Reblogs and random thoughts from the void. Art blog is @yararts
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Latest Posts by yararts-stash - Page 11
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022) dir. Charlie Mackesy, Peter Baynton
Leave it to me to go grab that unnecessary bit of information nobody asked for just to add more pain
It so does 😭
Calypso was bedding Odysseus against his will every night for 7 years.
A week has 7 days and there are about 4 weeks in a month. Every month has on average 30 days. Or there are 365 days in a year.
Add them up and you will realize that Odysseus was raped more than 2500 times.
Let that sink in!
I just had to do the math I had to know!! 🤣
2555 is such an insane number in the worst way possible for the poor guy isn't it?? Even if it was a little more or less than that oh man I can't! The depression is real!
Like you said I have no idea how people are not talking about this!
Calypso was bedding Odysseus against his will every night for 7 years.
A week has 7 days and there are about 4 weeks in a month. Every month has on average 30 days. Or there are 365 days in a year.
Add them up and you will realize that Odysseus was raped more than 2500 times.
Let that sink in!
Oh gosh here it is✨✨✨✨✨✨❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😭😭😭😭
Just by the title, how the guilt and duty (or the sense of it) intertwine already hints and this absolute journey (and quite literally so) that this will be!! And what a ride girl this is both intense and so very inspiring 👀👀✨ it's so great to see how you put in motion all the explanations and perspectives you have given me about these epic tales!!
Oh man and it starts immediately with this poor guy struggling! I can only imagine how the hunger must be almost numbing to his body at this point... And all his efforts of enduring it only to find it was all in vain a mere moments later, for his companions just couldn't endure it themselves!! Oh man and the way you made him think his senses were messing with his head when he smelled cooked meat and then absolute panic, almost like the shock gave him sudden energy to rush there!!
And he begs and prays and curses even his sleep until his eyes land on what he mostly feared! Oh boy! And this definitely hits him even harder for the fact that he had lost the majority of his people in the last few years, now he must watch the rest doom themselves as they eat the forbidden animals!! This shows so well how human they are tho! How cruel their situation is, forced to remain without food dying slowly from it yet having such a temptation of the animals right close to them!
I love the way you wrote Odysseus' panic, the fact that internally he cannot blame his men, he knows any mortal would break in such a situation, yet he cannot contain his frustration either for he knows this action was their complete doom, and the gate possibly closing on them ever returning home! The detail of your description of the cows standing there almost mocking them gives a good idea of the cruel test, which seems like it was designed to fail, almost for the Gods to have the excuse that they needed!
Oh gosh I can almost hear his yells of desperation and frustration to his comrades! And such a human reaction of Eurylochus to get defensive and angry like that, it shows how men can simply break under such pressure, and that on pure survival mode you will take any risk and any chance you get to survive even if the only way out also leads to destruction... Plus after all these years, after all this suffering and now this agonizing hunger... his nerves and rage just surface even over common sense!
But of course the same can be said for Odysseus who also endured... who also suffered... for all in the hopes to save his men and see his family again only to watch it all go down the drain... That slap was deep! Your description of it even made me put my hand on my cheek hahaha damn!! Oh man and the way you describe him in the verge of tears from the sheer rage of it all, but also the grief of their eminent danger as he reminds them how a failed test from the Gods is a death sentence and even so much worse than that!
Oh man the way you wrote Eurylochus spitting that accusation to Odysseus now, like bitter poison accumulated! That it was his fault that all of this happened! I really like how you made Odysseus punch him even harder out of the sting of that accusation and even raise him by the shirt while the others can't stop him, but as he screams back how an ungrateful bastard he is and how much he has done for them he suddenly stops and internally his guilt starts to consume him and he ends up agreeing with Eurylochus...
Oh man and he thinks of all the actions that came back to bite him, with the cyclops and Poseidon and more... and not only doom him but all his people as well 😢😢 the war and the years that lead to it already left such a bleeding wound on his heart, but the fact that he had more than 600 men by his side up until and after that dreadful war, only to lose nearly all of them in what he tough would be his last voyage home is just too much... Oh gosh the way his absolute rage gives place to numbness and his body becoming weak and his eyes gosh... It's somehow so much sadder than his boiling grief, like the fight died in him and his spirit (and gosh he's about to enter such a worse situation than the one with Circe that he mentioned 😭)... And suddenly his guilt makes him want to try his best to save them once more! You gave such an awesome tornado of emotions in just one moment!!
I love how his hair covers his eyes and their darkness and how he just commands his men with all this storm inside his soul. And how he's desperate to find a way to make a sacrifice to save his people from the Gods... Man Eurylochus throws that as the sharpest of knives, using the title he probably used to say with respect, and now throw as an insult to Odysseus (while mocking him!!) and after he was so guilty to look at them anymore!
Man this description is truly sad... The way a person hardens and changes and how Odysseus witnesses that slowly and painfully happens to his friend, a heart becoming stone... And once again I love their tension even tho Odysseus understands it all he simply can't take it and it disturbs him so... And man once again how very human, Odysseus can't contain himself at the food anymore especially since the animals are dead anyway... Plus he knows there's no way to survive without food now that the gods surely will not allow them to have anything... This is so painful, the despair is real!
Yet I also love how Odysseus still curses him saying that he better forget what happened here or hell kill him hahaha that's somehow so funny even in the middle of the tragic situation 😆
Oh man and here they go... And of course the situation does not allow them to stay close to shore they must head out to the absolute danger and hope for the best, tho unfortunately all the hope was not enough 😢 Gosh this is definitely so unnerving! Knowing that without a doubt there must be consequences for the actions of eating the sacred animals yet nothing is happening for days, like a cat letting the mouse think it might be safe before it pounces!! Man I can so imagine Odysseus nerves breaking like that, and the fact that he too ate the meat just doesn't help! And man him not speaking while waiting for something to happen while his men are nervous all around him! And gosh a week has passed and Eurylochus is still suffering from that slap with a swollen cheek 🤣
It's touching to see Polites still on Odysseus side despite it all, and how he's balancing it out with Eurylochus anger. It's like reading the personifications of empathy and anger having a conversation hehe oh boy his come back of "He's not God for me to perfect blasphemy"!
The Aiolus sack contained the winds right? And they were driven backwards... What was the seclusion on the hole? Sorry still learning hahaha oh but I remember Skylla and how her heads would eat the men, but Odysseus never told them as to not discourage them, and perhaps in an attempt to save them as well! I love how everyone has their points here, yes Odysseus did it to spare them but yes Eurylochus has the right to be upset at their eminent danger being hidden from them, even if he's being extremely harsh as well... I love how complex this situation is and how everyone has a hand in it, both Odysseus and his men and yet in their frustration they clash. But I love how Polites manages to soften him up slowly and to reflect on his thoughts... In the end they are all just tired men wishing to return to their families which makes the next events all the more heartbreaking... This is their last conversation like this...
And of course it's understandable that the men are pouring their frustration onto Odysseus especially after he ended up provoking a God (tho ironically they did the same with the animals they killed, even if it was a dire situation), and it's touching that Polites acknowledges the mistakes yet he also acknowledges all that Odysseus did for them (oh man saved from being Circe's pig is definitely a big one hahaha) ... And how the silence makes him more eager to approach him to help... And gosh Odysseus reaction too is chilling... But man so it is the silence of the surroundings and a red flag to what is about to happen! Especially as Odysseus shushes him to observe everything better...
Oh man Polites is about to get his answer to that "Have we ruined everything?" The Gods themselves seem to have heard the question and are about to answer!! 😨
Gosh Odysseus realization!! You really made us accompany their dread so well with your writing and how wrong everything is in this instance... After days their judgement is finally coming... And the fact that Odysseus himself is so terrified really adds to the dread!!
And now I can see how you perfectly took reference from that Pocahontas scene and translated the moments into this story! Gosh how they thought Odysseus might be crazy right before hell just breaks loose... And Zeus thunder coming along with Poseidon's waves!! Man poor guy instantly begins to pray and you really made me picture the terrifying immense dark storm so well!
Gosh the sails being torn like that as the men tried so hard to secure them and Odysseus trying to guide them like a flock of terrified sheep following their guardian... The poor men rowing while their sails get destroyed only for the rows to be broken as well and the poor ship breaking like a toy in the Gods' hands oh man that description! Like I said before 2 Gods against this ship is just such an overkill! The hopelessness of these men against them... The way even Odysseus screams for the damage to be fixed even if he knows that it's hopeless and impossible at this point... And the way he can only pray and watch everything crumble around him, how raw your dialogs and descriptions are!
Oh man and here is the scene of the mast 😱 you captured this moment so well the suspense of the giant object falling, the way the pilot is crushed in such a gruesome manner and the splatter of the blood of his bones and head... 😨 Oh man and the panic that comes right after of the men running not even listening to Odysseus anymore... And the scene of Odysseus running to grab the bloodied broken stern, how chillingly realistic the way you described the blood staining him, and how he hurts himself with the effort, and the splinters of the wood... The way he begs "not again" is so heartbreaking 😢
And it seems as if all hope was broken at the same time that the steer broke on Odysseus hands!! Even if he's still screaming for his poor comrades to hold on... Oh man and here comes the end!! The way you wrote the thunderbolt striking is so scary!! The way he shields his ears and screams because the sound is painful and the light is blinding... And the remains of the ship both sinking and in flames is another level of hell... And Poseidon's giant wave appear to finish the job claiming his comrades and friends taking them away to the seas in a screaming mess 😢
Man and here is the part where Odysseus fashioned his raft (or anything close to a raft he could build in such conditions) it's still crazy how he manages to gather the pieces so quickly as even his survival mode is both glowing and faltering with his companions taken... And once again your writing surely described well this moment I could picture it all, as he searches throughout the ship desperate for the materials... And the poor guy is still praying for them!! It's too heartbreaking how he prays to be allowed to save at least just one of them and take him home 😭😭
And he rows to their direction with his bare hands after the ship goes down, but of course he can't find them nor does he get any answers as he screams for them 😭😭 I can fully picture those terrifying mountain waves...
Man the way he screams then falters once he realizes he's all alone, everyone else dead... And then him screaming he was the one who should have died in their place... Man the raw emotions, how he flows through them through your writing and dialogs 😭😭 his heartbroken mind going back to the moment he left with all those six hundred men saying he would do anything for them to return safe... and now he lost them all...yet he remains...
Man his survival guilt and more really is hitting him hard now... He still can't believe it and he's still praying and screaming 😢😢 you wrote his grief so well in the middle of this storm all alone, screaming and crying at the seas for them 😭
Oh man and this man trully can't have peace... So exhausted right after this nightmare, broken at sea alone without his men, and he goes right back into another hell! And here comes the monster the moment he just got conscious!
Man I love legends of deep sea creatures and monsters and the way you described the moan and the vibrations and whirlpool of Charybdis is chilling in the best way possible for this scene! Can see why this is perfect inspiration for Caleb sucked by the whirlpool in that second scenario! 👀👀
Poor guy just prays and begs and everything keeps going wrong! (Tho ironically he's extremely lucky to survive all this at the same time!)
Every time poor Odysseus rows with his hands in despair is heartbreaking, and the way he replies to Circe's words he just remembered as if she was there! And I love how all of this connects to your title his guilt turning into his duty to survive so the death of his comrades was not in vain! It's perfect ✨😭
Oh and the iconic fig tree scene! It's so good through your writing as well and chilling and intense 😱😱 especially knowing he's so weak already yet he pulls himself and holds on for dear life! It's realistic the way you wrote his cries of pain from hanging from his arms like that... The pain of his weight being held by them and feeling like they will tear apart... And man the hellish view of the whirlpool as he can only hang over it even with his wet hands!! And the way he had to master all of his courage to jump down again as his raft finally appears from the hole!! Also loved the description of how the water felt like boiling to his cold skin!
Man and thankfully he was spared from another monster even if he still has more hell to endure... Poor man the way you described him just collapsing on his raft and just enduring the rest of it while wounded and weak... And the way he just cries, he just can't take it anymore, it was all too much his lost men and his family which seems so far away... 😭😭 And he once again contemplates his low chances of survival and his survival guilt, thinking this is worse than his death on the ship oh man 😭😭
Man those words from his grandfather seem both encouraging and cruel... And that was such a good transition, how he's ready to give in to let go because the pain is too much yet the small glimmer of hope entices him to keep trying and fighting... To face death if it comes but still to try and live, that is so bittersweet the way he somehow finds his strength again and keeps paddling!
The raft being the remains of his lost favorite ship, the last reminder of his men also hits deep as it is the only thing he can hold on too... And he still holds on to it through storms and waves and burning suns 😭 until he at least has some rain and has to eat seaweed, oh man brutal!! And the way he is constantly almost falling and coming in and out of consciousness... (Dunno why this part made me imagine Ballard on the Titanic AU when he's holding on to some wood or something else when the ship sinks... Without the storms of course, but man, him feeling himself almost slipping and nearly losing consciousness with the bitter cold... Sorry!!) man the way he just stopped feeling the fish biting him and everything...
And finally he arrives at shore and he doesn't even notice it!! Poor guy's soul is closer and closer to the underworld at this point 😢😢 Oh gosh and here comes the mysterious figure... Another challenge still for this man... And more grief to follow but at least he gets the chance to keep living even if he will remain more years away from home!! 😭😭
Gosh girl what a touching, brutal, gut wrenching and beautifully written piece!! I know I'm always saying this but it's true, the way you write emotions girl!! It's always too good!!😭😭😭😭✨✨❤️❤️❤️ Beautiful piece! Truly amazing!! ✨✨✨❤️❤️❤️
Man that Dinosaur soundtrack is so fitting! The melody with the heavy notes portraying the danger is perfect for Charybdis!! And gosh of course that scene you showed me from the Les Triplets de Belville with the melancholic yet intense melody and the visuals of the seas and the giant waves 🌊🌊🌊👀👀❤️❤️❤️
Amazing girl as always a masterpiece!!✨✨✨
Survivor's Guilt and Survivor's Duty (P1)
Odysseus was hungry. That much he knew. Gods were really cruel with them the days that went through. He had returned from yet another hunt without any success. Not even a single rabbit was visible to Helios’s island. He was already feeling weary and light-headed with hunger; which was why he thought he was hallucinating when he smelt the finest smell of roasting meat he ever met in his life. However it took him no more than two brain cells of his infamous mind to connect the dots and realize what had happened.
