin Baseman in 2013 (!!!) is a pretty quality win from a regional perspective. Johnson also fought Clifford Starks and lost back in 2011. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 31-25. His two losses are a combined 12-2 which means his victories are 19-23. Not a very pretty record. Why Is He Here? I'm not entirely sure? I hate to be negative when it comes to stuff like this but Tony Johnson is 36 years old, has fought infrequently since 2007 and has more highlights of his exploits in boxing than he does in MMA. I cannot believe anything other than "Tony Johnson is just here to get finished by Alton Cunningham so Alton gets a deal." Fine if so but this still feels awfully transparent. Maybe I'm wrong though and Tony Johnson is here to pull off an upset. He's a guy who has fought for over 10 years in various sports and Cunningham was rocked and hurt by a MW.

Zach Zane (12-7, 29 years old, Pro since 2015) vs Justin Gonzales (9-1, 28 years old, Pro since 2016) Featherweights

Zach Zane Where He Fight At? ALASKA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP, BABY. I'll never not be amused when somebody from AFC winds up on a UFC platform. Zane's fought primarily in Hawaii, California and other Northwestern states but has reinvented himself fighting dudes down in Alaska. Who’d He Ever Beat? Decky Dalton is probably the best win to report; an Irish dude who fought primarily out of BAMMA. Zane's got some reputable losses though! Former DWCS fighter Joey Gomez (lost a split decision to Kevin Aguilar), former UFC fighter Chris Avila (the Diaz Bros training partner dude) and undefeated AFC fighter Nick Novelli are some of his seven losses. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 56-36 would be the record of opposition at the time Zach Zane's opponents fought him. Zane is currently riding an eight fight winning streak and of those wins, his opponents were a combined 16-10. So if you want to get even MORE math-y, you remove the eight fight winning streak with the opponents at 16-10 and focus just on his 4-7 record prior to the winning streak and his strength of competition THEN was 40-26. Why Is He Here? On paper a dude with a 12-7 record who is about to hit 30 isn't exactly DWCS worthy. Dig deeper though and you're talking about a guy who has an 8 fight winning streak with all 8 fights coming by way of some form of stoppage. Kane has also been fighting across four different weight classes across 145, 150 at a catchweight, 155 and a short notice call up for 170 lbs. If the big goal of the Contenders Series is to collect raw athletic dudes with upside then I'd argue it's secondary hits should be experienced dudes fighting out of nowhere who are lost in the cracks. He also has sort of fixed his career while spending more time at Blackhouse MMA. He also just sort of looks like the kind of guy who the Contenders Series would look; a reckless striker who attacks subs consistently in grappling situations. Also of note is One FC signed him and was going to use him but he fell out on them at the last minute and I guess they just axed that deal right away.

Justin Gonzales Where He Fight At? Justin Gonzales has fought out of one place every single time. He's fought at SCL; a promotion that's held over 70 events in Colorado. Big fan of the name Sparta Combat League. Who’d He Ever Beat? The resume is actually pretty damn good for regional MMA. Gonzales has wins over then undefeated Derek Brenon (who was making some noise with CFFC and LFA), 8-1 Bruno Ferreia and Combates veteran and then undefeated Enrique Gonazles. Throw in regional veteran Drew Brookenshire at 18-8 and there's damn good competition here. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 54-15 is what Justin Gonzales has faced in his undefeated career. Again among those were 18-8 Drew Brookenshire, 6-0 Derek Brennon and 3-0 Enrique Gonazales. His last fight out with a win over 8-1 Bruno Ferreira. Why Is He Here? He's the kind of guy who should be here. Justin Gonzales is an undefeated high level wrestler who has finishing chops on the feet and on the ground. He fights at a weight class of power where the top talent really does shine through. He's here because if you made a show LIKE this, you'd want a guy LIKE this on it. Gonzales IMO is the one dude who is a near lock to get signed if he wins.

