#Delo States

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have The Ultimate Underdog Collection Volume 3 It has Weathering the Storm episode 1&2 (1965) ,Riff Raffville episode 1&2 (1965) and Round and Round episode 1&2 (1966)

[spooksier]

🎶🤩 for osgood. of course.

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often?

i feel like my beautiful son listens mostly to video game soundtracks or music made 40 years ago by some random person in their garage (examples of songs i think he'd like: x x), he has no idea who any popular artist is. he does know who toby fox is.

🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions?

osgood has never thought about any of her actions once in her entire life. i don't mean this in a reckless way but in a 'she has literally never had to' way. if she had to make a decision it'd send her into a coma. this is osgood for the first 23 years of her life:

[deathlessathanasia]

Everyone hates Ares and yet Aphrodite loves him, Poseidon convinced Hephaistos to release him from the net where he was caught with Aphrodite and even offered to pay himself the adulterer's fine if Ares refused to do so, Hermes saved him from the Aloadai, Apollo and Artemis didn't get revenge on him for persecuting their pregnant mother. And, shocker, Zeus and Hera's attitude towards Ares can vary from source to source: in Kallimachos' Hymn to Delos it is stated that Leto alone was to bear to Zeus a son dearer than Ares, and in the Dionysiaca Hera and Ares are close and on good terms.

[my-name-is-apollo]

Why is Hera so hostile to Leto in a manner that she isn't with the other lovers of Zeus? I can't think of any other woman who was targeted so much by Hera. One could say she didn't want Leto to give birth because her children would be a competition to Hera's children, but why bother her even after she had already given birth? Is it because Leto herself is also a threat to Hera?

Sort of I guess?

I don't think Leto would ever be a threat to Hera's role as the queen of the gods but Hera might see her as a competitor for Zeus' affection, even though I think Zeus would not marry someone else and replace Hera.

The twins are definitely a big reason why Hera begrudged Leto - it is outright stated in the Callimachus Hymn to Delos that the reason Hera especially targeted Leto was because she was told that Apollo would be dearer to Zeus than Ares is. Zeus is very proud of Artemis as well. As he himself puts it, he doesn't mind facing Hera's wrath for children like her.

But the continued hatred even after the birth of the twins (like sending Tityus to rape Leto) could have been for different reasons. This wasn't like one of those affairs Zeus would have with mortal women where he'd leave them behind once the child is conceived. Neither could Hera, despite her many attempts, get rid of Leto like she did with the other lovers. Not only did Leto give Zeus children that he loves dearly, she also stayed on Olympus despite Hera's hatred towards her (which isn't directed to any of Zeus' other divine mistresses, btw). It might have also been because Leto herself is dear to Zeus, if the way she's treated on Olympus is any proof. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Leto stands next to Zeus - in the Olympian assembly - to welcome their son. Hera is completely absent from the scene, as if Leto had taken her place even if temporarily. Now you could say this is because Apollo himself is such a powerful and glorious son in a way that no other son of Zeus is, so of course Leto would get such an honor (the hymn itself presents it this way).

But here's another instance - in the Iliad, when Hera goes to seduce Zeus, he is obviously very smitten but before getting into the action, he lists some of his lovers (I believe these were his favorite lovers, as a lot of others are not mentioned):

"for never has such desire for goddess or mortal woman so gripped and overwhelmed my heart, not even when I was seized by love for Ixion’s wife, who gave birth to Peirithous the gods’ rival in wisdom; or for Acrisius’ daughter, slim-ankled Danaë, who bore Perseus, greatest of warriors; or for the far-famed daughter of Phoenix, who gave me Minos and godlike Rhadamanthus; or for Semele mother of Dionysus, who brings men joy; or for Alcmene at Thebes, whose son was lion-hearted Heracles; or for Demeter of the lovely tresses; or for glorious Leto; or even for you yourself, as this love and sweet desire for you grips me now.’ (Book 14, trans. A. T. Murray)

Notice how when talking about most of them, he also mentions the children they bore to him but when Demeter and Leto are mentioned, he doesn't bring up their children at all despite them being some of the most accomplished kids of his. What's more, he takes Leto's name just before Hera's. I mean, this is an interpretation but it looks like not only did Zeus love Leto the most out of all his mistresses - giving her a place second to that of his wife, but also his love for her wasn't necessarily only because she gave him two amazing children.

Nonnus does something similar in the Dionysiaca (but this time Zeus is enamored with Persephone instead of Hera) but more notably, when Typhoeus attacks Olympus and Zeus is discouraged, Nike takes the form of Leto to encourage him and it's pretty telling of what Leto meant to Zeus.

One interesting similarity between Hera and Leto is that they both had a giant try to rape them. Porphyrion tried to violate Hera (Zeus inspired him to do this) and Tityus tried to violate Leto (upon Hera's order). Though both of them were killed, only Tityus got an eternal punishment in Tartarus of having his liver/heart eaten out by vultures so Zeus seems to have taken a greater offense at Tityus trying to assault Leto.

Again, I don't think Zeus would ever take anyone other than Hera as his permanent wife - she is irreplaceable to him. There's an entire myth about Hera leaving him and Zeus winning her back. Their relationship is obviously complex and involves all kinds of emotions including love and hate. But Leto is continually dear to him as well and that's something Hera can't do much about.

[arielsojourner]

So I was in Greece and found out it was a lie.

All those episodes of Xena Warrior Princess and Iolaus: The Legendary Journeys.

They.

Were.

LIES.

Did you know that throughout ALL of Greece for all the centuries leading up to when the Romans invaded, all of the many myriad city states and colonies-- west to Sicily and south to Africa and north east to Asia Minor, all of them: no temples to Ares.

None.