“No! Gods no, let it be not what I think it is! Please gods no!”
His legs grew wings as he began sprinting towards the direction of the smell.
“Why did you lull me to that pointless sleep?! Why! It was all to ruin me? To ruin them?!”
He ran with all the strength of his feet to the field only to find what he hoped in all gods he believed in to be a hallucination. He saw what remained of his men from that eventful 3 year journey having lit a fire and roasting a fine cow to the pike, happy and well-fed. In the past days his men just broke. They could withstand hunger no longer and understandably they had only one source of nutrition on that island; those fat, well-kept cows that seemed to be mocking them. Of course his men would do that! Odysseus could not blame them and yet he pulled his long hair in desperation seeing the scene.
“ARE YOU ALL MENTAL? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MINDS?!” he yelled desperately drawing their attention, “I told you not to do that! These sacred animals will be our doom!”
Eurylochus, his trusted commander came forward. His eyes were full of snare and gathered anger.
“Captain,” he started, “did you expect us to starve to death? Not even one little bird was flying around and all the grass in this place turned poisonous for us! We would die anyways! This time we were doomed either way!”
The loud voice of the furious man was cut off from the sound of flesh striking against flesh and then Eurylochus’s head turned to the side. Odysseus was huffing and puffing; nostrils flattering aflame as he gathered his strong hand back.
“You fools!” he growled tears burning his onyx eyes, “you damned fools! This was a test! A test for our faith and we failed! We failed miserably! Haven’t you learnt anything? Insulting the gods is never a good idea! We should rather die of starvation than this! The gods will show no mercy on us now! We are doomed!”
“You would know of that!” Eurylochus suddenly bellowed beyond himself, “You doomed us all, Odysseus! If you haven’t done that we would be in our country by now! These three years happened because of you!”
This time it was a punch that stroke his cheek, not a slap. Eurylochus fell on the sand but he had no time to breathe for Odysseus grabbed him by the shirt lifting him up to his feet again. The comrades rushed there to grab him (oh they remembered his rage the other time nearly cost Eurylochus his life!) however Odysseus was almost as unmovable as a statue at that point. His face was red with fury.
“I tried to save us all!” he yelled, “Ungrateful bastard, I tried to save us all! I faced the beast that could have eaten us all! After everything I did for you! I-…”
He stopped. He shivered from top to bottom. Eurylochus was right. All had happened because of him. He had insulted Poseidon by blinding his son; he was arrogant enough to brag about it…no, even further back; Troy fell because of him. So many men died because of him. Ten years they fought a brutal war; they had endured the weather, the living conditions, the battles… More than 600 men started and finished the war with barely any loss…and now…less than 3 years out in the sea and… They started 12 ships and now they were one…less than 40 men left in one final ship…and all was initiated because of him…he could not deny it. He found no words to defend himself. Gradually he let go of Eurylochus, who wiped the blood off his lip with his fist. He noticed his men had gathered around to separate them from each other but it didn’t seem necessary anymore. The comrades had let him go, noticing he was almost limb in their arms. His onyx eyes were bottomless. No, it shouldn’t end like that! He had committed hubris to save his men and he doomed them, he had forced himself to bed a woman for one year after gods requested to rectify it and yet here they were again. None of the sacrifices seemed to be enough to wash that sin away. No, he couldn’t let them die like that! He had to try! He had promised he would repent! He had to save them before that happened!
“Gather up your stuff, men!” he ordered, eyes still shadowed by his hair, “We must go as soon as possible!”
“Go?” Polites asked, “Go where?”
“At ANY land!” Odysseus whispered, “Anywhere but here! We must offer a sacrifice of some kind! We must wash away this hubris!”
As he turned his back at them –oh he couldn’t face them now!- Eurylochus stood up and looked at him with eyes resembling knives.
“Should we take the rest of the meat too…Captain?” that word was almost spat like an insult, “Or shall we hope Poseidon will grace us with a meal?”
Odysseus winced. Eurylochus; his brave and loyal friend; the type of person that sure, didn’t tell him always nice things but he was always honest with him and always told him some things that needed to be said; now he seemed gone; All their adventures and torments had hardened him, killing his old comrade and giving him in his place a bitter, hateful man who could understand no longer the difference between insolence, disrespect and honesty or couldn’t care less to tell them apart. Odysseus couldn’t blame him but at that moment he found his transformation disturbing and concerning. He glared daggers at him. The mention of the meat of the slain animals made even his mouth water. He was hungry too. They wouldn’t survive without food and yes, Poseidon sure wouldn’t allow them to fill their bellies with his fish given the situation and the sea birds even if they graced them with their presence, which he doubted, were inedible and poisonous. Gods forgive me, he thought, but I am just a man!
“Damn you!” he cursed under his husky breath, “Take what you wish! If we survive this, pray to all gods that I will forget this because by all gods one day I’m gonna kill you!”
He could hardly remember the process but he knew they were on their way again; so fast and so hastily inside their last black ship in the openness of the Mediterranean Sea. If it was in his hand, Odysseus would have stayed close to the shore but of course gods were cruel for yet another time as Helios’s magnificent isle lay in the middle of open sea. He had no choice but to head for the sea and hope for the best. He knew there were lands close by; if they could reach them… For six days the trip was uneventful and his comrades had as provisions the meat from the slain animals to feast upon. Even Odysseus had to admit he had tasted the magnificent flesh of the animals, for he could withstand hunger no more. However six days of such a trip and he was always expecting the worst, which never seemed to be coming. His nerves just broke. It was the seventh day of their journey; still no sight of any land and still he hadn’t spoken a word. He was staring at the endless blue of the wine-dark sea and he didn’t speak a word. He could sense his comrades’ tension in the air; he could almost cut it with a knife! And yet, Odysseus could not focus on that. Polites looked up from the deck towards him and then towards Eurylochus who still had his cheek swollen.
“He’s so lost in thought…” Polites commented
“He should be!” Eurylochus replied bitterly, “He might be our king but sometimes he has a lot of nerve to talk to us that way! It was HIS hubris that brought us to this position!”
“Now that is both unfair and blasphemous to our king!” Polites replied
“He is no god for me to perform blasphemy!” Eurylochus replied as a matter of fact
Polites sighed.
“We have our own share of responsibility, you know! If we hadn’t opened that damned sack we might have reached home as well!”
Eurylochus winced at the reminder of Aiolus sack. Yes, that truly was their mistake. They got overcome by greed and distrust.
“And, besides, what Odysseus said is true. You and I were never there. We didn’t experience the week of seclusion in that hole. Perhaps we would have done the same…”
Eurylochus sighed defeated.
“Yeah…perhaps you’re right. And he DID spend a year entertaining Circe till our comrades healed… However…” his face darkened a bit, “I still cannot shake it off, Polites! It is majorly his fault we ended up like this! And he DID keep secrets from us. Or have you forgotten how he kept his mouth shut about Skylla? Six of our comrades dead…and we didn’t even know what was coming…”
“He wanted to spare us…”
“Yeah I am sure he suffered, alright, but we still had the right to know! Perhaps we could have come up with a plan together. Perhaps we could have fought back!”
“Fight back an immortal six-headed dragon? I am not sure how that would have worked but…even if you are right and he should have told us, that doesn’t change the fact that he is here with us now. If he wanted he could have stayed with the witch, Circe and sent us off and we would have no directions and no warnings.”
“He didn’t do that for us, Polites”
“Not entirely, I agree, but wouldn’t be fair to say that he did it for us as well?”
Eurylochus sighed.
“Fine, but seriously it was such a long trip and even longer way… I just want to go home!”
“We all do…” Polites whispered concerned.
Yes, ten years of war plus three years of wandering and danger…more than five hundred good men dead… Everyone could understand the feeling.
“I agree with Eurylochus, though…” said another man, “It was all a big mess that initiated when Odysseus insulted Lord Poseidon. I had warned him that day! I said, stop provoking him! He didn’t listen… We are all paying the price now…”
Polites sighed. Yes, he couldn’t deny that but still it seemed rather unfair to say it was just Odysseus’s fault. If anything, Odysseus was sacrificing many things along the way to protect and save them. He shivered in disgust remembering that he was told he had turned into a swine because he entered Circe’s palace. He felt grateful to Odysseus for rescuing him from such a fate. And yet… He still couldn’t shake that ominous feeling that something would happen and Odysseus’s silence wouldn’t help. Not bearing it any longer he slowly approached Odysseus. He didn’t acknowledge his presence. The silence was deafening. Only the cricking of the ship and the sound of the waves could be heard. There was no land at sight anywhere. It was quiet…WAY too quiet…
“Odysseus…” Polites started, “we…”
“Sh!” Odysseus harshly shushed him
“Please, I have to say it…” Polites insisted, “We were starving we made a mistake but-…”
“Quiet!” came yet another whisper
Polites gulped soundly, opening and closing his fist nervously.
“Odysseus…” he started, “Have we ruined everything…?”
Odysseus looked at him and he seemed ready to reply but then he raised his head sharply towards the sail and then to the ripples of the waves. All color left his face.
“Odysseus…? What is it…?”
“That is Eastern Wind…” Odysseus whispered almost in a panic, “That is Zephyr that is blowing at us! That’s not normal! Not at this time of year!”
He almost jumped from his standing point, suddenly seen afraid maybe for the first time in a long time if not ever in his life before.
“MEN! PREPARE YOURSELVES! STORM MIGHT BE COMING!”
His comrades didn’t have enough time to question if he lost it or not (given the clear skies around them) because in a few minutes the weather changed so drastically and rapidly that people could only suspect a god was causing it. Black clouds filled the sky in a matter of a few minutes and then suddenly the distant sound of a thunder was heard.
“No…” Odysseus whispered, “No…please, lord Zeus no! Forgive us…please!”
Strong winds raised as a matter of seconds and suddenly the deep blue sea turned into a full-fledged storm. The waves rose in angry white foam and the skies were black like coal with flashes of lightning and thunder. Rain followed that was cold and whipping their faces like needles. The men cried out in fear.
“EURYLOCHUS!” Odysseus bellowed on top of his lungs, “SECURE THE SAIL!”
“SECURE THE SAILS!” Eurylochus transferred the order, “ALL HANDS ON DECK!”
The panic galore was not allowing the orders to properly pass however the soul of the sailor cannot be abided by panic! All hands on deck began to work frantically; they commenced running up and down grabbing the chords and the lines, some of them already climbing to the mast to secure the sail. However it seemed the rage of gods was stronger than the determination of men and their burning wish for survival. A strong current of wind torn the sail to peaces sending quite a few falling on the deck.
“LEAVE IT!” Odysseus yelled as a strong wave splashed over him, “BEFORE THE WIND! HOLD ON TIGHTLY MEN!”
As the ship was played around on the waves like a toy, the terrified warriors and tired sailors would be desperately trying to use the rows to turn the ship; do something, ANYTHING to prevent themselves from crushing on the waves. The sail was now torn to shreds; like the cape of a dethroned king, aimlessly whipping against the mast at the strong wind.
“BEFORE THE WIND!” Odysseus kept screaming over the wind, grabbing the line of the sail in a desperate attempt to keep the material from hitting anyone on deck, “ROW MEN! ROW!”
The ship was being pushed mercilessly upon the waves; creaking and moaning against the wind. Three pairs of rows snapped like twigs leaving the ship spinning aimlessly to the winds. The black ship began to tear apart as cracks and gushes appeared to the sides. The deck started taking water both from below and above from the waves.
“SHE’S TAKING WATER!” one of the sailors cried
“REPAIR THE DAMAGES!” Odysseus cried out in desperation running as he was already ankle-deep in water, “WE MUST KEEP HER AFLOAT!”
It was a pointless order and he knew it. No matter how many times they stuffed torn pieces of the sail in the holes it would be pointless. They were already soaked to the bone, they had no way of lighting fire or softening the wax to fix anything. They were just trying to delay the inevitable and they were failing miserably.
“Lord Zeus…father of all mankind and gods please forgive us!” Odysseus prayed again, “Please, we shall repent! Give us a chance! Poseidon! Oh, Poseidon, please give me a chance!”
The disturbing creaking of wood being slowly broken didn’t need much for Odysseus to understand.
“WATCH OUT!” he cried out
Both the fore-stays of the mast snapped like twigs. The mast began to fall in a disturbing creak and collapsed to the stern. The pilot did not have time but to look up at his upcoming doom as the mast crushed him. Even above the tempest the men heard the disturbing sound of bones breaking as his head was crushed and blood splattered upon the stern. The body fell into the black sea, lifeless and soulless. At the sight of that death there was panic galore. No one heard the orders Odysseus was screaming; no one had any mind but to run up and down aimlessly like ants that were seeing their colony collapse. All they could do was scream their upcoming doom. In a foolish hope or rather a crazy need to survive, Odysseus rushed to the half-broken stern, grabbing the remains of the steer; his hands being died with the blood of the pilot.
“No! No! NO!”
He used all the strength of his mighty hands to do something…ANYTHING to steer the ship away the storm. His hands began bleeding out of the effort upon the splints of the destroyed wood.
“Gods no! Not again! No! No!”
The waves were raising the ship to the heaven and dropping it back down like a walnut shell as people were holding for dear life at the remains of their already tearing apart ship. The steer snapped in the hands of Odysseus and fell into the black sea never to be seen again.
“PREPARE FOR IMPACT!” Odysseus cried out, “HOLD ON!”