Michael Lombardo (8-1, 29 years old, pro since 2016) vs Kyle Daukaus (6-0, 26 years old, pro since 2017) Middleweights

Michael Lombardo Where He Fight At? An ATT guy and a Florida native, I suppose it's no surprise Lombardo fights primarily in Florida and Louisiana. He made a few appearances in Titan FC and also pinch hit at a Bellator card too. Not the world's worst places to ply your craft. Who’d He Ever Beat? A whole lot of fluff. There's nobody here you'd know of but who he could've fought (Punahele Soriano) is the most interesting bit of the resume. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 25-25-1. Lombardo's strength of schedule is not exactly his strong suit and that kind of record speaks to it. His best opponent is 6-3 David Mundell who he lost to decision against. Why Is He Here? Gym, record and weight class! Lombardo is an under 30 middleweight as the division is undergoing a bit of a renaissance in the UFC. He trains with ATT and so you know the good word has probably been put in a time or two. He's 8-1 and comes into this fight with five straight wins and four of those before the final bell. Lombardo's got some fights out there on youtube and he doesn't really strike me as anything but a middleweight-y type fighter. He's big on takedowns, he clinches a lot, he's a brawler in space and he tends to fight in spurts. He's not a bad fighter and we've seen middleweights find homes  in the UFC before and stick around with that kind of style. Just not sure if THAT gets him signed.

Kyle Daukaus Where He Fight At? CFFC and ROC! Those are really good regional promotions on the East Coast. Who’d He Ever Beat? Daukaus enters the UFC with pretty much much the best win of any Contenders Series guy so far; Jonavin Webb. Webb is a former UFC flame out but a pretty high level East Coast fighter well worthy of starring off on a resume. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 27-12 is the record of opposition for Kyle Daukaus. The fact that Webb was 12-2 when they fought means that his opposition outside of the toughest fight of his career is a not too pretty 15-10. Still not entirely awful. Why Is He Here? Beating a UFC veteran can/should always make you somebody of note to promoters and matchmakers. Jonavin Webb is a super reputable high level win worthy of flexing about. The fact that he's a fight finisher who hasn't seen the judges in his career and fights at 185 lbs makes him all the more intriguing.

Richie Santiago (7-1, 26 years old, Pro since 2016) vs Miles Johns (8-0, 25 years old, Pro since 2014) Bantamweights

Richie Santiago Where He Fight At? CES MMA. The former home of BATISTA has become a pretty reputable East Coast regional organization that's churned out Contenders Series guys and  quality fighters. Who’d He Ever Beat? NOBODY! I guess his best win is Billy Giovanella who had a few Bellator appearances in 2015. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 31-32-2. His record of opposition is not exactly going to get mounted on anybody's wall. It's somewhat skewered by a very rough opening to his career (his first four opponents were a combined 8-17). His pro loss was to a 3-2 fighter. It also was last year so it's like it happened in the deep past. Why Is He Here? Well for starters, watching Santiago suggests that he's not a bad fighter and the sort of dude the UFC SHOULD have an eye on. Maybe it's the face and the bald-ish head but dude reminds me a lot of Eddie Alvarez from an offensive standpoint. I've seen him hurt, rocked and then rally back with some surprisingly crisp striking. His big performance is an LFA fight where he got hurt a bunch, wobbled a few times, landed a big knee and then scored a RNC sub almost within the blink of an eye. He also is a part time flyweight as well which sort of gives him a leg up if that division is going to stick around.

Miles Johns

Where He Fight At? LFA mostly. He's the current LFA bantamweight champion to be exact. Who’d He Ever Beat? A lot of really great fighters on the regional circuit. Wins over Levi Mowles, Adrian Yanez and Caio Machado may not be super big wins or the kind of stuff that gets you shuttled up to the UFC but they're impressive enough that his DWCS spot almost feels a little unncessary. Win an LFA belt and you get into the UFC; thems the rules. Record Of Opposition At The Time Of Their Fight? 40-12 would be the record of opposition for Miles Johns. Wins over 11-3 Caio Machado, 7-2 Adrian Yanez and 6-2 Levi Mowles stand out big time.   Why Is He Here? I mean the Contenders Series really should be based around THESE sorts of fights. Two guys with pretty records on paper, both big deals of their respective universes, fighting for a contract. Johns is clearly ahead of the curve though vs Santiago. Primarily or namely speaking, Johns trains with an elite gym (Fortis MMA is DWCS royalty at this point), he fights with the bigger org and he's fought the better competition. He also has the sort of style I can see Dana liking a lot. He's here because he belongs here.