All the other gods? Yup. Hell, they even imported Isis from Egypt so she has shrines on Delos. DELOS. The holy birthplace of Apollo. Shrines to the Egyptian goddess Isis.

But Ares? No.

And in both shows that was the WHOLE plot. It was always about Ares and his temples and shrines. Even the Young Hercules spin off with Ryan Gosling as Hercules and the actor who would later be Fili the Dwarf playing young Iolaus, Ares was always in his temples and always trying to protect his temples from being smashed up or destroyed. And I visit Greece for the first time in my life and go to all these amazing sites-- Delos, the canal at Corinth, Olympia, Delphi, Athens, Ithaca, Patmos, Tinos etc. and . . . no Ares. No temple to Ares.

And when you visit Greece and they take you to the ruins of the temples of Athena and Zeus and Apollo etc. you learn that people built temples for the gods to use as like vacation homes when they didn't want to stay on Olympus.

All those city states. All those colonies and during the entire Hellenic period no one built one single temple to Ares according to the docent at the Delphi museum.

Apparently no one wanted Ares as a neighbor.

[whencyclopedia]

Slavery in the Roman World

Slavery was an ever-present feature of the Roman world. Slaves served in households, agriculture, mines, the military, workshops, construction and many services. As many as 1 in 3 of the population in Italy or 1 in 5 across the empire were slaves and upon this foundation of forced labour was built the entire edifice of the Roman state.

Slavery as An Accepted Reality

Slavery, that is complete mastery (dominium) of one individual over another, was so imbedded in Roman culture that slaves became almost invisible and there was certainly no feeling of injustice in this situation on the part of the rulers. Inequality in power, freedom and the control of resources was an accepted part of life and went right back to the mythology of Jupiter overthrowing Saturn. As K.Bradley eloquently puts it, 'freedom...was not a general right but a select privilege' (Potter, 627). Further, it was believed that the freedom of some was only possible because others were enslaved. Slavery, was, therefore, not considered an evil but a necessity by Roman citizens. The fact that slaves were taken from the losers in battle (and their subsequent offspring) was also a helpful justification and confirmation of Rome's (perceived) cultural superiority and divine right to rule over others and exploit those persons for absolutely any purpose whatsoever.

Aside from the huge numbers of slaves taken as war captives (e.g. 75,000 from the First Punic War alone) slaves were also acquired via piracy, trade, brigandage and, of course, as the offspring of slaves as a child born to a slave mother (vernae) automatically became a slave irrespective of who the father was. Slave markets proliferated, perhaps one of the most notorious being the market on Delos, which was continuously supplied by the Cilician pirates. Slave markets existed in most large towns, though, and here, in a public square, slaves were paraded with signs around their necks advertising their virtues for prospective buyers. Traders specialised in the commodity, for example, one A. Kapreilius Timotheus traded throughout the Mediterranean.

Continue reading...

[tsarinatorment]

okay so-

on the discord i was scrolling through past convos in a desperate search for a link that i've seen before, and i came across another one of your and fsinger's aus starring Michael👀

It was like a Kronos Wins/Time-Travels AU where Michael, Thalia, Bianca, Nico, and Hazel are the MCs and I was like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and then when the first main plotpoint was basically Michael going "SAVE MY DAD" my FIRST thought was that one Puss In Boots: The Last Wish scene;

Michael, about Apollo: I will save you!

Every other god, suffering in Tartarus: Save us too!

Michael: ...if it's convenient!

like. gnawing on this au rn. i gnaw on all of your aus. this one and the Lee Lives/Apollo Becomes Mortal/BotL Au are officially my favs (Eclipse at this point is basically canon to me lol)

but yeah. I know this au has a BUNCH of beloved characters die, which would have admittedly upset me like, three years ago, but now?

now i merely eagerly rub my hands as my brain imagines how this scenario goes down eheheehhe

Ah yes, this AU! Not one I've thought about in a while, but still a fun one!

Fun fact, for you if you missed the origin of it, and also for anyone else who might be reading this and hearing about this AU for the first time - this is an AU spinoff of my AU fic Tears Will Not Wash Away Your Crimes, where defeated!Kronos from canon timetravels back to the start of TLT to take Michael out before he could become the threat that saves Olympus (see: my long rants on how by being the one to realise Williamsburg Bridge needed to break, Michael stopped Kronos winning on the first day of the siege). In that fic, he succeeds in making Luke kill Michael, and while the fic never goes on to state it, it does become an alternate timeline where Kronos does, in fact, win (due to various factors such as Luke's betrayal not being discovered because Percy wasn't there to survive being poisoned and reveal that he was the traitor, etc. and also Kronos knowing how the demigods/gods operated and basically having the cheat code of being able to squash anything they try before they try it).

But also I am a perpetual Michael!lives fan, so with the enabling of @fearlessinger, as you mentioned, another AU spawned off of this, whereby when Luke carelessly mentioned Apollo by name, he caught Apollo's attention and the god himself turned up to whisk Michael away to safety. In the end, though, it doesn't stop Kronos from winning, because no-one knows enough to trump what Kronos knows. Hence, Kronos wins!AU.

But then!

There are some key changes that go down because of Kronos' prior knowledge... Change #1: Thalia is not restored by the Golden Fleece. Kronos did this because he wanted her as his host, but he tried that last time and it failed - he won't try again. Change #2: The di Angelos do not leave the Lotus Casino. No Thalia in the running suggests that Hades may not have bothered to pull his own children back into the prophecy race - if he really wanted them to be feasible as prophecy children, he'd have brought them out when Percy was claimed, as that would make Bianca a similar age to Percy and therefore viable as an alternative. Bringing them out a year or two later makes his kids younger than both Thalia and Percy and doesn't actually make sense, unless it was a response to being the only Big Three god with no kids involved... Change #3: Daedalus doesn't die, because Nico isn't around Change #4: All our Greek Hero demigods (and the Hunters) are dead, barring the above, and Michael, who was kept safe on Delos the whole time.