Therewith the worst came; a thunderbolt stroke the ship and the sudden flash and tremendous sound left them all blind and deaf. Odysseus screamed in pain shielding his ears. The ship cracked from side to side down in the middle; splintering in the winds like it was a pile of leaves. Ears buzzing and his nose filled with smoke from the fiery fire that lit upon the sad remains of the deck, Odysseus staggered to his feet, struggling to get two steps straight, trying to see through the sulphurous smoke (the only thing he could see was his comrades or what was left of them staggering on the ruins of their ship like drunk) when the last tidal wave came to finish the job. The wave must have been as tall as the remains of the ship as it flooded with tremendous force on the deck sweeping everything…and everyone! Odysseus got violently banged against the hull but he watched in terror through his cloudy from water eyes his comrades falling into the water screaming aimlessly for it was the only thing they could do.
“NOOOOOO!” Odysseus could only cry out as he ran to the rim
He watched the bodies of his men almost like small white dots to the absolute blackness; already almost a mile away, sometimes disappearing under the waves at the force of the tempest. Odysseus nearly lost the remains of his wits as he ran about the ship trying to find literally ANYTHING he could use. Another surge torn apart parts of the keel and the mast snapped from it. Odysseus reacted almost automatically as he rushed to the broken ropes and parts of the keel and mast. His hands and thick fingers began working frantically, almost completely unconsciously as water was hurting his eyes and rain was feeling as if piercing his flesh. All his Being was screaming for him to save himself; to survive! However that tiny part of his brain was tingling to him; maybe there are some men who are still alive! Maybe there is time!
“Please Athena! Please Athena…let me save them! It can’t be too late!” he was mumbling as he was securing the ropes so that the two pieces of wood would tie together, “Please, Pallas please! Let me save just one! Please! Let me return home just one! Please! Please! It can’t be too late! I can’t lose them all!”
Yet another thunder from the skies made him jump and then the remains of his favorite ship were torn apart! Odysseus grabbed upon his last raft of salvation. He jumped into the merciless ocean, rowing frantically with his hand towards the direction he saw his men disappear.
“EURYLOCHUS!” he cried out over the waves, “POLITES! ANYONE! ANSWER ME!”
The only answer he got was thunder and wind. The waves were tall like mountains!
“POLITES!” he called out again
Tears filled his eyes as his voice broke.
“SOMEONE!...P-Please! Anyone! Anyone…!”
There was nothing on site…just waves and storm.
“No…” Odysseus cried, “NOOOOOOOO!!!”
Realization was crueler than what he would expect…there was no one…just himself! He cried…he cried loudly as he never cried before.
“NOOO! WHY! WHY! WHY!” he yelled over the waves, “IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN-…”
His mind and wits nearly escaped him. He remembered that day before their sail for Troy…there were more than six hundred men…waiting for their dangerous trip…
*
Odysseus was standing before his men; the future fleet that was ready for this uncertain trip. Odysseus, dressed in his fine clothes, his long hair neatly brushed and beard trimmed, was looking at them seriously.
“We are heading for a dangerous trip, my men…” he said, “The road is long and we have no idea how long it will take for us to finish with the holy castle of Troy… If we result in war…there is no guarantee it will end soon…”
His onyx eyes stared deeply within countless others of pairs.
“I cannot lie to you, men…I cannot promise you that we shall all return home safely”
He drew a deep breath.
“However I promise you this; I shall do ANYTHING within my power so we can return home safely! I won’t disappoint you!”
*
Back to the present Odysseus cried. He weakly hit his fist upon the mast.
“No…” he sobbed, “I won’t disappoint you…!”
Six hundred men…they were all gone…disappeared… He began hyperventilating. No, it couldn’t be true!
“No…No, Athena! No Athena!” he cried trying to fist the water beneath him as if it were sand, “No, Pallas…! No… No, my men…! NOOOOO! NOOOOOOOO!”
He yelled till his throat was sore…till his voice was gone…he sobbed and cried tears almost as plenty as the waves of the sea. The storm was roaming around him… There was no one there to hear his lament… His voice was carried around by the wind…his tears were washed away by sea and rain…His body was borne by the direful winds…
Six hundred men had started that fateful journey…
Now there was only one…
Now he was alone.
*
The tempest began slowly to subside and the eastern wind gave his place to a breeze from the south. Odysseus was hanging helplessly upon his supposed raft. The nightly fight with the waves had exhausted him and his tears had long now dried out like the salt in his curly hair. His head was already dropping in fatigue when something made him look up. His eyes widened in terror.
“No…” he whispered
He recognized the location. In his pure terror he recognized the narrow path of Skylla and Charybdis; the passage he had struggled so much to get his men out of; the passage that cost the life of six of his comrades. What was worse…he heard an unworldly moan from deep down the sea. His feet felt the low frequency vibration…and then there was a whirlpool. Charybdis had awakened!
“No!” Odysseus cried out, “No, gods, no!”
The merciless current and the frightening groaning from deep down the sea started drawing him. Odysseus at the edge of his wit began frantically rowing with his hand; desperate in his fear to get away from the deathly current that would suck anything to its path! At that moment he remembered Circe’s warnings;
“You must not be there when she sucks it down; for no one could save you from the ruin not even the Earthshaker himself…”
“I HAVE TO TRY, CIRCE!” Odysseus yelled towards the sky in his panic, “I have to try or else my men’s deaths were for nothing!”
The merciless current though wouldn’t bulge as Odysseus realized in terror his pitiful attempts could never save him from this hellish force. The two pieces of wood that were forming his only salvation were being dragged in the ruthless elix. The water was already foaming when he reached the grotto. In panic he scanned the perimeter. Only then his eyes remembered what his brain had erased in fear; the fig tree! Circe had said there was that fig tree shadowing Charybdis! The massive roots and branches were hanging over him; it was his only hope! With strength only panic and adrenaline could give him, Odysseus pushed himself on top of the last remains of his ship and kicked as hard as he could. He had only one chance. His wounded and red hands grasped for dear life onto the rough branches and thank goodness his fingers closed around them!
“ARGH!” Odysseus cried in pain feeling as though his arms would be uprooted out of his own weight, “GODS!”
His legs helplessly hanging over the abyss were desperately moving trying to find a footing but there was none! His arms didn’t have the strength to pull him up at the tree either so he could only hang and hold for dear life. Odysseus dared to look down and saw in terror the gaping hole sucking in the sea and with it his only safety raft. His wet hands would slip and fall if it weren’t for the sheer determination that held him! He prayed to all gods that he knew and didn’t know that this time, just this time, he would find salvation; that his small raft would be vomited out of that whirlpool otherwise he would be lost… The growling rumble from beneath the watery abyss signaled the begin of the outside movement to what it seemed like an eternity later.
“Please gods…please…please…” he was thinking like a mantra
And then he spotted it! The small brownish outline of his mast and keel. He would have a chance! Fear was biting his stomach as he looked down at the whirlpool vomiting out seawater. He knew he had to act quickly or he would have no hope to swim to his raft in that condition. Charybdis below him seemed ready to swallow him even if she was vomiting out the water. What if she really swallowed him if he let go? What if he would be destroyed by some wave? Odysseus looked and looked and the seconds seemed like eons to his tormented heart that was flattering within his chest. He shut his eyes closed; to not see; to not fear and he made his decision
He let go of the branch.
Gravity claimed his body as he fell to the empty space and within the foaming water. The water was hot; hotter than human body temperature and to the tormented king of Ithaca who was freezing from water that seemed like a boiling cauldron. His ears were filled with the sound of bubbles and the hellish growling of Charybdis. He didn’t dare to look; only he paddled like his life depended on it (and it did!) . The suction force that was pushing him upwards this time was with him. Odysseus felt his lungs burning for air and he nearly breathed in the sea water as he hadn’t got a proper breath before diving in the sea. And he was pushed up and up till he was vomited out of the water and drew a soundly breath. He swam frantically till his raft and grabbed onto it with his wounded hands for dear life coughing salted water; nose and eyes aflame from the salt. He rowed and rowed with his hand almost immediately after he caught some breaths. He turned around towards the OTHER dreadful site.
“If Skylla comes out…I’m lost!” he thought
However the dreadful cave that hosted the monster that claimed the lives of six of his crew remained dark and silent. Nothing came out. Odysseus wasted no time and rowed and paddled like crazy to get as far away as possible from that dreadful area. He didn’t know how far Charybdis or Skylla’s ranges were but he certainly didn’t want to know! That was knowledge that even Odysseus of Ithaca, the Man of many Ways could pass on! After what seemed like a full eternity and when the sun was setting for good at the horizon, Odysseus had covered enough distance to see the grotto from afar. He collapsed onto his mast, drawing raspy breaths till his chest began to hurt. He seemed he had no more strength to move. His hands were full of wounds from the ship and the tree branches and hurt from salted water, his lips were torn from the sea and salt had crusted onto his face and hair. Then Odysseus broke down. He cried silently alone in the middle of the sea; he cried for his men he lost, he cried for his dreams that seemed to becoming fainter and fainter; the dreams to embrace his wife and son and he cried for himself. He had barely any hope to survive. He had no men; sea had claimed them. He had no vessel; the storm had claimed it. He had no food or water; those were gone long time ago. He barely had any clothes on for even those were soaked and already tearing apart from the wind and sea. What was the point to keep going, he thought? What would be the point to struggle? He had slim to no possibilities to escape. He was alone in the open sea without protection in Poseidon’s territory. Any kind of sea creature from the usual sharks till the dangerous creatures he faced so far, could potentially kill him.
“I should have died there!” he thought, “Alas this fate is worse than the death in the ship! This agony! Oh, gods I can’t bear it anymore!”
“You are made to endure, Odysseus…”
That was what his grandfather had told him when he visited him in Parnassus what seemed like an eternity prior; almost in another life. However even the tormented Odysseus had his limits. And now these seemed surpassed. Maybe he should let go; allow the sea to take him and end his torment. Maybe he could meet his family in a few decades in the underworld… Why struggle for the inevitable? And yet a small voice to the back of his head made him think that he could not give up just yet; that he had to keep trying and if the sea would claim him then so let it be written, so let it be done. However he had to try and fulfill the prophecy of Tiresias. He felt like he owned this to the 600 lives that were lost under his command. He looked up at the stars that seemed to have started to form. Yes, he would follow the directions that the night dress of Nyx was pointing at. Finding strength anew, the Man Tormented paddled slowly and steadily away from the dreadful spot…
*
Odysseus traveled once more; this time alone and grabbing upon the last remains of his beloved black ship… The night came cold and he was shivering. By the morning another storm caught up with him and his mast was once more drifted by the huge waves that resembled white top mountains, tearing apart his clothes and his flesh. And yet his hands endured… It was as if his heart and hands combined turned into oak or stones. The Man of many Torments endured. Next day the sun was merciless over his head, sending him almost to the brief of hallucinations and heat as sweat was running down his already wounded body. The night the gods felt pity on him and sent a drizzle rain. Odysseus raised his head to the heavens trying to grab as much of the fresh god-sent water as if that would be enough to quench his insatiable thirst and the burning of the salt. Once a passing seaweed came close to him to which Odysseus made some sort of imitation of a meal for himself. How many times he nearly slipped off his life-raft he lost count…how many times he probably actually fainted on it he could no longer remember. And yet, the King of Ithaca endured…in strength that he had no idea he had. It was as if both his body and spirit had decided he had a duty to survive. He survived the agony and pain as well as the anxiety and fear every time something touched his foot beneath the waves or a passing fish would bite his legs. He had long stopped feeling much.
By night before the tenth day of his painful journey he had collapsed. He didn’t feel the sand beneath his body as his raft finally beached at a sandy beach. He didn’t move as some crab or beach beetle walked over his sea-beaten body. By dawn some hints of his consciousness returned. It was only for a brief second that the rays of sun touched his salt-crusted cheek but Odysseus saw or at least he thought he saw a tall slender figure picking something up from the beach many meters away from him (maybe a seashell). The figure turned towards him and walked there.
And then everything turned black…
~~~~~
Ooookay guys this the first part from my Odyssey story! Poor Odysseus loses everything and gets beached in Ogygia.
Rhapsody 12 must be the most intense or one of the most intense of all the Odyssey and honest the way that Homer describes how Odysseus survived had to be kept as it was from my part!
Poor Odysseus must have passed from all the stages of grief at once!
Now I get extremely inspired by music and soundtracks for my stories. For example the Charybdis description was heavily inspired by the amazing Disney soundtrack for the movie "Dinosaur" with the title "The End of Our Island"
For his eventful journey I was partially inspired by Mozart's "Kyrie" from the Great Mass in C Minor and also the scene from the film "Les Triplettes de Belville" for the battle with the elements especially the storm and all.
For the sinking itself I was inspired by various soundtracks and pieces of music.
For my story I kinda take the hypothesis that Ogygia was in fact the small island of Gozo in Malta
As the other time I shall tag some of my amazing commentors/rebloggers and friends! (again forgive me if I forget anyone)
@loco-bird @aaronofithaca05 @tunguszka20 @doob-or-something @jarondont @prompted-wordsmith @simugeuge @fangirlofallthefanthings @ilov3b00kss0much
Oh man this hits harder because he lost so many people... The last ship was brutal...
Also very random but in my head this kind of ties up to the moment the giants were killing and spearing Odysseus' comrades to eat as if they were fish!
It's such a fitting headcanon! 👀
I have a random headcannon (not sure if I will keep it) that Odysseus never ate another fish in his life
In Greece (not sure if it is the same in other places as well) we have this old tradition that if a family loses a sailor relative at the sea they never eat fish again because fish eat dead bodies that sink in the water so in a way they honor the dead by not eating fish because "fish have eaten their loved one"
So imagine if that was a thing in antiquity or simply Odysseus made a pledge with himself and never eats another fish in his life to honor all the fallen comrades that found tragic death in the sea (especially the last ship)
Sorry! Random headcannons again!
I second this completely!! The most unfair thing ever!!!!
Continuing from Part 2
Guilt (P3 + Footnotes)
"Odysseus" Meriones approached him, "Are you alright?"
