#technically im imagining this in the iliad

[wolfythewitch]

rough lipsyncing practice, audio from Troy (2004)

[dootznbootz]

Do we have any idea how old Odysseus was when the trojan war started? Like I'm actually curious, Ive always imagined him to be sth around 20 but then I tried to find it online and the the range goes from 20 to mid 40s so like im so confused, do you know anythig??

My dear Anon, the timeline is a mess and I wouldn't bother trying to find the "real ages" as...it's just straight-up impossible. :'D I literally made a meme about it a LONG while back.

For example, The Apple of Discord happened during Thetis' and Peleus' wedding. They decided Paris would chose, he chose Aphrodite, so he got to kidnap Helen.

The War starts....How tf is Achilles old enough to go to war if his parents just got married? I have never seen anything that said they waited until Paris grew up.

Thing is, so many people throughout history have their own versions and if we were to try and make sense of all of them, these heroes would probably be around 200 years old.

If you're worried about this stuff for writing? MAKE IT UP!!! :D There's technically no "real age"

One of my favorite examples:

Left to right: Menelaus, Paris, Diomedes, Odysseus, Nestor, Achilles, Agamemnon.

...WHY DOES MENELAUS AND DIOMEDES HAVE MORE WRINKLES THAN FUCKING NESTOR?!?!

Old man Nestor. Achy breaky back Nestor. "Back in my day" Nestor. Grandpa fucking Nestor!!!

(Paris, Odysseus, Achilles, and Agamemnon look pretty good imo but the others don't feel like their faces match their ages.)

It's because of the fact that there's not a distinct specific age, and therefore artists and muses could make it whatever!

BUT! Considering some things, Penelope, Helen, Menelaus, and Odysseus were all most likely around 20 when they got married.

I'm no expert. I am absolutely not. But from what I've read, Women in Sparta got married when they were around 20 years old. Part of the reason why exercise for women was a thing was because of the idea of "strong mothers have strong sons". Fully grown women are less likely to have health problems if they get pregnant compared to "girl who just got her first menstrual cycle". I don't know if this was the case during the Mycenaean/Minoan eras but it's what we're given.

Men were around the same age BUT with military stuff, they'd be in the barracks most of the time and had to "sneak away" in order to be with their wife for the night.

In many other places, men got married when they're around 30. But with all this happening in SPARTA, I think Tyndarius would probably hope to "keep to his own Spartan rules". I think a lot of young men saw this as an opportunity or even a "Mom, Dad, This is the chance of a lifetime!!! Even if I am technically too young to get married, this is the chance to marry the most beautiful woman in the world!"

The Iliad mentions Odysseus being older than Menelaus however!!! (personally, I have Odysseus older by a few months and him pulling the "I'm the older of the two of us!")

Hermione is said to be 9 years old when Helen is kidnapped. Most likely, making them around 29, give or take. (Personally I changed Hermione's age to 7, making them more around 27) Odysseus at around 28 and Penelope at around 27 about to turn 28 shortly when he has to leave.