And these changes all line up quite neatly into a ridiculously large plot, based on the following consequences:

Consequence #1: the gods are thrown down into Tartarus Consequence #2: the triumvirate's deal with Kronos for their support involved getting Apollo as their prize so Caligula can still claim the sun god spot and Commodus gets his revenge. Apollo is passed to them, instead of Tartarus Consequence #3: Michael is rather pissed off about all of this

What happens after that, well. Imagine Michael, no longer trapped on Delos because the twins aren't there, making his way to Delphi. Imagine Phoebe initially reclaiming Delphi, before Kronos realises she was never on her side and instead release Python to reclaim it; Michael has enough time to speak with his grandmother, but only very little before he's forced to flee into the Labyrinth to hide.

Imagine Daedalus trying to atone for all the deaths he's caused by keeping this one demigod still alive, hidden in the Labyrinth while Michael tries to work out how the fuck he's supposed to save the gods, but never even considering not doing it ("the gods", of course, meaning "Apollo, mostly").

Imagine Apollo weakened, but still able to make dream contact. Apollo not being able to dissuade Michael from trying to save him. Apollo with nothing left to lose except his one son he can't protect himself, so he gives Michael knowledge, things to help him stay alive.

Knowledge, like how the daughter of Zeus is a tree but isn't dead, can be healed by that golden fleece (Percy, Annabeth and Grover retrieved it still, but the tree was not sick and so it was never hung upon it). Knowledge, like how there are two more Big Three kids trapped in a place where time doesn't move.

(Imagine Apollo chained up and forced to be his own oracle as his divinity is drained away. Imagine a little girl with sickle-rings on her fingers being drawn to him anyway, this captive god of the Beast. Imagine the god that still wants to save a child, if only he had the chance)

Imagine Michael healing Thalia with the fleece, the pair of them fleeing from the remains of camp (the remains of Michael's home) as Kronos realises he's there. Imagine Michael and Thalia edging into a casino that's too bright, too jovial compared to their broken world, and pulling two younger demigods back into the timestream. Imagine lurking in the Labyrinth, in the Underworld and discovering a dead girl who still remembers when she shouldn't.

Imagine these demigods plotting, scheming, desperate, and the power of three children of the Underworld combined, pooling their powers together until they can go anywhere the shadows touch.

Imagine them rescuing a god, and the little girl coaxed along with them.

And when they've got one god back... it's only a matter of time before they get the rest.

(And when Kronos discovers it's Michael, again, that foiled him in the end... Well. Some Fates can't be denied)

[cs-oc-blank-random-posts]

CARMEN WEEK DAY 5: AU

@jackie-shitposts

BLACK SHEEP LOOKS SO...AAAAAAA MORE INFO AB THIS LORE SWAP AU:

Black Sheep's Lore (in this AU, also not exactly the same as my OC's orig lore, just similar, just so it can fit Black Sheep's character) - has issues with family - her father, Dexter Wolfe, is a crimelord. and Isabella wanted to follow in her Father's footsteps, but Wolfe was ofcourse against this so Isa ended up running away from home to pursue her passion for crime - she was nurtured by a gang of Thieves, one of the thieves secretly being a Seasoned operative looking for recruits, said operative didn't expect to see such amazing Thieving skills from a person as young as 10 years old (yes Black sheep ran away at 10 years old, my oc did in my original AU so yh) - she worked hard just to even be considered by Vile, and was admitted to the school with strings attached (having to go through extra classes due to the fact that she started being a student at Vile academy at the age of 13) Carmen (Blank) Sandiego's Lore (In this AU) - similar to Black Sheep, Blank's Father was a Crime lord/Vile Faculty member - His Father, (Codename: San Felipe Delos Reyes, often called just Reyes) a Vile Faculty member had been planning to leave Vile. and just as stated in the show, No one ever leaves Vile. i think you know the rest - Blank was given his code name because he came to vile as a Blank Slate (the same as the my orig AU)

EXTRA Devineaux: LA FEMME ROUGE! CS!Blank: uh. correction, l'homme en rouge Devinaux: EH?!?!!? THEN WHY IS YOUR NAME CARMEN SANDIEGO CS!Blank: it just is okay?! stfu!

[marvelmusing]

Take Your Pick

Pairing: Shapeshifter x Fem!Reader (featuring Billy Russo, Aleksander Morozova, William Thurber, Logan Delos, Benjamin Greene, Caspian).

Summary: Your boyfriend has a very interesting ability, and every character he can shift into has a special place in your heart. But which one do you want to spend the night with?

Warnings [18+]: alludes to smut, slightly suggestive.

A/N: a tiny little drabble, don’t ask me what this is because I have no idea but I liked the vibes.

My Masterlist

»»---------------------►

“I can be anything you want me to be.”

“I just want you,” you say shyly, looking down at your lap.

“Oh really?” His voice is coy, a low purr of faux consideration as the hint of a smirk tugs at his lips. He leans closer, practically caging you to the couch with his arms on either side of you.

His mouth grazes over your pulse and your eyes flutter shut as he mouths confidently over your neck, a grin blooming over his face.

“You don’t want me?”

A New York twang has entered his voice and when you look down to meet his eyes a shiver runs through your body at the almost predatory glint there.

“Hi Billy.”

“Hello darlin.”

He leans forwards capturing your lips in a determined kiss. His grip is tight on your chin and you can sense the moment he shifts into Aleksander as his hand releases your chin to cradle your cheek with the entirety of his palm.

His body presses firmly against yours and the two of you cling to one another as he furthers the kiss.