"Who Might Get A Contract?" Rankings

1- Alton Cunningham 2- Kyle Daukaus 3- Michael Lombardo 4- Miles Johns 5- Justin Gonzales 6- Miguel Baeza 7- Zach Zane 8- Richie Santiago 9- Tony Johnson 10- Victor Reyna

[monaluisa]

THE Sparta faceclaim of all time is Farya Faraji, who makes absolutely goated historical-inspired music on his Youtube channel. The moment I started describing Argurios in excessive detail I knew that I was just gonna end up imagining him.

[athensandspartaadventures]

Athens and Sparta Adventures: Chapter 9: Libation Bearers

[previous] [contents] [next]

Updates Saturdays (ideally) :)

It's been a while! Welcome back to the thirty years of peace (continued...)

Comments:

By the time this is posted, I will be out of town on vacation until the end of the month. I decided to risk posting this even though I only have a few pages ready to roll in order to motivate me to finish the chapter, so I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you like and if you have speculations or questions etc etc, I'm always glad to hear from readers to see if I'm hitting the mark (or if you have interpretations that never even occurred to me)

Since I'm out of town, I apologize if I don't edit the "previous" / "next" page links in a timely manner. If I haven't done this by October, definitely bug me about it :)

[yankeeclapdoctor]

me: ok it’s the weekend time to catch up on hw. i feel strangely productive. *opens notebook*

adhd: hey. hey. pssst hey

me: no….please…i working...

adhd: SOOO remember in the painting of leonidas at thermopylae, remember the note on the ground and how it’s a message one of the younger warriors in the foreground of the painting should be delivering, but it could really be leonidas trying to send the younger men away from the battle when he knows he’s going to die because of the oracle of delphi’s prophecy, and the guy in the background is carving that message about dying and upholding sparta’s laws except there may not have been a law that spartans weren’t supposed to retreat during that time so why don’t you watch the punisher or maybe OUAT remember how in season 3—

[acetechne]

World Watercolour Month: 20. Olive

i thought I'd challenge myself and try to draw an ancient olive press and I got frustrated, haha. Here is the horrible man himself who has also just collapsed in defeat having dropped his sun hat and lost all his helpers?

[beebosbitchh]

all the places asks 😌

troja is answered 

PLACES: Goals and Wishes

Olympus: Describe your dream job.

smt w art.. i think commercial graphic design would be really cool, or being an illustrator for magazines, or just a self employed artist, or possibly an art teacher 

Tartarus: What’s a short term goal you hope to achieve?

catching up on all this hw and surviving finals

Underworld: Describe your dream vacation.

going somewhere in europe w a lot of art and/or history, like berlin or paris or copenhagen 

Styx: How would you like your life to look like in 10 years?

uuuhhhuuhhhhhhhhhhhh

Athuna: If you could live anywhere in the world for the rest of your life, where would it be?

a bright studio apartment in a city, not necessarily a big one, with someone, a cat, dog, friend, s/o

Sparta: Do you have a bucket list? If so, what’s on it?

i dont have one..

Elysium: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

i wish i could fly

Ogygia: Describe your dream husband/wife/life partner?

all i ask is that they care about me

The Labyrinth: Have you ever died and came back to life as a vampire?

hmm not that i can remember

Delphi: Are you currently doing anything to pursue your dreams?

yeah im in art classes and signed up for more next year, as well as working at an art museum soooo,,, also just getting through school as efficiently as i can..