Odysseus winced in pain. He hadn't realized he had clenched his fist so hard that it hurt him. He unclenched it.
"Yes..." he whispered, "Yes, I'm fine..."
Odysseus moaned. That baby...the look at that infant's face...Astyanax was gone...he had given his place to Telemachus. Priam's slain face was Laërtes...mourning Andromache was his wife... He grasped his head with both hands.
"Damn you Neoptolemus! Damn you Helen for starting it! Damn you Menelaus for dragging me into this... Damn you Palamedes! Damn you all! Why should I have taken this blood upon me?! Why did it have to be me?!"
He sighed.
"Polites...I want to be alone for a little while..."
"Do you think that is wise...?" Polites asked with hidden meaning.
"Wise!" Odysseus voiced like an echo, "No, perhaps not but I got tired of being wise for now..."
Polites sighed.
"At least add some water to your wine...please Odysseus"
Odysseus dismissed him with a move of his hand. He wasn't much in the mood for anything at that moment. He knew war wouldn't be pleasant but these events of just one night were taking the cake. He was exhausted; sleepless for two nights and a full day and right now the Sacker of Cities, the Man of Many Ways was terrified. He collapsed again and his tears overflowed from his eyes, wetting the table below. He grasped his wet hair with his fingers as if he was ready to uproot them.
"Gods! Please Athena, please, I beg of you...if you love me...p-protect my son! Let the miasma fall on me! Not him! I-I...I just wanted to g-go home! I just wanted to see them again...my Penelope...my Telemachus...! I-I never meant for this to happen! P-Please...! I beg of you if you love me...p-protect my son! Don't let the gods' wrath fall upon their heads! P-Please...! F-Forgive me! I...I just...I just wanted to go home!"
He couldn't decide what to pray for first... Words cascaded out of his mouth without any coherent way or syntax. He only prayed desperately, wetting with his tears the table. Sun was already setting and Troy was taken...but at what cost...
*
Menelaus and Agamemnon entered Odysseus's hut one after the other.
"I gotta give it to you, Odysseus!" Agamemnon said, "You WERE telling the truth when you said you could take Troy in one night!"
Odysseus was collapsed upon his chair, looking at them with an unreadable expression to his face. The jug was resting empty somewhere after the feet of his seat.
"Hm..." he hummed, "That's me. I am the trickster, remember? I lie, I scheme and I trick. That is what I do"
Agamemnon raised a brow.
"Are you drunk?!" He asked in disbelief
"One more shame to add to the events of this night..." Odysseus replied bitterly.
"Shame? I do not understand. We finally sacked the city. You can finally go home."
"Home..." Odysseus whispered, "I wonder...what shall I say to Penelope when she asks? Or Telemachus? If he asks 'father what did you do and you were away?', 'I was at war, my son', 'did you fight honorably and sack many cities?'... What shall I say for what we've done...?"
"I do not understand you Odysseus. It was your idea"
"Yeah somehow I do not doubt it..." Odysseus mumbled bitterly, "I was wrong, Agamemnon. This was not what I imagined...what I planned..."
He sighed shifting his position a bit to his chair.
"Priam is dead, you know that..."
"Yeah, like we expected to-..."
"On the altar. On the freaking altar, Agamemnon..."
"Yeah I heard..."
"Imagine that happening to any of us...in our homelands. If one cannot respect the holy laws then what?"
He played a bit with his empty cup.
"Priam murdered on the altar...Cassandra raped mercilessly and now Ajax looks for shelter to the very same altar he dragged her out of, to avoid being stoned to death..." the king of Ithaca rubbed the bridge of his nose, "...death...death and fire everywhere..."
"Odysseus..." spoke Menelaus, "I understand that you are grieving, it was not easy or pleasant but..."
"The boy...he was the same age as my son! Thrown off the wall..."
"Odysseus" Agamemnon spoke again, "I honestly don't understand you. Others would fly from joy with your glory. You had a good plan and it worked. Thanks to you we can all go home."
Odysseus's eyes became bottomless. Even Agamemnon had to lower his gaze against it.
"The blasphemy put us under the anger of gods, Agamemnon. Remember that. Listen..."
Agamemnon seemed like indeed trying to listen something.
"The Trojans are not the only ones mourning. We lost many good men too. We lost Achilles. Or have you forgotten?"
Agamemnon sighed deeply.
"His loss...was tragic indeed" he finally said, "we had our differences but his loss was a great price..."
"Quite so..." Odysseus whispered, "was it really worth it? The price we had to pay to sack Troy?"
He shifted his weight to his chair lethargically. He rubbed his forehead with his free hand for a second. The dizziness bad settled for real in his brain. He leaned his head back again, earning a small cracking sound from his neck.
"And since we are at it, I have a question for you, Agamemnon, son of Atreus, the first among the Greeks... What did the Trojans REALLY do to us to deserve such an end?"
"You're drunk! You don't know what you're talking about!"
Odysseus snorted humorlessly.
"Oh, I am drunk, alright. But I know exactly what I am talking about. And you do too. They took Helen, sure, or at least one of them did. But their real crime against us was that they protected their lands...from us. That's what we would have done as well..."
Agamemnon was ready to speak again but Menelaus stopped him.
"Brother, that's enough"
He then turned ti Odysseus sympathetically.
"Look, Odysseus, I understand that it hurts and I am sorry too that I put you through that indirectly, but please do not melt away. No matter what the actions of others was not your choice."
Odysseus said nothing. He only sighed.
"Will you join us at the games later? You are the hero of the day. Your presence is asked for."
Odysseus scoffed.
"Oh I will be there, alright. I never miss a good party!"
Menelaus smiled sadly.
"Thank you, Odysseus...for everything. I really mean it... I will see you later, when you sober up a little..."
He looked at his friend and added;
"And...we shall mention none...of this" he pointed at him indicating his condition.
Odysseus soullessly nodded as if wanting to attempt some humor.
"Thanks...I appreciate it"
Agamemnon was ready to say something but apparently he decided against it. He only sighed and turned to leave before finally asking;
"Will you come to take a pick from the spoils? You deserve it given it was thanks to you we got in"
The tired king made a dismissive move with his hand.
"No. I'm fine with whatever. Just include me to the next lottery" he replied indifferently
"Are you sure? You deserve a better share"
Odysseus smiled humorlessly.
"Last time I chose and defended my choice, we lost Aias the Telamonian. I think we lost enough for one decade, don't you think?"
It was a failure of attempt for humor and he knew it but Agamemnon only sighed.
"Suit yourself" he said defeated, heading for the exit
Menelaus was about to do the same but apparently something made him stop and turn around.
"Odysseus?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you...truly... You gave me back my honor
Odysseus snorted again.
"With the cost of mine..." he whispered bitterly, "Not that anyone ever thought I had any..."
The king of Sparta, though, shook his head negatively.
"To me you will always be the greatest of all Greeks"
The man who endured all torments looked up and for the first tike a small smile rose to his dry lips. That word of kindness was what he needed for his tormented heart to feel some sort of hope. At least there was finally one who neither blamed him nor glorified him. Menelaus saw his torment and responded. That was enough.
"Thank you..." he whispered
Menelaus nodded his head in return.
"Now rest, my friend. We have a long way before us...we are going home..."
Home...the tormented king of Ithaca thought. Yes, finally they could go home. After 10 endless years they could finally embrace their families. Just few more months of journey and Odysseus could finally go home... All he had to do was to learn to live with what he did... He watched both the kings through his cloudy vision, getting out of his tent and Polites coming back in.
"I am sorry, Odysseus! I couldn't stop them!"
Odysseus dismissed him with a hand gesture once more.
"Don't sweat it, Polites. Stopping a king seems impossible. Gods help us with two!"
Polites smiled softly. At least he would gain some of his humor back, he thought.
"Help me get to my bed, Polites..." sighed Odysseus hoarsely, "I need to rest... I am very tired..."
~~~~
Oh gosh what have I done?! Hehehehe well not sorry...not really! 😆 I hope you enjoyed this ride.
As you see I tried incorporating some of the Epic Cycle to the situation but I did tamper around with the timeliness. The Epic Cycle is a lovely mess anyways and holds many contradictions with the homeric poems but it includes many things.
Now the fragmentary poem Iliou Persis is sven mentioned how Odysseus throws Astyanax off the walls but most sources have Neoptolemus donit and I do agree with those more. Now in Trojan Women by Eurypedes the messenger Talthybius tells Andromache that Odysseus schemed so that her son would be thrown off the walls and that he persuaded the Greeks they couldn't raise the baby. Odysseus doesn't strike much as a baby killer in Odyssey or even the Iliad although he is known for being cruel in his punishments (see the excecution of the 50 conspiring slave girls) but nowhere jn Odyssey does Odysseus refer to that fact even if he does speak of his regrets for other actions of his and if he HAD thrown Astyanax off the walls himself I doubt he wouldn't have made any reference to it so I believe that Iliou Persis should he treated like Telegony when it comes to the homeric poems; a bit contradictory to the homeric epics (unless there is some lost fragment that tells us how Odysseus went on a rampage he could not remember lol 😆 ) so I made a mixture of all the above to show how Odysseus "killed" Astyanax or subconsciously persuaded the Greeks to do it and I added the role of Talthybius here too.
Iliou Persis seems to also be the most violent form when it comes to the Greek side such as that they offer Priam's daughter Polyxene to Achilles's tomb as a sacrifice, thus causing the rage of Athena (I swear the thing was written by a Trojan lol 😆) Eurypedes mentions how Polyxene was offered as slave to Achilles symbolically so she should serve his tomb. I also added the detail of Odysseus trying to persuade Neoptolemus to choose her as his price to speak Andromache but his attempts are a failure.
Drunkenness was severely discouraged in ancient geeece thus the concern in Polites's words when Odysseus uses it as a coping mechanism for the traumatic events of the night. Moreover the Greeks always mixed their wine with water (thus having the modern name for wine in Greek κρασί which comes from the verb in ancient greek which means "to mix") the wine that was not watered was called άκρατον and it was qlmost never consumed unless dipped in bread. The analogy between wine and water depended.
In this story I depict Neoptolemus as somehow a nemesis to Odysseus. Similar to what Agamemnon or Hector were for Achilles. I have no idea why but the idea stuck with me especially since the two are the two candidates for the murder of Astyanax. Somehow I imagined them again as the polar opposites thus the two of them having tension.
Odysseus mentions Thersites who was beaten really badly by him in the Iliad. In other sources it is mentioned that Odysseus has him stoned to death after Theraites attempts treason. In this story Thersites was already dead.
I know that for Palamedes the most famous version of his end comes from Hygenius who writes how Odysseus frames him for treason. However Pausanias mentions from the Epic Cycle that Palamedes drowned at a fishing expedition and that "he believes the murderers were Odysseus and Diomedes". 🤔 somehow I wanted to use a lesser known version plus give a bit room to doubt for instance did Palamedes really fell by accident and Odysseus is guilty for not helping? Or perhaps Odysseus pushed him? Maybe he held him under? Dunno. Leave it to your imagination. I know is not so spicy as the framing story but bare with me hehehe
Talthybius here simply hears "it was Odysseus who planned it" thus sending that information yo Andromache without the rest of the details..
Astyanax uttering a word was totally random. If he were an infant a few months old or almost a year old in Iliad that means he would be around 1 to 1.5 years old when Troy fell so I thought it would be more impactful if the poor baby uttered a word before his end.
The interaction with Andromache was placed there for the dramatics and the impact. When Andromache screams "MY BOY!" I was inspired by the series "The Tudors" when Anne Boleyn laments her final miscarriage (by the way I think Natalie Dormer would make an amazing Andromache!)
The story with Palamedes was also added to make the connection between two mothers and their impact to Odysseus. Plus I thought it would make more sense if Odysseus was furious not only for being embarrassed or that he has to go to war but because Palamedes put his son in danger. (Of course Penelope would be part of that scheme!)
Odysseus refusing to participate at the choice of spoils was just a random detail but as a general rule from Eurypedes it seems that he eats the old Ekavi (Hecuba) as his slave (probably she would be to serve Penelope( so I imagined Odysseus wouldn't want to choose but getting whatever would be lucky for him to further implicate that he wouldn't want anything further to do with the war. He also mentions the incident when Telamonian Aias (aka the great Ajax) went mad when Odysseus won Achilles's armor from him and then he killed himself in shame.
I also wanted to portray the friendship between Menelaus and Odysseus which seems to be really strong since Menelaus always talks with the warmest words for Odysseus.
For further questions and analysis please ask me to the comment section or reblog etc!
I wanna also tag some of my best friends commenters rebloggers etc! Thank you guys! Sorry if I forget anyone!
@loco-bird @aaronofithaca05 @tunguszka20 @doob-or-something @jarondont @prompted-wordsmith @simugeuge @fangirlofallthefanthings
Poor guy 😂😂😂 He doesn't deserve this mess! They are trying to "kiss the girl" him but it's not working 🤣
Calypso and her maidens: *preparing an entire choreography singing together with Calypso* 🎵 Doooon't go wasting your emotions... Lay all your love on meeeeee! 🎵
Meanwhile Odysseus at the beach: 🎵 Lonely...I'm Mr. Lonely... 🎵
Oh gosh perfect close for this part girl ❤️❤️✨
The way it starts with Odysseus putting his loved ones in place of the slaughtered and grieving ones 😢 Astyanax, Priam and Adromache as his own son, father and wife, gosh he really is putting himself in their shoes feeling the suffering he has caused them....
And now he curses all the people and chain of events which have brought him into this war, and made him lead this great massacre released upon the people of Troy... Such a tragic figure that now has to bear the weight of the blood that was spilled, as always you express his frustration in the best way possible!
Is Polites worried for Odysseus being alone drunk, or is there some other danger for him to be alone at this moment? Maybe seeing his great grief mixed with it all adds to the concern because Odysseus surely must be quite a messy sight at this point... The way he says he's tired of being wise...
The detail of mixing the wine with water is such a great addition, as it shows how much Odysseus wants to drown in the alcohol to forget all this nightmare for he wants to drink it all pure and strong...