“Sasha,” you breathe out in a soft whine. “Please.”

He chuckles darkly.

“Moya milaya, always so eager.”

His hands settle on your waist, keeping you close as he unbuttons your blouse. Ducking his head down, he begins to kiss over your collarbones, leaving gentle bites over the skin there, nuzzling at the hollow of your throat.

When his lips begin to lower themselves down towards your breasts, and the prickle of Aleksander’s facial hair becomes a soft scrape of closely shaven stubble and a neat moustache, you thread your hand through the salt and pepper strands of hair on his head.

“William,” you gasp.

His mouth closes over your clothed nipple, tongue rolling over the nub hidden beneath the fabric of your bra. Warm brown eyes flick up to meet yours, an admiring and adoring softness filling his gaze.

He lowers his head back down, nosing over the edge of your underwear. His hair darkens to Billy’s slicked back locks and he bites down into the material keeping him from exposing your breasts.

As you tug on his hair, a low groan rumbles in his chest and with a wicked grin Logan reaches behind your back to unclasp your bra with practiced ease. He gropes at your breasts eagerly, large hands grasping at your soft skin and sensitive nipples.

“Which one of us would you like to take you?” Aleksander rasps against your ear. He nuzzles his way down your neck, mouth drifting back up to your other ear.

“It’s me, isn’t it?” Logan goads, tugging on your hardened nipples.

A whimper catches in your throat at the thought of having to choose one of them. He hums quietly, biting down on your earlobe, tongue soothing the sting there. He grasps at your breasts, returning to your other ear as he shifts again.

“It’s definitely me,” Billy states with a confident smirk. “Right, darlin?”

He leans down to kiss your lips and you instantly know that it’s Benjamin. He kisses with the same vigour as Aleksander but he’s much more vocal in his enjoyment, a small whimper catching in his throat as he cups your face intently.

Both of you are breathless, chests heaving as he nuzzles his forehead against yours with a bright smile on his face. There’s a tiny scrunch at his nose and you can’t suppress the urge to kiss it gently which makes him blush.

“Hi Benji.”

“Hello love.”

Breathing out a soft laugh, you tilt your head at him.

“Are there any other contenders for me to consider tonight?”

He laughs softly, the corners of his eyes creasing adorably as he does. Then he kisses you.

As soon as his thumb begins to stroke over your cheek while you kiss, you realise he’s shifted into Caspian. His kiss lingers, sucking lightly on your lower lip as you part from one another.

Threading your hands through his long hair, you breathe out a soft smile as he brushes his nose affectionately against yours. As your hands continue to play with his hair, twirling the soft strands between your fingers, he moans quietly.

When he withdraws, it’s Billy who you’re looking at. His eyes are darkened with a wicked smirk on his lips. His gaze is heated as it rakes over your body, drawing a blush to the surface of your skin, thrumming down your body.

“So, which one will it be, darlin?”

»»---------------------►

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jane-arthur @ilikefictionmen @budugu @watersquirtpewpewboomm @mysweetlittledesire @dhampiravidi

BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny @two-unbeatable-beaters

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have The Ultimate Underdog Collection Volume 2 It has The Great Gold Robbery Episode1&2 (1964), The Big Shrink episode 1&2 (1964), and The Marbleheads Episode1&2 (1966)

[bookishblogging]

ALL ABOUT: Apollo ☀️

"Phoibos (Phoebus) [Apollon], of you even the swan sings with clear voice to the beating of his wings, as he alights upon the bank by the eddying river Peneios; and of you the sweet-tongued minstrel, holding his high-pitched lyre, always sings both first and last. And so hail to you lord! I seek your favour with my song." - Homeric Hymn 21 to Apollo 

Απολλων - APOLLON 

Apollo is the olympian god of prophecy and oracles, music, song and poetry, archery, healing, plague and disease, and the protection of the young. He is often associated with the Sun. More specifically: Apollo is the god who punishes and destroys. The god who affords help and wards off evil. The god of prophecy. The god of song and music. The god who protects the flocks and cattle. The god who delights in the foundation of towns and the establishment of civil constitutions.

His parents were the olympian Zeus and the goddess Leto. He has a twin sister, Artemis. 

His surname is Lukêgenês, meaning either “Born in Lycia” or “Born of Light,” though his birthplace has been argued among scholars and traditions. But the opinion most universally received was, that Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, was born in the island of Delos, together with his sister Artemis; and the circumstances of his birth there are detailed in the Homeric hymn on Apollo, and in that of Callimachus on Delos. The myth states that Hera was enacting revenge on Leto for sleeping with her husband, so that Leto couldn’t find a place to peacefully give birth- until she ended up on the island of Delos. Apollo was believed to be born on the 7th of the month: hebdomagenês. The number 7 is sacred to the god. 

Apollo has many titles and epithets, many of which can be found here. 

Symbols of Apollo: 

Bow and arrows

The lyre

The raven

Rays of light radiating from his head

Branch of laurel

Wreath

Want to read more? Check out my sources! 

Theoi Apollo Page

Apollo’s Epithets 

Symbols of Apollo

Apollo Facts Britannica 

Apollo Wiki Page

Apollo Olympian Facts

Origin of Lukêgenês

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Sup any angsty Apollo hc you have? I’m hungry and desperate for yummy angst to gobble up and cry myself to sleep :]

Okay, this took a little while because life, college, and July fourth happened lmao

So. I like to think about just when the purposeful emotional/psychological abuse started and when the physical abuse started between Zeus and Apollo so...TW for abuse talk.

Because, well, when Apollo was young there isn't really a need for Zeus to crack open the bolt - however, we also know from canon that Apollo was subjected to the bolt in his younger years.

Now. To the headcanons!!!!!

