Welcome to r/GreekMythology

Just for fun. Taking some creative liberties. Am I missing anything big? Way off on placement?

I know Greek mythology retellings are a bit overdone these days with these "classic but with a twist" books coming out constantly, but well I also want to write something, even if it's just for me and my family. My concept is kind of all over the place since what I initially wanted to do kind of fell apart so I've been focusing on getting a lot of background details before trying to do the plot. Maybe that's dumb but whatever, it's how I work.

But my question stands for Eros: does he have any enemies? Like I know a lot of nymphs are no fan of his or his arrows, and I'm pretty sure Hera has a grudge against him because of his arrows as well, but what about like any Titans or giants? I was looking through the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy but he doesn't really play an aspect in those fights, even when we're talking about the primordial version of him.

I thought maybe I could choose an enemy of Aphrodite or Ares but Aphrodite never exactly had a giant "assigned" to her, I suppose might be the wording I'm looking for? And Ares' giant was a peaceful one who didn't wish to fight so Ares helped Hephaestus with his. And neither Ares or Aphrodite were really around for the Titanomachy, I mean Ares wasn't born yet and Aphrodite was I suppose just elsewhere before taking up with the original six Olympians.

I'm just trying to look for someone in the older crowd of the myths that might have something against Eros. Gonna give him some (possibly repressed) trauma and need someone to do that with.

I know this might sound stupid, but...
What stops him from just... not doing the task?
Like, of course he did the task once, maybe twice and the boulder always rolled back (or was it that someone threw it back? Idk, don't remember the exact details), then what stopped him from just not rolling it any more? Or rolling it and when he got tired he'd purposefully let it go so that he'd have to start over yet he can catch a break by walking down the hill at his own pace instead of just going on and on and on like a machine?

I swear that this is an honest question

I haven’t gotten a satisfactory answer on google so here goes.

The domains of several muses appear to heavily overlap with that of Athena so why would artists and poets invoke the muses instead of an Olympian?

My roommate and his gf were arguing about who would have been more in the wrong, Odysseus or Polyphemus, using today's laws. One point none of us can agree on us whether or not Odysseus knew the cave belonged to Polyphemus. Did they know the cave belonged to someone?

Has anyone already played the game? Any thoughts?

The minis and art look amazing!

It's part of the astonishing genius of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex that the question is left unresolved. The witnesses aren't called, the investigation derailed by the revelation of incest. But is it possible that only half of the prophecy is true? Oedipus did indeed marry his mother . . . but who really killed his father? Was it one person, or many??

With respects to Karl Harshbarger https://www.jstor.org/stable/1125037.

I'm going to a party where I have to dress up and I've had the idea to dress up like dionysius but how can I do that

I absolutely love epic the musical and so I wanted to read the odyssey but when I picked it up I couldn’t understand most of it. Does anyone know any simplified versions?

I've heard of the city of Atlantis many times in various forms of media over the years. Cartoons, Comic books, etc. in most media it seems to be portrayed as a kingdom inhabited by sea creatures or ruled by a king, In some cartoons it's ruled by Poseidon's roman counterpart Neptune, while in comics a superhero such as Aquaman rules the kingdom. I've also been told that J.R.R. Tolkien took inspiration from the myth of Atlantis when writing down the story of a city in his works called Numenor.

I've heard and seen all this stuff about Atlantis but know absolutely nothing about the real mythology surrounding the city. What it was, who ruled it, and why it sank into the ocean, & I have no clue where to start in regards to researching it.

So does anyone here have any knowledge of the story of Atlantis? Why did it sink? What are some stories set inside the city? What were it's people like? Does it have any connection to Poseidon what so ever? Did anyone inhabit the city after it sank into the sea?

Let me know below

Also are there any real life equivalents to Atlantis that we know of ? I think I watched one Documentary about The search for Atlantis and they tried connecting it to the Minoans but I don't remember what it was called.

Wilusa was a Bronze Age city in Anatolia. One of its rulers was a man named Alaksandu, who signed a treaty with Great King Muwatalli II around 1280 BC. The treaty ensured that Wilusa would provide the Hittites with intelligence on their enemies and troops for their military campaigns. One of the Wilusan gods who was to guarantee this treaty was Apaliunas, the ‘Stormgod of the Army’.

Sometime later, however, a warlord named Piyamaradu began causing trouble for the Hittites near Wilusa. Piyamaradu also led an unsuccessful rebellion in Lukka, then fled to territory controlled by Ahhiyawa.

Many archaeologists and historians believe that Wilusa is Troy, based on geographical information and the similarity between the names ‘Wilusa’ and ‘Wilios’, which, based on metrical evidence from the Iliad and the Odyssey, may have been the original Greek name for Ilios (Troy).

There are other interesting similarities between names mentioned in Hittite texts and the mythology of the Trojan War:

• Alaksandu = Alexander (another name for Paris)?
• Apaliunas = Apollo?
• Piyamaradu = Priam?
• Lukka = Lycia? (this one seems extremely probable)
• Ahhiyawa = Achaea?

I don’t want to get all my facts wrong If I just use google So What’s your go to Greek Myths Website??