Oh gosh poor guy, you surely described his post shock of the war so well, the way he can't sleep, yet he's so restless and tired... He must be seeing the bloodbath each time he closes his eyes, and the way he just falls apart in puddles of tears pulling his own, probably sweat soaked, hair 😭
Man the way he begs for his family, maybe because of all the post trauma for the war and not wanting it to be reflected on his family, but maybe also all the acts that his comrades have committed that were considered blasphemous and so he is afraid that the Gods will release their wrath upon his family as punishment? Either way gosh the way he begs and the way he keeps repeating that he just wanted to go home is so heartbreaking... The price he took for all that he has done is breaking him apart in the middle of a desperate prayer 😢😢
The way Menelaus and Agamemnon go in and start praising him immediately completely contrasts with Odysseus weak and sarcastic response! He calls himself liar schemer and trickster with sarcastic aversion! And he considers his drunken state just one more shame! The poor guy really can't stand himself at this moment which you so well and sadly pointed out by him not knowing what to tell his wife and son after this...
And I really like how you described the others so perplexed with Odysseus reaction after the plan worked so well, and yet for Odysseus it didn't work well at all, at least not as he wanted with this level of suffering and so much blood that will never leave him...
I also loved how Agamemnon tried to speak yet couldn't face Odysseus eyes right afterwards! The way he makes him remember the wrath of the Gods really put some more thought into him, as well as him being reminded of their own losses of people like Achilles in the war. I really love when the dark sides of battles are portrayed this way!
The way Odysseus asked if this was all worth it, and what the Trojans actually did to deserve such a fate really made him jump and blame all of this talk in his drunken state! But in a way it seems it's because he himself doesn't want to think about it much, that he's avoiding facing the same void that Odysseus is contemplating! And Agamemnon can't face that these people were indeed also just trying to defend themselves and their land.
Menelaus seems to be indeed much more sympathetic and soft with Odysseus which clearly helps a lot, I like it how he doesn't want him to melt away in his demons like that and that he doesn't want him to blame himself for what others have done. The way Odysseus says he will take part in the celebration seems so sarcastic as well... yet a bit soft. And the way Menelaus says he won't mention his state to anyone! Poor guy must really look bad!!
I also like how Odysseus is so dismissive of the spoils, not really denying them but saying he will accept whatever, because he really is suffering with what was done to this place and people, he's ashamed so he doesn't want to relish himself in gains... And also because of past experiences, the poor guy is even weak in his jokes now!
It's very heartwarming how Odysseus badmouths himself claiming his lack of honor yet Menelaus tells him that for him he's the greatest of Greeks, it clearly touched Odysseus too and gave him at least some comfort in the middle of all the chaos and conflicted emotions he's going through... Aww his weak smile and that fact he only needed someone to acknowledge his suffering and he himself as a person is very deep ❤️ the small words sometimes speak the loudest.
Gosh and it ends with poor Odysseus thinking that he's finally going home after so much time and struggles, such a cruel fate for this poor man!!
"Stoping a king seems impossible, God help us with two." That's great hahaha so sweet to see his humour returning a bit! This is a perfect close to the beginning of fic, for he finally is able to rest and sleep thanks to the words of his companion ❤️
The ride was fantastic dear! You always outdo yourself with your writing! Always fantastic and so expressive with the scenes and character! Amazing work ✨✨❤️❤️💖💖
I commented on this before but I love how you have chosen the version where Neoptolemus throws the baby instead and has this tension with Odysseus!! I also don't see Odysseus as a baby killer but like I said before I see Caleb so much in Odysseus that it just became a reference, so that's probably why 😂😂
Oh gosh the girl being sacrificed like that at Achilles tomb is a damn gruesome detail! Can definitely see why it seems it is from the Trojan's perspective of things 😆 her caring for his tomb instead is much softer. Poor Odysseus did try his best to spare who he could...
I did know that mixing wine with water was common practice but didn't know it was unusual to drink wine without being mixed unless it was for dipping bread, that's very interesting!
I really liked the conflict between Odysseus and Neoptolemus, the way you made them be a contrast to each other was great ✨
Oh gosh yes the beaten up arrogant, almost crippled ugly guy that probably shouldn't even go to war in the first place 😂😂 and now being used as a threat hahaha
And of course the way Neoptolemus grabbed Odysseus by the balls with the death of Palamedes!
And Adromache didn't want or needed to hear any more...
Gosh the baby calling him papa was definitely the peak of it all, it was such a good and heartbreaking addition 😭
Oh boy with that comparison to that Tudors scene I can definitely imagine her distress as she screams for her lost baby 💔
Like I said above I really liked how you made Odysseus not want to get involved with the choices of the spoils it really shows his negative feelings towards the results of this war! And the way you portrayed his friendship with Menelaus is very touching indeed with those last words of encouragement ❤️
Once again fantastic work girl, truly great ✨✨✨💖💖💖🥰🥰
Continuing from Part 2
Guilt (P3 + Footnotes)
"Odysseus" Meriones approached him, "Are you alright?"
Odysseus winced in pain. He hadn't realized he had clenched his fist so hard that it hurt him. He unclenched it.
"Yes..." he whispered, "Yes, I'm fine..."
Odysseus moaned. That baby...the look at that infant's face...Astyanax was gone...he had given his place to Telemachus. Priam's slain face was Laërtes...mourning Andromache was his wife... He grasped his head with both hands.
"Damn you Neoptolemus! Damn you Helen for starting it! Damn you Menelaus for dragging me into this... Damn you Palamedes! Damn you all! Why should I have taken this blood upon me?! Why did it have to be me?!"
He sighed.
"Polites...I want to be alone for a little while..."
"Do you think that is wise...?" Polites asked with hidden meaning.
"Wise!" Odysseus voiced like an echo, "No, perhaps not but I got tired of being wise for now..."
Polites sighed.
"At least add some water to your wine...please Odysseus"
Odysseus dismissed him with a move of his hand. He wasn't much in the mood for anything at that moment. He knew war wouldn't be pleasant but these events of just one night were taking the cake. He was exhausted; sleepless for two nights and a full day and right now the Sacker of Cities, the Man of Many Ways was terrified. He collapsed again and his tears overflowed from his eyes, wetting the table below. He grasped his wet hair with his fingers as if he was ready to uproot them.
"Gods! Please Athena, please, I beg of you...if you love me...p-protect my son! Let the miasma fall on me! Not him! I-I...I just wanted to g-go home! I just wanted to see them again...my Penelope...my Telemachus...! I-I never meant for this to happen! P-Please...! I beg of you if you love me...p-protect my son! Don't let the gods' wrath fall upon their heads! P-Please...! F-Forgive me! I...I just...I just wanted to go home!"
He couldn't decide what to pray for first... Words cascaded out of his mouth without any coherent way or syntax. He only prayed desperately, wetting with his tears the table. Sun was already setting and Troy was taken...but at what cost...
*
Menelaus and Agamemnon entered Odysseus's hut one after the other.
"I gotta give it to you, Odysseus!" Agamemnon said, "You WERE telling the truth when you said you could take Troy in one night!"
Odysseus was collapsed upon his chair, looking at them with an unreadable expression to his face. The jug was resting empty somewhere after the feet of his seat.
"Hm..." he hummed, "That's me. I am the trickster, remember? I lie, I scheme and I trick. That is what I do"
Agamemnon raised a brow.
"Are you drunk?!" He asked in disbelief
"One more shame to add to the events of this night..." Odysseus replied bitterly.
"Shame? I do not understand. We finally sacked the city. You can finally go home."
"Home..." Odysseus whispered, "I wonder...what shall I say to Penelope when she asks? Or Telemachus? If he asks 'father what did you do and you were away?', 'I was at war, my son', 'did you fight honorably and sack many cities?'... What shall I say for what we've done...?"
"I do not understand you Odysseus. It was your idea"
"Yeah somehow I do not doubt it..." Odysseus mumbled bitterly, "I was wrong, Agamemnon. This was not what I imagined...what I planned..."
He sighed shifting his position a bit to his chair.
"Priam is dead, you know that..."
"Yeah, like we expected to-..."
"On the altar. On the freaking altar, Agamemnon..."
"Yeah I heard..."
"Imagine that happening to any of us...in our homelands. If one cannot respect the holy laws then what?"
He played a bit with his empty cup.
"Priam murdered on the altar...Cassandra raped mercilessly and now Ajax looks for shelter to the very same altar he dragged her out of, to avoid being stoned to death..." the king of Ithaca rubbed the bridge of his nose, "...death...death and fire everywhere..."
"Odysseus..." spoke Menelaus, "I understand that you are grieving, it was not easy or pleasant but..."
"The boy...he was the same age as my son! Thrown off the wall..."
"Odysseus" Agamemnon spoke again, "I honestly don't understand you. Others would fly from joy with your glory. You had a good plan and it worked. Thanks to you we can all go home."
Odysseus's eyes became bottomless. Even Agamemnon had to lower his gaze against it.
"The blasphemy put us under the anger of gods, Agamemnon. Remember that. Listen..."
Agamemnon seemed like indeed trying to listen something.
"The Trojans are not the only ones mourning. We lost many good men too. We lost Achilles. Or have you forgotten?"
Agamemnon sighed deeply.
"His loss...was tragic indeed" he finally said, "we had our differences but his loss was a great price..."
"Quite so..." Odysseus whispered, "was it really worth it? The price we had to pay to sack Troy?"
He shifted his weight to his chair lethargically. He rubbed his forehead with his free hand for a second. The dizziness bad settled for real in his brain. He leaned his head back again, earning a small cracking sound from his neck.
"And since we are at it, I have a question for you, Agamemnon, son of Atreus, the first among the Greeks... What did the Trojans REALLY do to us to deserve such an end?"
"You're drunk! You don't know what you're talking about!"
Odysseus snorted humorlessly.
"Oh, I am drunk, alright. But I know exactly what I am talking about. And you do too. They took Helen, sure, or at least one of them did. But their real crime against us was that they protected their lands...from us. That's what we would have done as well..."
Agamemnon was ready to speak again but Menelaus stopped him.
"Brother, that's enough"
He then turned ti Odysseus sympathetically.
"Look, Odysseus, I understand that it hurts and I am sorry too that I put you through that indirectly, but please do not melt away. No matter what the actions of others was not your choice."
Odysseus said nothing. He only sighed.
"Will you join us at the games later? You are the hero of the day. Your presence is asked for."
Odysseus scoffed.
"Oh I will be there, alright. I never miss a good party!"
Menelaus smiled sadly.
"Thank you, Odysseus...for everything. I really mean it... I will see you later, when you sober up a little..."
He looked at his friend and added;
"And...we shall mention none...of this" he pointed at him indicating his condition.
Odysseus soullessly nodded as if wanting to attempt some humor.
"Thanks...I appreciate it"
Agamemnon was ready to say something but apparently he decided against it. He only sighed and turned to leave before finally asking;
"Will you come to take a pick from the spoils? You deserve it given it was thanks to you we got in"
The tired king made a dismissive move with his hand.
"No. I'm fine with whatever. Just include me to the next lottery" he replied indifferently
"Are you sure? You deserve a better share"
Odysseus smiled humorlessly.
"Last time I chose and defended my choice, we lost Aias the Telamonian. I think we lost enough for one decade, don't you think?"
It was a failure of attempt for humor and he knew it but Agamemnon only sighed.
"Suit yourself" he said defeated, heading for the exit
Menelaus was about to do the same but apparently something made him stop and turn around.
"Odysseus?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you...truly... You gave me back my honor
Odysseus snorted again.
"With the cost of mine..." he whispered bitterly, "Not that anyone ever thought I had any..."
The king of Sparta, though, shook his head negatively.
"To me you will always be the greatest of all Greeks"
The man who endured all torments looked up and for the first tike a small smile rose to his dry lips. That word of kindness was what he needed for his tormented heart to feel some sort of hope. At least there was finally one who neither blamed him nor glorified him. Menelaus saw his torment and responded. That was enough.
"Thank you..." he whispered
Menelaus nodded his head in return.
"Now rest, my friend. We have a long way before us...we are going home..."
Home...the tormented king of Ithaca thought. Yes, finally they could go home. After 10 endless years they could finally embrace their families. Just few more months of journey and Odysseus could finally go home... All he had to do was to learn to live with what he did... He watched both the kings through his cloudy vision, getting out of his tent and Polites coming back in.
"I am sorry, Odysseus! I couldn't stop them!"
Odysseus dismissed him with a hand gesture once more.
"Don't sweat it, Polites. Stopping a king seems impossible. Gods help us with two!"
Polites smiled softly. At least he would gain some of his humor back, he thought.
"Help me get to my bed, Polites..." sighed Odysseus hoarsely, "I need to rest... I am very tired..."
~~~~
Oh gosh what have I done?! Hehehehe well not sorry...not really! 😆 I hope you enjoyed this ride.
As you see I tried incorporating some of the Epic Cycle to the situation but I did tamper around with the timeliness. The Epic Cycle is a lovely mess anyways and holds many contradictions with the homeric poems but it includes many things.
Now the fragmentary poem Iliou Persis is sven mentioned how Odysseus throws Astyanax off the walls but most sources have Neoptolemus donit and I do agree with those more. Now in Trojan Women by Eurypedes the messenger Talthybius tells Andromache that Odysseus schemed so that her son would be thrown off the walls and that he persuaded the Greeks they couldn't raise the baby. Odysseus doesn't strike much as a baby killer in Odyssey or even the Iliad although he is known for being cruel in his punishments (see the excecution of the 50 conspiring slave girls) but nowhere jn Odyssey does Odysseus refer to that fact even if he does speak of his regrets for other actions of his and if he HAD thrown Astyanax off the walls himself I doubt he wouldn't have made any reference to it so I believe that Iliou Persis should he treated like Telegony when it comes to the homeric poems; a bit contradictory to the homeric epics (unless there is some lost fragment that tells us how Odysseus went on a rampage he could not remember lol 😆 ) so I made a mixture of all the above to show how Odysseus "killed" Astyanax or subconsciously persuaded the Greeks to do it and I added the role of Talthybius here too.