During the first thousand or so years of Apollo's life, Zeus was an actual good dad to him (especially compared to Ares). He spoiled both twins excessively because sweet! A couple of kids who aren't failures! Look at them!!! They're already so good with a bow!!! They're so talented!!!

In the Discord, it was mentioned that in Ancient Greece fathers usually took charge of their sons while the mother taught the daughters, so if we apply that to Apollo's life, I think we can assume that maybe, perhaps, there was some psychological abuse going on, but nothing hardcore - probably along the lines of "make me proud or earn my eternal disappointment" *points at Ares*.

The first time Zeus has to actively punish Apollo was because Gaea ordered it - Apollo killed her son Python, and Zeus (being the guy he is) would cave to her wishes. I actually have a fic in store for this convo so here's what I'm thinking:

Zeus would, of course, instantly point the blame at Gaea and deny he had any choice in the matter (even though he has gone against her wishes before...eyes the Titans in Tartarus).

Apollo, who's only paternal figure so far in his life is Zeus, wouldn't question this and only think about how unfair Gaea is (and to be fair, Python had it coming...).

When Apollo returns and he and Artemis are goofing off on Delos, the events of And By The Sun's Light happens and this, I believe, is when it starts slowly trickling into physical abuse zone.

Think about it. You are Zeus, powerful king of the gods, a new, proud father to a couple of twins that you already favor so highly.

Then one day, they both - by happenstance - gain a new domain at the same time.

Oh shit. You think. That's strange. But you shrug and hand them off to Helios and Selene, two of the most powerful Titans on Olympus.

Of course, you still keep an eye on them. You're not stupid, and get biweekly reports from their mentors on their progress - and the unease starts to trickle in.

It increases, in particular, when Apollo starts to amass other domains alongside his music, poetry, prophecy, healing, youth and light.

Truth, knowledge, harmony, ect. are all absorbed into his power arsenal and you, the king of the gods, are now sweating.

This was not suppose to happen, so now, I believe, is when Zeus started to use the "light" zaps (as stated in-series) from his bolt to keep Apollo in line. He doesn't want him to get any ideas after all.

Unfortunately for Zeus, that isn't enough to deter Apollo.

(Sidenote: I also think Zeus didn't want Helios to take "his" place - after all, abusers don't want a positive version of themselves in their victim's lives)

Enter stage left: The Olympian Rebellion.

Ohohoh...

"shit I need to ramp it up" thinks Zeus as he stares at the faces of his wife, brother, and his favorite children.

And ramp it up he does. Of course, Apollo's first stint as a mortal happens here, and man. is it bad. Troy's king is the perfect tool and metaphor for Zeus's own rule to give Apollo (and Poseidon) a taste of what else may happen if he (they) continued to defy him.

It sucks, of course. Apollo's very adamant about it not being a picnic. And for a while, after it's all over, it seems like all's well.

Of course, Zeus doesn't lay off the zaps every now and then, but it's nothing compared to later in Apollo's life.

He even considers Apollo's request to free Prometheus and grants it, because isn't he just such a considerate father?

Really, the first time he had to go gunho on Apollo with the bolt was when he and Heracles got into a fistfight - but really, what kind of king would he be if he hadn't prevented Apollo his sons from tearing Heracles each other apart?

After all, he can't show favoritism now can he?

*insert huge THIS IS SARCASM sign here*

But then...Asclepius happens. This upstart thinks he can meddle with what belongs to the gods? Well, Zeus will teach him a lesson on death - and how permanent it can be!

...he didn't take into account how Apollo would react to his son's death.

Nor the rebelliousness of the action itself.

*Alder rubs her hands together*

alrightly gang. THIS. This is it.

Apollo is turned mortal for a second time, but to Zeus's displeasure, it's actually a pretty good time for him. Admetus is friendly, and the two hit it off rather well - too well, if Apollo's very blatant, embarrassing affection is anything to go by.

Well. This just won't do!

Hmm...Thinks Zeus. What's another punishment that will let the lesson sink in?

He looks down into the Underworld.

Perfect.

So Apollo becomes a god again. He's still pretty sad, but he's feeling better - even moreso when Zeus says he's decided to make Asclepius immortal! He'll be the god of doctors!

Ecstatic, Apollo immediately agrees...and then is forced to watch as Asclepius is locked up and he's forbidden from seeing him.

Not only that, but now...Zeus brings out the eagle eye and the big guns. He alternates between nitpicking Apollo, and praising him.

And he also cranks up the voltage on the bolt, so the lesson lingers.

The Trojan War happens. Zeus simultaneously indulges and denies Apollo's wishes.

And then. *Alder gleefully rubs hands* AND THEN.

ROME HAPPENS.

BUCKLE UP THIS IS WHEN IT GOES DOWN.

Helios fades, and Apollo inherits his power. Think about that. Apollo, an already powerful god inherits the power of a Titan. And not just any Titan, but Helios.

That's a hella lotta power.

...and that's a hella lotta threat in Zeu-oops, sorry, Jupiter's eyes.

(Now Jupiter I think has differences from Zeus, but I haven't really devoted any time to drawing that line between them so stuff may change here. However, Jupiter/Jove had a emphasis on family, so my little spin on that...is right here >:))

Jupiter, like Juno, has the domain of family in Rome. He's seen as the Ultimate Dad TM. And you bet he uses that to manipulate the hell out of Apollo.

"A good son wouldn't do [insert perceived slight here]"

"What kind of example are you setting for your brothers?"

And most of all...

"What would your mother think of your attitude?"

Ow. Talk about a punch to the gut.

So yeah. Rome is when things got BAD. The bolts became a lot more constant. The emotional/psychological abuse was unbearable.

Apollo barely had anybody to go to. His options were limited.

...but the one place he did feel comfortable in was with Commodus.