Using the NSFW tag just in case since this question deals the subject of hetaira.

I felt like I remember one version of Tiresias myth during his time as a woman was that he became a [hetaira] (not the exact word used but I wanted to keep the language appropriate for this sub). When I looked it up, all of them say that Tiresias married and had children, but only one web source alluded to him becoming a hetaira.

If this was a different version of the myth, are there any documented sources of it? Was it akin to a regional variation of the myth? Or perhaps is it a modern interpretation that has been misremembered as part of the myth?

Which Gods are those?

How come in book 4 of the Odyssey does Helen recognize Telemachus? Like how would she know what baby Telemachus looked like? Is this just part of Helen being a little bit all knowing during the Iliad and the Odyssey

Why is Persephone referred to as terrible in the odyssey I always thought she was a kind and caring goddess

So, for context, I'm a 14-year-old aspiring movie-maker whose ultimate goal is to establish a superhero universe. While it may seem unrealistic, it's been my dream for about half of my life. I'm currently working with 4 stories, with one of them being derived from Greek mythology. It's my most developed idea, despite being the youngest one. So I decided, why not get feedback from you guys?

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Champion

Logline

When an egotistical Olympic athlete is whisked into the world of Greek Mythology to help end Apollo’s false kingship and restate Zeus on the throne, he learns that his competitive nature may be hurting him more than it helps. And fixing it may require mending a long broken relationship with his sister.

Synopsis

Dmitri Dion is a 37-year-old Olympic knife thrower. Very successful, but very egotistical. One day, he found a pair of throwing knives on his bed with a mysterious insignia embedded into each of them. He thought about throwing them away, but practiced with them after realizing how cool they are. Soon after, he was contacted by Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt. She told him that he was selected to wield her medallion, a magic jewel that will allow him to utilize her powers. Artemis explains that while Zeus has always been stubborn, and kind of power-hungry, he was a generous leader, and he earned his position. But when Athena and Hephaestus invent the medallion system, which allows gods to seal away their powers for transfer, Zeus has his powers stolen by Apollo, and his throne usurped. Artemis has to think fast, knowing that Apollo may come for her next. She seals her powers, and sends her medallion to Earth. She selects a champion to wield her power to take back Olympus. Apollo, however, likes that idea as well - he picks a champion too. He selects Dmitri’s own sister, Cora, who will do anything to get revenge for all those years ago. Now, only as a demigod, he must defeat the one god strong enough to beat the king. Will Dmitri be able to mend things with his sister? Or will he be blinded by his ego yet again?

Theme Statement

Sibling rivalry is the one competition where everyone loses.

Characters

Dmitri Dion (Champion) has always had incredible wrists and impeccable aim. Going  through an archery phase, a darts phase, a discus phase, until eventually finding success as a knife-thrower. But that success slowly turned him into a sort of egotist, which ended up ruining his relationship with his sister. As a result of Artemis’ blessing, Dmitri has razor accuracy, psionically created rope, and perfect sense of direction. As well as being symbiotically connected to Artemis.

Cora Dion (Trophy) is the younger sister of Dmitri. After a life of being second best, Cora’s adulthood has been unpleasant, eventually leading her to have to move back in with their parents. Her animosity and jealousy towards Dmitri led her to be selected as Apollo’s champion. She wields Apollo’s power with a longbow, as well as precognition and regeneration abilities.

Artemis is a 2nd generation Olympian, and the goddess of the hunt. She can be stubborn, and is hesitant to work with Dmitri because of her antipathy towards men, but she sucks it up, having a gut feeling that Dmitri is the right choice. Artemis has a youthful curiosity comparable to Hestia’s, and she treats her with great respect. Over the course of the story, Dmitri and Artemis connect over being older siblings, and learn that they might be a part of the problem.

Apollo is the god of many things - light, music, archery, prophecy - just to name a few. And yet, no matter how much he does, he is always overshadowed by his (ever so slightly) older sister. It could be because the legend of her helping deliver him. It could be because of her connection with Selene, the moon goddess. Whatever it is, years of feeling lesser than has left him stone-cold, hell-bent on proving himself. So, when he gets the chance to overthrow the monarchy of Olympus, he takes the chance, and usurps the throne for himself. He is manipulative, and says whatever is necessary to get what he wants.

Hestia doesn’t associate herself with Olympus and is largely a loner. She hates fighting, which is why she has aligned herself with Artemis, the honorable hunter. She is a 1st generation Olympian, and relatively speaking, she’s not that powerful. She can control temperature, and she carries an ever-burning torch. She is known as the keeper, and she holds on to relics of divine origin to prevent humans from abusing their powers.

Hermes stays true to his legends: a trickster through and through. He uses his super speed as a way of getting around without being noticed, and it works. After getting sick of being nothing more than the messenger, he could use a change of pace. So when Apollo gains the throne, he knows things are about to get interesting. Apollo promises him resources, and al the fun he wants - in exchange for help. He barely gets along with his champion, mostly because she’s WAAYYY more boring than he is. But, Apollo picked her out, so she can’t possibly be the wrong choice, right?