Iliou Persis seems to also be the most violent form when it comes to the Greek side such as that they offer Priam's daughter Polyxene to Achilles's tomb as a sacrifice, thus causing the rage of Athena (I swear the thing was written by a Trojan lol 😆) Eurypedes mentions how Polyxene was offered as slave to Achilles symbolically so she should serve his tomb. I also added the detail of Odysseus trying to persuade Neoptolemus to choose her as his price to speak Andromache but his attempts are a failure.
Drunkenness was severely discouraged in ancient geeece thus the concern in Polites's words when Odysseus uses it as a coping mechanism for the traumatic events of the night. Moreover the Greeks always mixed their wine with water (thus having the modern name for wine in Greek κρασί which comes from the verb in ancient greek which means "to mix") the wine that was not watered was called άκρατον and it was qlmost never consumed unless dipped in bread. The analogy between wine and water depended.
In this story I depict Neoptolemus as somehow a nemesis to Odysseus. Similar to what Agamemnon or Hector were for Achilles. I have no idea why but the idea stuck with me especially since the two are the two candidates for the murder of Astyanax. Somehow I imagined them again as the polar opposites thus the two of them having tension.
Odysseus mentions Thersites who was beaten really badly by him in the Iliad. In other sources it is mentioned that Odysseus has him stoned to death after Theraites attempts treason. In this story Thersites was already dead.
I know that for Palamedes the most famous version of his end comes from Hygenius who writes how Odysseus frames him for treason. However Pausanias mentions from the Epic Cycle that Palamedes drowned at a fishing expedition and that "he believes the murderers were Odysseus and Diomedes". 🤔 somehow I wanted to use a lesser known version plus give a bit room to doubt for instance did Palamedes really fell by accident and Odysseus is guilty for not helping? Or perhaps Odysseus pushed him? Maybe he held him under? Dunno. Leave it to your imagination. I know is not so spicy as the framing story but bare with me hehehe
Talthybius here simply hears "it was Odysseus who planned it" thus sending that information yo Andromache without the rest of the details..
Astyanax uttering a word was totally random. If he were an infant a few months old or almost a year old in Iliad that means he would be around 1 to 1.5 years old when Troy fell so I thought it would be more impactful if the poor baby uttered a word before his end.
The interaction with Andromache was placed there for the dramatics and the impact. When Andromache screams "MY BOY!" I was inspired by the series "The Tudors" when Anne Boleyn laments her final miscarriage (by the way I think Natalie Dormer would make an amazing Andromache!)
The story with Palamedes was also added to make the connection between two mothers and their impact to Odysseus. Plus I thought it would make more sense if Odysseus was furious not only for being embarrassed or that he has to go to war but because Palamedes put his son in danger. (Of course Penelope would be part of that scheme!)
Odysseus refusing to participate at the choice of spoils was just a random detail but as a general rule from Eurypedes it seems that he eats the old Ekavi (Hecuba) as his slave (probably she would be to serve Penelope( so I imagined Odysseus wouldn't want to choose but getting whatever would be lucky for him to further implicate that he wouldn't want anything further to do with the war. He also mentions the incident when Telamonian Aias (aka the great Ajax) went mad when Odysseus won Achilles's armor from him and then he killed himself in shame.
I also wanted to portray the friendship between Menelaus and Odysseus which seems to be really strong since Menelaus always talks with the warmest words for Odysseus.
For further questions and analysis please ask me to the comment section or reblog etc!
I wanna also tag some of my best friends commenters rebloggers etc! Thank you guys! Sorry if I forget anyone!
@loco-bird @aaronofithaca05 @tunguszka20 @doob-or-something @jarondont @prompted-wordsmith @simugeuge @fangirlofallthefanthings
Oh gosh the moment of the death of the baby 😭😭😭
Man I love how you write poor Odysseus, he had to go forward, yet now that he sees all this suffering he is barely keeping it together... The way he can't take how his men do such cruel acts, how they massacre the king searching for sanctuary in the altar, and he's now seeing their true rage being spilled into these people and rulers and it burns him as well....
Neoptolemus is quite a character, gosh I like how you wrote Odysseus so perturbed at how much such a youth, and a child he brought with him to this war, is enjoying the bloodbath so much and is letting his rage take over! They exchange words like pure poison and knifes! The way you wrote the tension is intense, especially when he reminds him of the man Odysseus let to drown, and Odysseus knowing he both didn't but did kill that man at the same time, because he also did nothing to help him.
And gosh saying that the royal family line of Troy should be cut really went back to haunt Odysseus... He knew there was gonna be death and blood, but to actually see it and to see his men actually enjoying it is another level for him, he was even hoping for some to be spared if they surrendered gosh...
But the peak of it all is definitely when baby Astyanax is brought so roughly and so terrified 😢 It's so touching how Odysseus is doing the best he can to spare the poor child, he did not want to kill a baby like this... It's heartbreaking the way he is even attempting to buy the baby some more time so he at least can come up with some plan to save him, but Neoptolemus simply doesn't let him... I really like how you went with the version of Neoptolemus being the one to kill the poor baby, it fits well with the way you wrote Odysseus, and gosh his absolute shock and distress when he sees him dropping him 😢😢 also it's just so heartbreaking how baby Astyanax confuses Neoptolemus with his father 😭😭 it makes it all so much raw and tragic! Poor little one so terribly young to even understand what was happening! And the way they keep chanting "Sacker of cities" which adds so many more needles into Odysseus heart and soul, you really showed his broken heart and rage so well and how it connects to his name, especially when Neoptolemus praises him in their victory to mock him and to call him the true killer here in such an arrogant way...
The image of the burnt broken city, the slaves, the burnt dead and more surely sound like a hellscape! And Odysseus too exhausted physically and mentally covered in dried blood... Man the scene with Adromache adds even more weight to the heartache... The way she walks full of dignity even tho her whole home and loved ones burn all around her, yet she loses complete composure upon seeing the one who she blames for all that happened! I love how Odysseus doesn't want to face her knowing the part he took on all of this... And how he tried to deny that he killed her baby but can't continue talking!
The way she completely breaks down when she notices her dead baby being carried 😭😭 and the way Odysseus orders them to let her mourn... You can capture emotions so well in your writing and you definitely captured the gut wrenching pain of a mother wailing and screaming for her lost baby, and it definitely hits Odysseus hard too! It's so fitting how his mind immediately goes to his own son that he remembers as a baby because of her words similar to his wife screaming for their own baby!
Oh boy I remember you telling me about this! Such a savage scene Palamedes really went with the lowest move there gosh, someone please arrest him on the spot! 😂 Poor Odysseus was trying so hard to keep his insanity plan but just couldn't help it when his baby was put in harm's way like that! It's so touching the way he immediately stops and checks for his son's safety like that, and his own insanity cover blown but him not caring in his anger, and asking if Palamedes is the one who is insane instead hahaha poor child! Oh man and him telling him not to forget as a challenge!
Oh gosh and Adromache uncovering the fabrics and seeing her baby mangled like that 😢😢 that was such a dark and fitting detail to add to the gravity of it all the way you described how the poor little one's remains were looking like 😰😢 enough to make any mother go insane... And poor Odysseus actually tried to prevent her from doing it... And his mind actually pinched his heart and guilt more by making him picture his own son in such a way...
Him finally wanting to help her get up to keep her dignity and her spitting on his face was definitely the ultimate burn for him... I love how she returns from grief to anger so quickly with just his act to approach her, she doesn't want anything for the one she considers responsible for this 😢
And Odysseus drowns in such guilt but tries so hard... he knows it would only make everything worse for himself to show weakness so he makes the others take her away like that... And she returns to her Queen stance again, tho it's still so heartbreaking that she does not want to get separated from her son's body 😢
Oh man Meriones asking that "Are you alright" hits different with your writing describing the turmoil and storm of emotions going on through Odysseus head all throughout this story 😢 and the way he winces and realizes he must unclench his fist speaks so much louder than his reply 😢
This shows the heaviness and the true ugliness of war even to the victorious side... How the trauma remains for everyone 💔
Fantastic work as always girl, your use of words and emotions are always amazing through the narrative and characters, their humanity is always so natural ❤️❤️❤️✨✨✨👏👏
Thank you for the mention ❤️
Continuing from Part 1;
Guilt (P2)
"And no, that was what you feared...not what you knew. There was no way you would know the magnitude of it...you gave them the city just like you promised. What theh did with it was their responsibility"
If only it were that simple, Odysseus thought
Odysseus could feel his head buzzing all the time. He was feeling tired of killing that night. As he had promised they had plundered Troy in just one fateful night. Odysseus had lost counting at how many lives had fallen under his sword. The palace of Troy had fallen. Troy was burning. As he cut his way through with with sword he remembered bodies falling down; armed or not; soldiers who barely had time to rouse themselves from sleep to come to save their city and yet they rushed at him bravely. Odysseus couldn't decide if he admired them or felt sorry for them.
"Odysseus!" The voice of a soldier brought him back to the present
"What is it?"
"Priam is dead!"
"Dead?!"
That piece of information he feared but he hoped he could prevent.
"Where?"
The man bringing the news was way too nervous for comfort.
"Where!" Odysseus demanded again
"T-To the altar of Zeus...he was slain upon the altar!"
Odysseus nearly dropped his sword! Had they stooped so low, then, in anger and hate?
"Who!" Odysseus demanded, "who did such a blasphemous act?!"
"N-Neoptolemous..."
Odysseus could hardly remember rushing to the scene. Perhaps he remembered the hall drenched in blood and there he saw the dead body of the king; neck gushed open and blood all over the floor. The haunting image of the expression of horror to the old man's face as well as the stain of blood upon the altar were a blurry mess in his brain. All he knew was that he saw that child he had brought to this war, with his face smeared with blood, having a self-complacent smirk on his face. He almost seemed possessed. That damn armor seemed to be one with his skin.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!" Odysseus bellowed, "How could you do that?! Have you so little respect for the laws of humans that you've stooped to the level of beasts?!"
The way that Neoptolemus looked at him was pure mockery and arrogance gained from victory.
"Now come on, Sacker of Cities...don't pretend that you would have left that man live! He was the king of Troy...just his existence would be a threat. You would have him executed anyways".
Odysseus couldn't remember grabbing the boy by the throat but he was beyond himself. His eyes were two bottomless pools of blackness.
"Do you want to end up like Thersites?!" He threatened in a dangerous whisper, "Do not challenge me, boy!"
"Or what?" Neoptolemus challenged back, "Will you do to me what you did to Palamedes?"
Odysseus was so shocked he could hardly speak. He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. The shock was enough to make him release the threat of the youth and take a few steps back.
"I have no idea what you're talking about" he said
Neoptolemus laughed.
"You are a liar, Odysseus! But then again you always were, weren't you?"
"Palamedes drowned in the sea! It was an accident!"
For a moment the image of ruffling waters had passed through his mind. Palamedes struggling under the surface... Odysseus remembered being frozen. He never tried to jump after him even jf he were an excellent swimmer. He was cold and motionless like a statue. The voice of the arrogant son of Achilles brought him back to reality.
"Yeah, how convenient indeed that he had that small... 'accident' when you and Diomedes were at the same boat with him during that fishing expedition! How convenient indeed!"
"This isn't about me!" Odysseus snapped at him, "This has to do with the hubris you performed here! We do NOT kill those who seek the sanctuary of the gods!"
"Times have changed, old man! You said so yourself! Besides wasn't you the one who implied that the line of the royal family of Troy should be cut? Priam shouldn't live anyways!"
Yes, Odysseus thought,he had said that and by that time he believed jt, however the old man had sought sanctuary. If they waited for him to get exhausted maybe... He could have surrendered. Murder upon sacred place was definitely NOT the way to do it. They could have offered him a nobler death than that! Odysseus didn't have time to reply. He heard a baby cry. He turned around to see in horror a man bringing baby Astyanax and handing him to Neoptolemus. The infant, barely one year of age, was crying woefully as he was handled not at all gently by Neoptolemus, who seemed untouched by the cries. Id anything he seemed to enjoy it
"What about the heir of Troy, Odysseus? What shall happen to him?"
"You can't be serious! It's just a baby!"
"A baby that is almost at the age of walking! Soon at the age of fighting. Will you let him live, Odysseus? You were the one who convinced the council, remember? You said we should all uproot the family of Priam from this earth!".
Yes, once again Odysseus had said that,however he had absolutely forgotten in the heat od the moment how old the heir actually was. The child was barely one. He could hardly speak yet alone walknand fight. Only now had he realized in horror what that promise he partially made would mean. He didn't expect to be brought before the consequences so fast!
"Weren't you the one who persuaded all the Greeks to uproot Priam's long family out of Troy?"
"Yes, but-..."
"So you take your word back? Decide!"
"Decide what?!"
"How he shall die, of course! You can't expect us to raise the son of king Hector, do you? Which will be? Sword or fall?"
The baby...the infant; no older than 1 year of age, was not much older than Telemachus... it was an innocent creature! He watched in terror as Neoptolemus held the baby to the edge of the wall.
"Choose, Odysseus!" Neoptolemus challenged, " or are you taking your words back?"
"This is madness!"
"You said to the council the other night that you would throw all of Priam's line outside these walls!" Neoptolemus insisted, "I believe the phrase you strategically used was 'we can throw them all out of the city of Troy!" I believe everyone agreed with such a sensible idea"
"Odysseus?"
It was the voice of Talthybius. Of course it would be that sleek worm! Odysseus cursed under his teeth. He was supposed to be their messenger and yet he found hik way too compassionate on the Trojan matter. Perhaps he should have gotten rid of him off his position a long time ago!
"Did you really tell the kings to kill this infant? Drag him out of his mother's bosom when she sought sanctuary in her husband's tomb and kill him in such a manner?"