(hahah, yes, I managed to reel Copollo into this too lmao)

In a classic Apollo move, our favorite god goes from one toxic influence (his father) to another (his boyfriend), really showing how ingrained the normalization of abuse/toxicity in Apollo's life is.

He has no red flag sight. He has no alarm bells.

He could walk right into a situation where the word "abuse" is labeled in CAPS and Red and he'd just go "oh shit, what did I do now?"

And his father is all to happy to "let him know" what he did "wrong".

Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk hoped this was a good ride! :D

[littlesparklight]

Some headcanon thoughts/considerations on (some, lol) deities and their favourite cities in myth:

Hera Argos (the area, and then the city in particular, founded by Phoroneus) is, after Samos, Hera's first favourite city, stemming from Inachos judging her the goddess of the land against Poseidon.

Lakedaimon founds Sparta in honour of his new wife, but they dedicate the city to Hera. First because of Sparta's mother having been fostered by Hera*, and Sparta is her local nymph priestess in the area. Second because Lakedaimon, as a son of Zeus and now marrying a nymph that is important to Hera, wants to honour her. Hera takes surprisingly well to this, and wholeheartedly claims the city Sparta as her own, becoming one of Lakeidamon's main deities. *Sparta's mother being Kleta/Klete, one of a set of two Lakedaimonian Charites/Graces. For myself, I made her and her sister(s)' parents Helios and Aigle, but Hera and Zeus fostered them.

Perseus makes Mycenae into a proper city and fortifies it (it was mostly a village with a palace-like building on the rise for Mykene and Arestor earlier), dedicating it to Hera in the name of his marriage with Andromeda, and much like with Lakedaimon and Sparta, she takes to the dedication very well; the city becomes one of her three favourites.

Apollo We all know how/why Delos and Delphi is one of Apollo's favoured cities, so there's no need to touch on that. But I do think it's interesting how in one version of Meleager's death, Apollo is said to kill him during the war between the Kuretes/Pleuronians and the Kalydonians (sparked from the dispute over the hide of the Kalydonian boar), having come to the defense of the Kuretes. How come? Vaguely wondering if it's because of a connection of this region to Acarnania and Actium/Aktion, which was a major center of worship for Apollo. Otherwise we're left with little to make any connection, so in this case Apollo apparently just. Decided he liked them and the city of Pleuron.

Troy is an interesting case, I think. Because while Poseidon clearly takes complete and total umbrage at Laomedon and feels no further connection to or affection for Troy and its inhabitants, Apollo does. He apparently was imagined as having built more than just the wall, and we have his connections to the royal family through Hektor, Kassandra, Helenos and Hecuba, and Troilus. Hektor was among quite a few authors (Stesichorus, for example, so this was an early idea) thought of as Apollo's son, so perhaps no wonder that he would in that case be defending Hektor so intently. For my own headcanon I imagine that Leto, later being associated with especially Lycia and such, preferred to stay on the coast here when the twins were young, and so met Xanthos - and this led to especially Apollo, but all three becoming focus of worship for the population of the Troad forward.

Zeus His special connection to Dodona I headcanon springs from back when he was presented to Kronos before the war, pretending to be something he wasn't. Zeus makes himself out to be a local water divinity of the place, and he keeps that connection, it being one of the few places he directly (instead of through Apollo's oracles, later) expresses his oracular knowledge.

Troy again, and of course you've got his plain statement of how he's been/being honoured in Troy and by Hektor. We also have the comment that Dardanos was one of his most loved mortal sons, so a continuing fondness for the city and the ruling family would make sense. Too, though, we have Xanthos/Skamander. This river god is the one of only three river gods who are said to be born of Zeus instead of Okeanos and Tethys (and the other two in rather later sources, Xanthos is in the Iliad). While I did decide to go with the Okeanos+Tethys parentage, what I did to lean into the Iliad stating Xanthos is a son of Zeus is to have had Zeus being Xanthos' foster father. And Xanthos is the father of the first (mortal) king of the area in myth, who's daughter is married to Dardanos and Xanthos then marrying a number of naiad daughters into the royal line.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Walter Burkert (1931-2015) "Greek Religion", Harvard University Press 1987

"In this book Walter Burkert, the most eminent living historian of ancient Greek religion, has produced the standard work for our time on that subject. First published in German in 1977, it has now been translated into English with the assistance of the author himself. A clearly structured and readable survey for students and scholars, it will be welcomed as the best modern account of any polytheistic religious system. Burkert draws on archaeological discoveries, insights from other disciplines, and inscriptions in Linear B to reconstruct the practices and beliefs of the Minoan-Mycenaean age. The major part of his book is devoted to the archaic and classical epochs. He describes the various rituals of sacrifice and libation and explains Greek beliefs about purification. He investigates the inspiration behind the great temples at Olympia, Delphi, Delos, and the Acropolis - discussing the priesthood, sanctuary, and oracles. Considerable attention is given to the individual gods, the position of the heroes, and beliefs about the afterlife. The different festivals are used to illuminate the place of religion in the society of the city-state. The mystery cults, at Eleusis and among the followers of Bacchus and Orpheus, are also set in that context. The book concludes with an assessment of the great classical philosophers' attitudes to religion. Insofar as possible, Burkert lets the evidence -- from literature and legend, vase paintings and archaeology -- speak for itself; he elucidates the controversies surrounding its interpretation without glossing over the enigmas that remain. Throughout, the notes (updated for the English-language edition) afford a wealth of further references as the text builds up its coherent picture of what is known of the religion of ancient Greece. (From the publisher)"