Kathleen Lawrence (Godspeed) is an aspiring athlete who could never make it in the field. Because of her failed dreams, she takes any opportunities she has to prove herself. So when she gets the chance to help Hermes and Apollo win the crown, she intends to do exactly that. Kathleen takes no-nonsense, and feels that Hermes need to take their mission more seriously. She aligns herself with Apollo more than with Hermes**.**

Some relics Dmitri must obtain are:

Otrera's Belt. This was blessed by Ares in order for warriors to achieve a good mental and physical strength balance. The belt will always grant the wearer strength and durability, But any mental blocks, burdens, or regrets increase the weight of the belt, and make it harder to wear. To obtain this relic, Dmitri must battle the strongest Amazon on the island.

The Aegis. Made by Athena, wielded by Perseus. Dmitri must venture through the Gorgons' cave to recover the Aegis in order to reflect Apollo's light. To obtain it, he must look through illusions and pick a reflection from a line of mirrors that best represents him.

The Travelers' Key. Hermes' tool of the trade. This is used to get across realms, from earth, sea, underworld, and heaven. It is held by Kathleen, and the only way to get ahold of it is by force.

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There everything is, and I would love to get feedback on everything. I hope I don't butcher the genre, and I'm open to hearing any critique's y'all may have about it. Thanks for reading!

Always been interested in Greek mythology and I love to read, any good books you would recommend someone who is new to it?

Hey guys!

I was recently rewatching a couple videos on the Trojan war and i realized that all the videos never mention the apple after paris gives it to Aphrodite. Is this just a detail that these videos left out or dose the original texts also not provide any information on the topic?

What is everyone's thoughts on the romanticisation of their relationship (in modern retellings)?

Personally, I do not think it should be romanticised, Persephone was a child when Hades kidnapped her, he tricked her and then forced her to be his wife 1/3 of the year, and only allowed to see her mother the other 2/3.

I frankly find the number of people romanticising them as rather disgusting.

I'd love to hear others opinions

Edited due to my awful memory haha

So I have to write a paper on fate and how it can’t be changed, and I immediately thought to Greek mythology. So I wanted some examples!! Anyone got any favorite examples on how fate couldn’t be changed for someone in the Greek myths??

Bicephaly is a condition that affects one (or rather two) in every 100,000 snakes, and is a result of the incomplete splitting of an embryo. The two heads are distinct individuals with seperate minds and personalities, and fights between two heads can happen. It’s obviously difficult for such snakes to survive in the wild, but, from what I can tell, it would be possible for them to last long enough for someone living in Bronze Age Lerna to see a living pair and tell others about it, with that story being expanded on and exaggerated over the decades and centuries…

It’s motherfucking gold!

Long ago, Zeus and his sons conquer Greece...but there was a culture that came before.

In Bronze Age Mycenaean tablets we find that some cities thought deities called "Poseidon" and "Posidaeia" were the King and Queen of Heaven. However, this is clearly not the Olympian form of Poseidon we know of from the iron age, because Olympian Poseidon is not King of the Gods. Poseidon and Posidaeia's name could translate as "Earth Lord" and "Earth Lady" respectively. The Olympian form of Poseidon also has quite bizarre symbolism for a water God. His laughter was said to cause Earthquakes just like the Egyptian Earth God Geb, and Poseidon was also a master of horses...a strange association for a water God. The ancient form of this God may have been just as much an Earth God as a water God. There may have been a water/earth pairing, a Father God and Mother Goddess that predates the arrival of the Indo-European speaking Greeks, and survives on into Mycenaean times.

This pairing may show up in the story of Achilles as the characters Peleus and Thetis. They seem to be subordinated by Zeus and his son Aeacus, whose name may come from Aetos "Eagle" and Kos "Common/Grouping". Zeus and his sons the Eagle Group or Eagle People, subordinate Peleus and Thetis beneath them. They subordinate the older water and earth deities that were once King and Queen of Heaven. Prophecy foretells that Thetis will birth a son stronger than his father, a theme found prominently in Egyptian mythology from this time period, where the Goddess Isis births a son stronger than his fallen father, resurrecting the light of God through Horus.

This "Poseidon" and "Posidaeia" (or Peleus and Thetis) was likely tied to a Divine Child archetype as well. The Divine Child archetype is an immortal, eternally young, "Son of God" figure. This archetype will live on in the figure of the eternally youthful beardless Apollo (and other Sons of Zeus)...but the older figure tied to the water/earth deities Poseidon and Posidaeia becomes less prominent. Still valued and heralded in the time of the Mycenaeans...but clearly on his way out, and no longer the dominant religious symbol of the Aegean.

The Divine Child of Poseidon and Posidaeia may be preserved in the story of Achilles. Instead of the eternal youth archetype, Achilles is now not quite immortal. He gets close. He still remains a beloved and extremely powerful Hero among the Myceneans, but his immortality is reimagined as flawed and imperfect. Like Apollo, Achilles will have a fallen male lover he grieves over, but unlike Apollo, Achilles himself will also die, and will not rise again with the morning sun. All that remains of him now, is his eternally glorious name...

"Forever Young" - The Song of Achilles (Ancient Instrument Cover)