Odysseus pointed his blood-stained sword at the scared messenger.
"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you!" He threatened, eyes set aflame
He didn't need any more of those throwing accusations at him and he had enough of this for one night! One madman before him was enough; he didn't need a Troy-friendly coward as wellm
"Stay back! This is none of your concern!"
As Talthybius took some steps back, alarmed at this sudden attack from the furious king of Ithaca, Neoptolemus seemed to enjoy this scene more than the idea of throwing the baby off the walls or stabbing him to death.
"Decide, old man!" He urged again, "Do you take your word back? Every person in that hall heard you and agreed with you! Shown in this pilgrim of the night that you have SOME sense of honor!"
Odysseus was frozen in place. His own words that he didn't mean that way were now twisted in such a horrendous manner before him and bound him like chains. He could not take that word back. His brain was also stuck and his usual eloquent tongue could not find an excuse not to do it now...
"So be it..." he said defeated, "But let us choose a more humane method! Not this, Neoptolemus! Not this!"
He needed to buy himself some time. He needed to think of any reason, ANY excuse to keep this baby alive. Neoptolemus, though, being a true son of his father's, wouldn't let him do that either.
"Not on your life, son of Laërtes! This is the child of the man who thought he could kill my father! His bloody uncle actually succeeded! His filthy kin DARED to harm a man whose mother was a goddess! He needs to die and he shall now!"
At that moment he dragged the toddler almost effortlessly with one hand; strength given only by wrath and hatred, he let him hanging on the wall. The child was crying woefully and then Odysseus thought he heard him speak;
"PAPA!"
He froze. In some terrible realization he figured the horrendous truth. Neoptolemousbhad inherited the golden locks of his father's and his light yes that included the sea and sky. He, Odysseus, was dark of hair, black of eyes, lightly olive tanned white skin...he was similar to HIM...to Hector of Troy. The infant was calling HIM to save him! Panic took over him and he forgot all logic, all his attempts to find excuses. Now the child...the baby...someone's SON (Telemachus!)needed HIS assistance.
"Neoptolemus no! It's just a baby! Let the poor creature go!"
"Very poor choice of words, Odysseus!"
And Neoptolemus did exactly what he was told...he let go! The baby fell out of the palace walls, leaving gravity take the body rapidly down.
"NOOOOOOO!" Odysseus yelled helplessly but that's all he could do.
He ran at the edge only to see a tiny bloody dot at the bass kd the wall. The haunting cries had stopped...forever.
"NEOPTOLEMUS!" Odysseus bellowed furiously, "you killed him! You killed an infant!"
"No, Odysseus!" Neoptolemus replied, "You did. Your plan, your advise, your sin."
Odysseus felt dizzy...his stomach twisted dangerously but he did herculean effort to hold himself back. There was so much he wanted to say...so much he wanted to scream but he found it impossible to utter a single sound.
"TROY HAS FALLEN!" the happy cry from the inside of the castle drew them out of this, "WAR IS OVER! HOORAY! HOORAY FOR THE SACKER OF CITIES!"
Odysseus felt like losing strength off his legs. He didn't even know how to feel. However he knew one thing. He was feeling ENRAGED. It was as if the name that was given to him by his grandfather now suddenly made sense! He glared daggers yo Neoptolemus but the arrogant boy only smiled self-complacently...
"Looks like you were right, old man... You DID take the city in one night..."
Odysseus looked beyond the walls. If was true. The sun was rising...although his light was now duller in his eyes; the fires were stronger...
*
The walls of Troy had fallen and the real damage was apparent the next morning following the massacre. The houses had burnt almost to the ground and only the strongest walls were still standing upright; sad reminder of their previous glory. Odysseus was standing there with some of his men, watching the march of wounded or future slaves coming out of the city in chains or ropes. The ways were known. They would be distributed to some of the kings among them and the rest would be given by luck to the rest of the people. After that thy should gather and burn the dead before they would be good to go... Odysseus looked aged almost ten years more. He had dark circles under his eyes and he still didn't have time to wash himself from the blood. The thick liquid had formed a crust upon him by that moment. Helen was secured and brought out of the city to safety by Menelaus. So everything seemed to be in place. Then, why would he feel as if he had to use all his will to endure it and keep a stone calm face? His attention was drawn to the part of the procession. It was Andromache, the queen and widow of Hector. Odysseus grimaced. He had hoped he wouldn't face that woman. She was walking upright with the dignity even the greatest of Queens would be jealous of, as if she were the mighty Hera. Even if she was in chains she was still holding her head high. Odysseus learnt that she was to be given to Neoptolemous. He watched the queen marching to be given to the man that murdered her son... The man they now called Sacker of Cities didn't know which was sadder for her. He had tried to persuade Neoptolemous to take another but all his pleas or even manipulation fell on deaf ears. In the end he wondered if it mattered... At that moment his onyx eyes locked with the eyes of the queen. And then he saw her face transform from purr dignity to pure hatred in a matter of seconds!
"ODYSSEUS!" she yelled at him, pulling the chains with all her strength, "YOU SPAWN OF THIEVES AND RAGGED SCHEMER! THIS IS ALL YOUR DOING! GODS SHALL THROW THEIR RAGE UPON YOU!"
Odysseus didn't have time to defend himself.
"It was all your idea! Your plan! You scheming bastard could not fight with honor! But how could you! HOW COULD YOU!"
Her rage gave her strength anew as she managed to crawl closer. Even Odysseus took half a step back.
"HE WAS JUST ONE YEAR OLD ODYSSEUS!DO YOU HAVE NO HEART?!"
The king of Ithaca froze. He had no idea how she had found out about it but then it hit him. Talthybius! Of course! He must have talked to her.
"HE WAS JUST A BABY! HOW COULD YOU!"
"I didn't..." he whispered more to himself than anything else
"CURSE UPON YOU!" she drew her chains again and even the soldier needed to pull back, "I knew they wouldn't let him live! But this?! THIS?! HE WAS JUST ONE YEAR OLD ODYSSEUS! Just one year-..."
And then there was a heart-wrenching cry. Suddenly her anger turned into outpost pain. Odysseus turned his head and realized the reason. The small wrapped up ball could be nothing else but the remains of her son. One of the Greeks was transferring them to the pyre for the funeral. Odysseus cursed everything he believed in. He had hoped they would be spared at least of that! Both her and him. Andromache fell on her knees trying to release herself and get closer to the wrapped up package.
"MY BOY!" she cried, "AH! MY BOY!"
The soldier was ready to take the package away but Odysseus stopped him.
"No! Let her mourn!"
Unwillingly the man placed the child on the ground as she crawled over it, hands still tied up, not allowing her to wrap her arms around the remains of her son or even scratch her cheeks to mourn... Odysseus watched her kneel almost like an animal mourning her calf, leaning her forehead against the bloodied cloth
"MY BEAUTIFUL BOY!" Andromache's voice rose in an inhuman tone of cries and woe
The king of Ithaca felt his heart pinch. Yes, he has heard that cry before. It was an eternity ago in Ithaca...when Palamedes had come to pick him up...
*
Odysseus was plowing the field, singing an incoherent song. He was moving his head to an unmatched rhythm. He had tied one donkey and one cow to the plow, plowing in a totally messy way. He seemed to pay no mind. Odysseus was very keen upon his disguise as a madman. Palamedes was watching the scene with Penelope from afar as his beloved queen was playing with their son in her arms.
"He has been doing that all day..." Penelope said in her melodious voice, "He listens to no one when they tell him that this is not right. My husband insists that this is the best way to plow the field."
Penelope knew her part very well. They had agreed upon it after all. Part of it was her idea too. She didn't want him to go to war and he didn't want either. Not now that they had their son to take care of. Palamedes looked suspiciously at the scene.
"I find it hard to believe the mighty Odysseus losing his mind like this...it is so fast and so sad to be true..."
He approached closer.
"Come on, Odysseus, son of Laërtes! We have work to do, we have to get ready for the war!"
Odysseus didn't reply and continued his work. Penelope approached.
"My lord, as you see, my husband is a very sick man. He cannot help you in this war. I am afraid you must find someone else..."
Palamedes looked at her sideways before turning his gaze back at Odysseus.
"Such a shame though..." he whispered as if to himself, "Such a brilliant mind...be condemned in such a way... Seems such a waste..."
He eyed Penelope and something inside her heart flattered. She didn't like that look.
"But perhaps..." Palamedes started, "I might have a cure for his...illness..."
Penelope raised a brow.
"My lord?"
No sooner had she voiced that word and Palamedes yanked Telemachus out of her arms.
"NO!" Penelope cried out surprised, "What are you doing?! Stop!"
Telemachus screeched and cried as Palamedes ran towards the field.
"NO! MY BOY!" Penelope cried out
Odysseus barely had time to see with the corner of his eye Palamedes throw his infant son to the front of the two giant animals plowing! His mind did not think twice.
"WOOO BOY! WOO! WOO!" his mighty hands pulled the reigns stopping the plow barely a few inches away from the crying baby
Rushing to the spot he picked up his precious son to his hands, he raised him to his head, he inspected those little limbs and that soft head... He sighed in relief when he found no major injuries to that little body.
"Shh..sh sh...my boy..." he cooed at his son, "It's okay...it's okay..."
His gaze was fiery as he looked up to Palamedes.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMNED MIND?!" he bellowed, "You nearly killed my son!"
Palamedes seemed uninterested at that coy as he smirked.
"Welcome back to the world of sanity, Odysseus. So now I believe we can talk about the preparations of the war, according to the oath you gave. Let us cut this charade and be men..."
Ashamed, humbled but above all ENRAGED, Odysseus looked up from his kneeling position, still cooing his son, trying to calm him.
"That was a low blow, even for you!" He growled at him
"You are the one to talk, son of Laërtes!" Palamedes retorted, "you are the one who always schemes to avoid his responsibilities!"
"Yes but I don't use innocent infants for it! I shall not forget this Palamedes!"
"I seriously hope you won't" Palamedes retorted, "So that we won't add 'oathbreaker' to your list of titles!"
*
Oh how enraged he had been! And yet now he remembered that moment for a totally different reason! Now he was seeing that woman who used to be a mighty queen screaming and crying over that small ball that used to be her son. She was doubling over and over, crying.
"MY BOY! NO NO NO! NO! MY SON!"
At some point she managed to grasp the cloth
"No! Don't-...!"
The cloth revealed a ball of flesh that the face and the little bones were no more recognizable. Odysseus shut his eyes closed for one secondm
"Telemachus!" He thought, "No! Not him...that's not him..."
Andromache screeched in woe as she doubled over at that small ball of flesh that used to play around a few days ago, hitting her chest with the last bits of her hands, pulling on her chains maniacally. Odysseus could take no more. He went close to her. She was a queen, she had to pull it together.
"Get up..." he whispered huskily, "please get up...for your son..."
Andromache shot her head up and spat straight on his face. The saliva from her mouth burnt his cheek like fire; like the fire that now existed in her eyes. Her woe had stopped, apart from those tears that turned her eyes red. Hatred returned...and it was all directed to him... The Man of Many Ways felt his heart turn into marble; hard and cold. He stood up to his full height wiping his cheek with his hand. He felt the dirt and blood smearing in combination with the spit. All of Troy's massacre had fallen upon him...
"Take her out of here!" He ordered in a low, cold voice
If I show weakness...I'm lost...
Andromache struggled only for one minute and that would be so that she wouldn't be separated from her son (the son that now a soldier was picking up again, sparing everyone from the unpleasant task seeing the child). She then followed her captures. She was a queen again. The only thing you could hear was some low cry.
"Odysseus..." Meriones approached him, "Are you alright?"
Odysseus winced in pain. He hadn't realized that he had clenched his fist so hard that it hurt him. He unclenched it.
"Yes..." he whispered, "Yes, I'm fine"
*
Sooo Part 2! Soon the closure will come! Dedication to some hood friends such as @aaronofithaca05 @simugeuge @prompted-wordsmith @loco-bird @jarondont
Oh gosh girl you always know how to portray emotions so well 😮😢😢
poor Odysseus... His pain is so profound for all that happened... The way he recognized himself in such a state in his reflection and it terrified him 😢
And his extreme guilt of all that happened to the people they attacked, the victims of their rage, murdered and raped... It's clearly too much for him, not even his comrades can soothe and console him.
Flawless written as always girl! But somehow you're getting even better and better at it ❤️❤️✨✨✨
Kinda a prequel to
Originally for @prompted-wordsmith so yeah something I have been working for ages. April 1st for our poor tormented little liar Odysseus 😆
~~~
Guilt (P1)
The noise was deafening. It was a sea of people cheering and whistling; a sea dressed in bronze, leather and blood. Odysseus was pacing among these people keeping his head low. He was trying very hard to avoid gazing someone in the eye. He could hear their praise and yelps of excitement. On occasion he could feel a pat on his back.
"Huzzah! Hooray for Odysseus!"
"Man of Many Ways!"
"The one Equal to Gods! Hooray!"
"Sacker of Cities!"
"Sacker of Cities!"
His ears were buzzing. All sounds around him were silenced or blended together in a mass of unknown origins. His head was throbbing painfully and the helmet adorned with boar tusks seemed to be weighting more than all metal in the world upon it. Just a little longer...just a bit further... Blood had become one with his skin and hair. He could feel it running down still even if it was long now clotted upon him. How weird! Normally every person would be delighted with this triumph. Why couldn't he?
"Sacker of Cities!"
Just a bit further...
"Sacker of Cities!"
His previous noble prancing became a half-run now. He was almost pushing his way through the mixed people of triumph and of woe. Eventually he reached his hut and felt like breathing in relief as he ran in with his close friend coming right behind him.
"Close the damn curtains, Polites!" Odysseus ordered
He half-collapsed over the bronze bowl containing fresh water they had picked up off the river. He remained there for a few seconds, supporting his body over the metallic water container. He looked down. What he saw scared him; it was a warrior staring back at him through the dark depths of the vessel. His head was adorned with a helmet of boar tusk, stained with blood and scratched by some sword. His expression was hard and had sunken eyes in their sockets. The beard was shaggy and splattered with blood. His onyx eyes had a worrying sheen of death, of triumph and of guilt...