Table of Contents

Introduction I. PREHISTORY AND THE MINOAN-MYCENAEAN AGE 1. The Neolithic and Early Bronze Age 2. Indo-European 3. The Minoan-Mycenaean Religion 4. The 'Dark Age' and the Problem of Continuity II. RITUAL AND SANCTUARY 1. 'Working Sacred Things': Animal Sacrifice 2. Gift Offerings and Libation 3. Prayer 4. Purification 5. The Sanctuary 6. Priests 7. The Festival 8. Ecstasy and Divination III. THE GODS 1. The Spell of Homer 2. Individual Gods 3. The Remainder of the Pantheon 4. The Special Character of Greek Anthropomorphism IV. THE DEAD, HEROES, AND CHTHONIC GODS 1. Burial and the Cult of the Dead 2. Afterlife Mythology 3. Olympian and Chthonic 4. The Heroes 5. Figures Who Cross the Chthonic-Olympian Boundary V. POLIS AND POLYTHEISM 1. Thought Patterns in Greek Polytheism 2. The Rhythm of the Festivals 3. Social Functions of Cult 4. Piety in the Mirror of Greek Language VI. MYSTERIES AND ASCETICISM 1. Mystery Sanctuaries 2. Bacchica and Orphica 3. Bios VII. PHILOSOPHICAL RELIGION 1. The New Foundation: Being and the Divine 2. The Crisis: Sophists and Atheists 3. The Deliverance: Cosmic Religion and Metaphysics 4. Philosophical Religion and Polis Religion: Plato's Laws

A classic on ancient Greek religion! Herodotus is naturally used in it - alongside the other great ancient Greek classics- as a major source on ancient Greek religion. But Burkert highliths also Herodotus' role as one of the pioneers of the critical reflection on the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks.

[lildoodlenoodle]

First things first(spoilers for spiderverse/spidergeddon and comic noir storyline) this is a long post but you’ll have fun I promise. As always feel free to engage with the post, I’d love to hear different theories/opinions/conclusions on this in the tags or comments. Sorry it took so long!

Now I’m gonna say something morbid:

Spider Noir’s death in the comics was hilarious

Jarring, but hilarious. Like why’d he grab him like that. I physically had to shut off my iPad and go for a walk after this scene when I first read it.

But to my point, you know how some people say your birth mark is how you died in your last life?

Well post resurrection we might have A, B, and C:

(Now before anyone gets on me for, why would you do that/even think of this? In my defense, I couldn’t remember where he was grabbed, it’s been a while since I’ve read these. I thought it was gonna be on his back or shoulder and I’d give him a burned on handprint going all ‘gripped you tight and raised from perdition’ which is cool, fun, sexy, and conveniently hidden. Then I reread it and it’s basically a permanent face palm. Also pretend his face looks the same in every one. Couldn’t decide on hair either lol.)

Either way post resurrection Peter should have physical after effects of his resurrection. Either lines all over his body from having the life force sucked out of him or birth/burn marks on his face. I think this would be hilarious, angsty, and interesting. I also hate when people are just resurrected willynilly. LET THE TRAUMA OF DYING AND COMING BACK TAKE ITS TOLE. Especially if it’s multiple times.

In MK: Midnight Mission they, pretty recently, came up against this problem with the MK system being resurrected over and over again and facing really no visible consequences. But then we find out, there isn’t really a limit(ignoring the whole Khonshu imprisonment), but eventually mentally, there will be nothing left to resurrect. And the mindless mummy warrior creatures we meet from Khonshu’s ‘world’ were old avatars that wasted away from resurrections. It explains the alterations and perversions of the MK system’s mental conditions, because they are actively being altered and changed, to be brought back, by a multidimensional creature that doesn’t care about their mental health/state(that Khonshu takes advantage of, knowing what he’s doing). Sound familiar?

Now, time to get philosophical. Ship of Theseus.

What is it? Ship of Theseus is an ideological/philosophy problem about a king, Theseus, who saved the children of Athens from king Minos and the Minotaur and then sailed his ship to Delos. Then each year Athenians would sail that same ship from Athens to Delos in celebration of the myth. Over time they kept replacing parts of the ship for maintenance purposes, till every plank had been replaced, so they could still make the voyage. Now the question is, is it still the same ship? At what point did it stop becoming that original ship? And does it matter?

Applying this philosophical exercise to resurrection, with what we know above, we can get an interesting dialogue going. But, with that said, it’s important to keep in mind that the resurrection process in this context with these multidimensional gods isn’t explained with enough detail to really take it apart. Like what happens to the soul? Is the brain damage we know Marc has from repeatedly dying and his brain repeatedly going without oxygen or is it from just interacting with a multidimensional god? Is the spider god comparable to Khonshu? Is the spider god even real, if not what or how was Peter actually resurrected? And if it is real, what is its main goal? At least with Khonshu we know he has an agenda. What does it want, what’s its end game?

But let’s get into it anyways.

Now, you may be wondering, why do I keep saying multiple resurrections in regards to Spider noir? I am so glad you asked! I believe Peter's initial spider bite killed him. He had to go to the afterlife to actually see the spider god. That’s why we really only see them three times, at the initial power conception, Peter’s resurrection, and when Peter goes to the ‘underworld’ in the 2020 run. We see something similar with Khonshu in Midnight mission, while he’s in space jail, Marc can only see him during resurrections or while he’s dead. And while we’re comparing the MK system to spider noir, when Marc got his powers, he basically had to die first. That was implied to be his first resurrection. So this wouldn’t be a one off situation. We have some rules.

