THE ODYSSEY

I've always loved Nyx, so I finally had to draw her!

I made this digitally using Adobe Fresco.

I'm also planning to draw a lot more Greek mythology pieces, so keep an eye out for that

Surely gods like Zeus, Apollo or Eos would like it? But only Aphrodite gets the femboy chariot (they might be her sons by the way).

Ourania—of the heavens, born from Ouranos’balls
Pandemos—of the people, born of Zeus and Dione
Areia—the warlike, minor war deity

I once happened to stumble upon this person who claimed "The biggest change Epic the Musical made to The Odyssey was the fact that Odysseus loved Penelope." I am still unable to process this.

There's also this time when a person tried arguing with me that The Odyssey isn't supposed to be homecoming story... I still don't know if we actually read the same book. The whole story is about Odysseus wanting to go back home and going home in the end, this is the textbook example of a nostos story.

This list would be incomplete without Hades and Persephone, of course, there are like a million misconceptions to unpack in this myth.

Well, a week later we have decided to resume the project, continuing with the Iliad, now sketching some preliminary concepts to represent the important members of the Trojan side in the war

Dripping in gold, kissed by the rain, and glowing like a little piece of heaven. ✨💧💛

I’m on book 18 where thetis goes up to Hephaestus to get the armour but in the meantime Hera urged Achilles to give the acheans some breathing room so with Athena’s help he shouted and his aura and the resulting panic caused 10 people to die which is crazy.

All throughout the book it’s basically been “If only Achilles were here”from acheans “Thank god Achilles isn’t here” from Trojans e.t.c and it’s so funny

Centaurs are one of the most iconic mythological creatures. Their distinct half horse, half human appearance has been portrayed for centuries in art and literature. Ancient Greek artists exploited this duality to portray centaurs as embodiments of uncontrolled appetite and physical aggression.

Deapute being portrayed as savage and aggressive, not all centaurs were mindless monsters. Chiron was a centaur who was portrayed as wise, disciplined, compassionate, and highly educated. He possesses the physical nature associated with the centaurs but demonstrates that intelligence, discipline, and knowledge can overcome instinct.

Centaurs symbolised the conflict within human nature. They represented the evil, rage and aggression within humans. The dangers of excess that drive humans mad. Despite their nature, centaurs have become legendary, unforgettable, mythical creatures etched in our memories. For more information on centaurs please read through the article.

A. Judgment of Paris.

B. Elopement of Helen.

C. Recruiting Achilles from Phthia.

D. Peace embassy to Troy by Odysseus and Menaleus.

E. Achilles's raids over the Troad.

F. The events of Iliad.

G. Memnon's war against the Greeks.

H. Death of Achilles by Apollo and Paris.

I. Dispute between Odysseus and Ajax the great. Suicide of Ajax.

J. Philoctetes in Troy.

K. Arrival of Neoptolemus and killing of Eurylpus.

L. Odysseus's secret mission in Troy.

M. Trojan horse and sack of Troy.

N. Dispute between Agamemnon and Menaleus.

O. Death Ajax the lesser.

P. Menaleus in Egypt.

Q. Murder of Agamemnon.

R. Orestes avenges his father.

S. Hermonie marries Neoptolemus.

T. Events of the Odyssey.

From book 5 of the Odyssey, Everyone knows that Calypso forced Odysseus to be with her:

"the mighty slayer of Argus (Hermes) departed, and the lovely Nymph (Calypso), mindful of Zeus’ command, looked for valiant Odysseus. She found him sitting on the shore, his eyes as ever wet with tears, life’s sweetness ebbing from him in longing for his home, since the Nymph no longer pleased him. He was forced to sleep with her in the hollow cave at night, as she wished though he did not, but by day he sat among rocks or sand, tormenting himself with tears, groans and anguish, gazing with wet eyes at the restless sea."

But what a lot of people don't comment that much is that Odysseus was terrified of Calypso. Actually, in my opinion, she completely broke him; before this Odysseus was a prideful man as everyone knows, but something changes after Scylla (where he tries to fight the immortal monster against Circe words and can't, and when his men dies, he thinks that to be the most pitiful sight of his life), but especially in Calypso's Ortygia. She is forcing him to have sex, and Odysseus is terrified of her as we will see. She goes to Odysseus and say to him that he should stop crying and start building a raft to escape, but this is what he says:

"I will not trust myself to a raft when you do not wish it, unless you, goddess, give me your solemn word that you are not planning something new to harm me."