"Gods help me...that's me!" He thought in terror
The ambitious, flamboyant and somehow a bit arrogant young man was long gone. He had given his place to this bloodthirsty killer, the face of that man was reeking of sweat, blood and tar from weapons and smoke; the Sacker of Cities. How had they come to this?!
*
A few days before...
The room was buzzing by the men talking almost at the same time. All the Greek kings were supposed to discuss their plan on their next move but it ended up being a buzzing hive of angry bees that fought for a better place in the sun. Neoptolemus was still thirsty for revenge for hi ls father, wearing his armor proudly. The kid seemed to be one with the damn thing! Odysseus was still cursing the moment he decided to bring him from Skyros. This boy seemed less and less like a good idea for his expedition. Agamemnon was there for the glory of his nation, Menelaus wanted his wife back, this time time from a new suitor that took her as a wife, after the murder of Paris. Nestor was trying to keep them all in check, Diomedes still held a grudge against Paris even long after the mutilation of his corpse. Odysseus thought his head would split by this cacophony of tired and frustrated kings that each one of them wanted something different!
"ENOUGH!" Odysseus bellowed
The silence that followed was deafening as the king of Ithaca practically pranced through the crowded hall and grabbed the bronze scepter, pushing it to the ground.
"EVERYONE KEEP QUIET AND LET ME SPEAK!"
His voice had echoed long enough for everyone to understand that there was no stopping this man now. Odysseus took some raspy breaths as if he tried to collect himself before speaking.
"How much longer must this go on? How much longer should we keep this siege? Can't you see it? It's been a decade already! Troy won't fall! Trojans get new allies and we grow weaker by the year. Year after year after year after year we held this city and for what? How much longer will we stay here? Another 10 years? 20? I do not know about you, my lords, but I refuse to stay here that long! My wife and child waited way too long!"
"Do not wish to be king among kings, son of Laërtes!" A voice was heard over others, "you are not the only one with home and family to return to!"
"My lords, I can speak of no one else but myself. However I believe you shall agree with me that this siege lasted way too long. I have no doubt that there are many people; younger people in this council that can withhold this for the decades to come, but I have long stopped being young, my lords, and I do not intend going back to my home when I reach the age of Nestor and pass the crown to my adult son to retire. There are other kingdoms that require our attention, my lords! Not just this one, but our own!"
A series of hums passed around but Odysseus could feel it already there were some objections or some hesitations. They obviously didn't know what he was talking about.
"The war won't last much longer, Odysseus" Agamemnon the son of Atreus spoke, "we have already cut the tree of succession to the Trojan throne. Both Paris and Hector are dead, you managed to capture Helenos. Troy is losing already. I highly doubt we will stay here much longer"
"With all due the respect" Odysseus interrupted, "as long as there is the line of Priam Troy is not finished. Helen has now joined in matrimony with a new husband. Undoubtedly the widow of Hector will do the same when her period of mourning is done. And line or no line, the walls are still there, my lord, they are mocking us. We cannot break them from the outside"
"Odysseus..." Menelaus now spoke, the man who still believed in him blindly, "What else is to be done? We are not gods to transform ourselves to birds and get in"
Odysseus's eyes sparkled in a determined way as if he managed to hypnotize everyone in the room with just his fiery gaze, his voice sounded clearer than ever.
"I could take Troy in one night if the plan works!"
The seer audacity of his words was greeted with a silent shock and then a wave of chuckle.
"I believe you lost your mind FOR REAL this time, Odysseus son of Laërtes!" Neoptolemus called out arrogantly
Odysseus shot him with a warning glare. He had no idea how that insolent boy had heard about his attempt to avoid that war in the first place pretending to be mad but that was not the time for quarrel.
"I am pretty sure that the black ships of the Acheans rest in this place over a decade for nothing! We could obviously have asked you! I am sure you can also guide us inside the city yourself!"
"I have already infiltrated Troy!" Odysseus claimed.
The wave of exclamations that passed among the kings of the Greeks was delightful as it was annoying to Odysseus!
"We were protected by the gods, Diomedes and I. We disguised ourselves as beggars and walked about the city, I found their secrets, I know the passages! I plundered their temple according to the prophecy!"
With a determined move he threw the palladium of Athena to their feet; proof to his words. The silence he earned was delightful.
"I have a plan...if you choose to accept it!"
"That is not fighting with HONOR!" Agamemnon pointed out, "We do not do that Odysseus!"
"We fought with honor, Agamemnon...10 years now! And where did it lead us? We are still here; debating whether we shall live and die to the foot of Troy when the price is right there before us! If you want results, hear me out!"
As his onyx eyes stared deeply into his audience, he knew he had them now.
"I shall uproot the line of Priam from the city! We can throw them all out of the castle walls of the holy city of Troy! So, my lords, long-haired Acheans, if you want results, hear me out!"
Their silence was his confirmation.
"Here's the plan, then..."
*
Odysseus growled and snapped out of his flashback. How easy had he made that sound at that time! Even in his own ears such a promise wouldn't appear nearly as horrendous as it was proven to be! He felt a drop of sweat rolling down his chin but it was thicker. He could still feel blood... He grunted in annoyance as he removed that helmet that was crushing his head and sank his hands in the water, brushing them intensely. The water took a reddish sheen almost immediately. Blood was sticking way too much... Odysseus splashed water all over his face maniacally, even passing water over his matted with blood head. It was still there...the memory was still there... he felt dizzy almost. He rushed to the wine jar resting at the side. He broke the wax seal and filled a cup for himself without watering it first. He downed it quickly before having the chance to feel the burning sensation down his throat.
"Odysseus..." Polites started, alarmed
Odysseus didn't hear him. He filled a second cup that was gone the same quickly. He was still shaking.
"Blood..." he whispered, "Blood and death everywhere... plunders and rapes...everywhere..."
He clenched the cup in his hand.
"What have we done, Polites! What have we done?"
"What have I done?!"
"Sire..." Polites began, "this is war..."
A dry laughter escaped Odysseus's lips.
"That was no war, my friend...that was a massacre...a slaughter..."
He drained yet another cup. He was feeling dizzy and he wasn't sure it was the red wine at fault.
"Priam is dead..." he whispered as if in delirium, "...killed upon the altar of Zeus where he sought sanctuary... Cassandra raped right outside the sanctuary at the xoano of Athena...and Astyanax...the child is..."
His voice broke. He covered his face with his free hand as if that could stop the sobbing that was coming out of his thick chest.
"We're cursed, Polites..." he whispered, "Cursed...doomed! The gods won't turn the blind eye in this hubris..." he finished the cup he was holding
"Odysseus...please!" Polites exclaimed concerned, "Even so...what you say is right but still...it was war..."
"I gave them the key to this, Polites..." Odysseus ignored him, "it was MY plan that put them in..."
"Please, Odysseus...you...you didn't know..."
Odysseus chuckled. It was a dry, humorless one...
"Yes I did, my friend...I did...I just chose to ignore it..."
He refilled his cup.
"Odysseus I beg of you at least...at least put some water to your wine...don't do this..."
He placed his hand upon Odysseus's large shoulder.
"And no, that was what you feared...not what you knew. There was no way you would know the magnitude of it...you gave them the city just like you promised. What they did with it it was their responsibility."
If only it were that simple, Odysseus thought.
~~
Soon comes part 2. It will be probably 3 parts plus a footnote section!
Happy Greece national celebration day girl 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🍾🍾
I hope you get to visit your beautiful home soon, even if it doesn't compare I know what it feels like to be forced to live far away from home.
Hopefully one day, not that far in the future either, you get to return with good fortune and opportunities as well, because you deserve it and all the happiness, your strength and preserverance are amazing ❤️❤️❤️
Odysseus: *crying on the beach every day in Calypso's Ile thinking of his home that is out there.
Me: staying at my house in Sweden thinking is Greece National Day today and I am away from my country so I have to remember her from here.
Happy 25t March! Greece national celebration day! Memorizing how in 1821 the Greeks began their revolution against the otoman empire to reclaim their land that had been conquered and enslaved more than 400 years!
I'm glad you think so haha but still. Tho it is a fascinating whole new world to explore!
Oh man 😢 that hits straight to the heart, I remember you touching on this before, but gosh to have this moment of pure human tenderness of a father with his baby, how warrior still melts with his infant, only to make it end in such a gruesome way... The poor baby falling like that is the peak of it all 😢
Yeah I do think that is indeed true for some people, the casualties and consequences were truly awful, since the Greeks were also unleashing their wrath for their own grief for being separated from their loved ones, it's a cycle of broken families unleashed on each other...
Oh I was not aware, that's very interesting in a way it kind of shows the lengths they are willing to go to reach their goal it kind of shows determination but almost in a desperate way since anything if "fair game" now...
Yeah and even some perspectives, I remember the idea of Diego throwing the baby for the sake of Caleb, mirroring how Odysseus did it, or for the slave AU how Caleb stormed the palace with his men to kill Elyon's baby and end dynasty of a certain tyrant hehe, but upon seeing the baby being just an innocent infant makes Caleb completely falter and break apart.
Great I was already checking out some bits of Odyssey and it's pretty smooth with the translation! And what a nice detail with ethnology of the words, this is great to enjoy and for all sorts of inspiration
Yeah the start and the finish line, they are definitely the símbolos of it all. I can see why hehe truly awesome ✨✨
What Trojans must have heard that fateful night some time during bronze age, 3000 years ago
I mean imagine they went to sleep thinking they won and the Greeks had left and then they wake up facing hell with houses burning people screaming and the Greeks entering the city killing and capturing and sacking their city that was safe for 10 years!
Oh please don't mind me too much because despite knowing some general stuff I'm a noob in all of this 😆 gosh that sounds so tragic the way he's hoping so much for the baby who will not see another day... I can so see that since Hector seems so tragic and defends his city pouring himself like that...
Yeah I can imagine the Greeks are seen as ingenious with such an idea and resources, it's possible I'm remembering the reactions of the people who studied the piece with me so many years ago and mankind a biased assumption haha but yeah that definitely makes sense! Regardless it is a very interesting aspect to explore indeed!
I am familiar with such details indeed, despite it all it was a good example on how they used their opponents weakness and overconfidence and took advantage of them putting their guards down which was their fatal mistake, taking the enemy right into their most vulnerable position. Can definitely understand how this is such great inspiration for some aspects of the rebellion as well haha
Gosh it's amazing how the most gruesome ideas of tragedies result in such epic pieces of art, tho as a creator I understand it, and you as well of course haha the raw visceral emotions are the best fuel for inspiration many times! Gosh sounds dark, tragic and hellish... Oh thank you I'll definitely check it out! 👀✨
Not at all girl you know it's true ✨❤️
I can imagine, they seem to be both parallels of different perspectives if that makes any sense hehe but trully and both the heaviness on their hearts really shows here! Oh the one you also reblogged right? I can definitely see why it inspired you, and your story in response truly was a gift ✨✨
You're amazing 🤗✨✨
What Trojans must have heard that fateful night some time during bronze age, 3000 years ago
I mean imagine they went to sleep thinking they won and the Greeks had left and then they wake up facing hell with houses burning people screaming and the Greeks entering the city killing and capturing and sacking their city that was safe for 10 years!
Oh boy, and I have the perception (maybe I'm wrong) that the general public that doesn't read this piece and scene deeply simply has the idea of the victory of the Greeks and the celebration of their cunning and smarts while the Trojans are the arrogant ones who took everything for granted and lost it all, which is a valid perspective too since it's not really wrong, but I feel the massacre of the Trojan population is not exactly hidden but it is sort of glossed over when the general public thinks of this, so it's such an interesting and relavant point to talk about, it was indeed bloody and gruesome and the Iliad trully points out to this. That is indeed nightmarish, it was a literal calm before the true storm and a very messy one!
Oh gosh it's definitely hard to imagine but for real it's the one true nightmare that will leave a scar and it will be impossible to forget through many generations for the Trojan side. Oh boy I really wanna start looking in depth at all of these works ✨
Not at all girl it's only the truth ❤️❤️ You always know how to express the characters feelings and dialogs so well and it's so easy to feel their emotions trough your pieces ✨ Your latest one is also amazing as well ❤️ the way Helen and Odysseus confront each other and all the guilt for all that happened and how it was never his wish that it came to all of this... I must take time to comment on it properly as well, even me who has not read the Iliad deeply could have such a clear idea of it, and it's very inspirational ❤️
It's great to see you so inspired and whiling to create such beautiful things ❤️
And congrats on all the reblogs you deserve so so so much more hon 🥰🥰🤗 Amazing work trully ✨
What Trojans must have heard that fateful night some time during bronze age, 3000 years ago
I mean imagine they went to sleep thinking they won and the Greeks had left and then they wake up facing hell with houses burning people screaming and the Greeks entering the city killing and capturing and sacking their city that was safe for 10 years!
Gosh this sounds terrifying, it's even worse when you take peace and security for granted and were not at all expecting the chaos and horror that unfolds... Waking up to it must be like believing one is having a nightmare you can't escape from... A cold bloody victory for the Greeks tho, such different perspectives!
Fantastic posts about the Iliad and myths girl, and your writings and one shots too ❤️ the one inspired by Pocahontas is both beautiful and emotional in their goodbye 😭❤️ As always amazing job with your writing ✨✨❤️❤️
Penelope and Odysseus are one of the most beautifully tragic and bittersweet couples ever written ❤️ Got take my time going through all of these ✨
What Trojans must have heard that fateful night some time during bronze age, 3000 years ago
I mean imagine they went to sleep thinking they won and the Greeks had left and then they wake up facing hell with houses burning people screaming and the Greeks entering the city killing and capturing and sacking their city that was safe for 10 years!
My original character that I’ve been cooking up in my head for a while, I’ve been calling him Kizwa!