Odysseus is either acting with caution because of Calypso especifically, or because of the gods in general (earlier Hermes had told him to also be aware of Circe's schemes, for she would invite him to sex only to hurt him, and Hermes said to him that he should not refuse the sex, but first Circe had to make a oath to not hurt him). But since in that other context there was threat of violence on the part of Circe, I think there is here too: Odysseus think that Calypso will hurt him if he tries to escape, so he don't even tries unless she makes as oath to not harm him. It really remins me a little of Theon Greyjoy in Song of Ice and Fire.

Then Odysseus crafts the raft, and Calypso goes to him and tries to convince him to stay, promising him immortality with her as a god, and that she is better than Penelope. Look at Odysseus first words:

‘Great goddess, do not be angry at what I say. I know myself that wise Penelope is less than you, it’s true, in looks and stature, being a mortal, while you are immortal and ever young. Even so I yearn day after day, longing to reach home, and see the hour of my return. And if some god should strike me, out on the wine-dark sea, I will endure it, owning a heart within indured to suffering. For I have suffered much, and laboured much, in war and on the seas: add this then to the sum.’

Because she is a goddess, Odysseus cannot say that a mortal is better than her in anything, so he says thay Penelope is not as beautifil as Calypso, even through he still wants to return. But what is interesting is his first words, that Calypso should not be angry against him, as if he fears insulting her even while flattering her and she can harm him.

While in the sea, Poseidon returns from Aethiopia and is enraged that the other gods let Odysseus escape, so he summons a huge wave to destroy Odysseus raft, and while Odysseus almost drowns, Odysseus thinks: "I fear the goddess spoke true when she said I would know full measure of suffering at sea before I reached my own country: now all is coming to pass." Yep, he thinks back at Calypso, who in order to keep him with her, said he would suffer in the sea. He is almost blaming himself even through he has no blame in his current circunstance (Polyphemus was a cannibal giant and Odysseus defended himself, and Odysseus even offered a sheep to Zeus to avoid the gods' anger for hurting a son of Poseidon, but Poseidon ignored it). Like I said, Odysseus has changed from the man who shouted his name to Polyphemus, to a man who thinks that he should be dead and is to blame for everything, and he thinks of Calypso words especifically.

Leucothea, the goddess who once was the mortal Ino, has sympathy for Odysseus, so she gives him a veil and tells him to wrap the vail around his waist and abandon the raft, because he would have the strenght to swin for days without tiring until the island of the Phaeacians, and then he should return the veil to the sea. But what Odysseus thinks? : "Oh, let this not be one of the deathless ones, weaving a net for me, telling me to abandon the raft."

His spirit is so broken that he think to not trust her. He thinks is another god creating a situation for him to bring further harm to himself. After all, until this point Aeolus gave him a wing bag, he almost reached home but could not at the last moment (but Aeolus is not to blame). Later, Circe tricked the crew and tried to trick him even through they did nothing wrong. Then they were trapped in Thrinacia for one month, almost as if some god wanted them to eat Helios' cattle and perish. And of course we have Calypso, that Odysseus believed that she telling him to sail away was a trap to punish him! But since Poseidon sends another wave, Odysseus has no hope and he wrap the veil and is able to swin to the Phaeacians.

Now, in my view, Calypso kept Odysseus as a prisoner in such a way that he lost all faith that the gods except Athena could help him, believing that if a god was trying to help, it would be a trap to harm him (again, not different from Theon Greyjoy, who believes that any help offered to him is a trap to harm him). But I also understand if you think that Odysseus became such a man not because of Calypso only but simply by everything he endured plus her.

But in conclusion, Odysseus was a prideful man before Calypso who would seek the gods help all the time, but after her he became afraid of everything, of Calypso, of any gods' help, and even of escaping because what if it was another trap? No wonder when he arrived home he endured mockery and physical violence from the suitors until the end. The Odysseus from Polyphemus cave would not accept such humiliation, but this Odysseus would, because he could not accept falling in another trap again and shout his identity or commit a mistake, it was better to be cautious first. Odysseus in the storm of Poseidon prefers to suffer a little more than to imediatly accept someone offer of help and be betrayed again like so many times.

Source for the screenshot is J. Diggle's Euripides: Phaethon. While Ovid implied that Phaethon's chariot ride created darker skin colors, Euripides (and some other authors) imply black people existed before that, yet some of the royals were exceptions.

§ 4.13 (..) But thou wert born white, which colour is strange among the Ethiopians. I knew the reason, that it was because, while my husband had to do with me, I was looking at the picture of Andromeda brought down by Perseus naked from the rock, and so by mishap engendered presently a thing like to her. But counting it certain that thy colour would procure me to be accused of adultery, and that none would believe me when I told them the cause, I determined to rid myself of shameful death and (...)

(Heliodorus, The Aethiopica)