What we don’t see with Moonknight and Khonshu is visual physical change. Outside of the ghost bird skull armor the boys aren’t visually changing. Meanwhile, Peter has physically turned into a monster before and turned completely back. In #4/5 of the 2020 noir run the cicada stone/pink meteor turns people into monsters, but not everyone. Huma turns, Shocker turns, Peter turns, and all the resurrected villains(one guy just explodes). But Hu-Ri and Checkpoint Red don’t, until Hu-Ri touches the stone. Huma and Peter are both in close proximity to eldritch beings, them turning into inspired versions of those beings make sense. The Shocker turns because he spent so much time holding onto the stone, whereas Red hasn't. But notice Shocker and Hu-Ri don’t turn into an animal inspired version of themselves like Huma and Peter do, he becomes more of a hulk like creature, because he isn’t attached to an other-worldly being. And when Peter turned back he essentially said “that hurt like a bitch” and kept moving.

If we want to keep with the canon noir timeline and going with the idea that the Spider god is either continuously changing Peter, or just changing him during resurrections this would explain the webbing and mood/personality change from the 2009 comics to the 2020 comics. But that’s boring and too simple and I hate the time jump so fuck that shit.(again another post).

So let’s focus back on ‘Ship of Theseus’ in the context of resurrection. We have too many questions about the process of resurrection for spider noir to properly have this conversation, but I’m going to try anyways. Let’s hit what we know again: resurrection changes your brain chemistry/structure, the spider god is changing Peter throughout the series, Peter has possibly had three resurrections, the spider god resurrected Peter from a different dimension, which confirms this is a multidimensional being(if she exists but shhhh). So now that we’ve established that there are changes happening to Peter(one way or another) we know that the spider god is ‘repairing’ Peter throughout the series or ‘replacing his boards’ so to speak.

At what point is this no longer Peter? Is it when he is no longer recognizable as a human? Or is it when there is nothing left in his mind to resurrect? Or has this never been Peter, or rather not since his first resurrection when he got his powers? Is this change sudden or slow? Is it the resurrection that turns him into something else, is it slow build up like an Iodine Clock titration and one day he just wakes up no longer human, or is it a slow process of subtle changes? But if the latter, what’s the change that does it? What defines Peter’s humanity? Does it matter if he’s human or not? Does it change anything for him if he’s no longer human in body and mind?

Part of the answer may lie in the villains we see through the 2009 and 2020 runs. In the first run the main villains were the Goblin and the Vulture. Both who were implied to not be human or having physical inhuman qualities(but I’m partially ignoring the whole carney thing cause honestly it’s ableist and boring). In Eyes Without A Face, the second run, the main villains are the Crime Master and Dr. Octavious, both humans with no inhuman or supernatural qualities. For simplicity sake, let’s focus on Octavious and Goblin. In comparing the two I think most people would agree Octavious is the more heinous of the two. Goblin takes on the role of a mob boss. He runs a crime empire, exploiting the defenseless in New york. It’s nothing new and he’s even somewhat sympathetic ‘I’m finished with freakshows’, you can understand how he got where he is. This is not to say he isn’t a villain but he very much fits the ‘villain with a tragic backstory’. People look at him like he is a monster, we, the reader, start out the story knowing what he is.

Whereas Octavious is not even remotely sympathetic because there is no empathizing with how he ended up there and why he does what he does. He is not only othered by his actions but also by the narrative for his disability(it’s important to acknowledge the ableism in his story but that is another post). Ultimately his delusions and the acts he commits make him a much more sinister monster than Norman, despite Norman actually having stereotypical qualities of a monster.

Then we have Huma and Shocker from the 2020 run. Huma is the closest person we see who is in a similar situation to Peter in terms of the spider god. While we don’t know all the details, whether she is the same as Peter, bearing a curse of power, or the actual god. Either way she presents as human and is not treated differently than any other human woman. At the end of the series we realize how corrupt she is and that she’s been working with Nazi’s, not necessarily for the ideology but to achieve what she wants. Her transformation is the nail in her coffin of her monsterous perception. The question is did we need her to look like a monster to see her as one?

In general we are left with more questions and theories than answers.

But onto my subjective answers to the questions. My answers might change over time so don’t hold me to them.

Of course it matters if Peter has humanity. Peter Parker across the board is one of the characters who HAS to hold himself to a moral code or he falls apart and becomes the villain(well maybe not the villain but you know what I mean) of the story. He holds back during fights and has a no kill policy for a reason.(Good men don’t need rules, today is not the day to find out why I have so many.-dr.who) But noir Peter isn’t your typical Peter. He kills, he maims, he doesn’t hold back. With that said, he still is held together by his morality. It’s just different than what we are used to seeing from Peter, but don’t mistake that as a lack of morality. However, do I think it’s a very real possibility that this morality could be eroded over time especially considering his home world and the above circumstances? Absolutely. Peter is someone who historically needs someone to ground him and ‘make’ him human. This is normally May Parker, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, occasionally Harry Osborn, Daredevil, Johnny Storm, and Flash Thompson, and the ghost of Ben Parker. Dude lives by a passing saying of a dead relative, he clearly doesn’t have a super solid moral compass. I think this is part of the reason the noir comics kept his relationship with May and Mary Jane(I disagree but whatever whatever), because he needs support to stay grounded.

Now, under what circumstances is Peter no longer Peter? I’m going with the Iodine Clock titration theory. Just drop after drop of ‘changes’ and morally questionable decisions that don’t seem to hold much weight, until he does something truly off the reservation. Like seeing himself do something truly horrific that a couple years ago he would have never done and shocking himself out of it. Or looks in the mirror and doesn’t see a person staring back. For either circumstance, because he’s appalled with himself or struck by the fact he doesn’t really care. This is not to say I don’t think he could come back from this but holy shit will it be a process.

But it brings us back to ‘If there is too much power then it is the responsibility of the people to take it away.’ Peter losing his humanity puts him in the Goblin’s place as the one with great power that cannot be trusted from the first comic. Whether it’s the resurrections, the spider god ‘replacing’ parts of him, or him just being pushed to the brink mentally that does it. Whether the change is physical, neurological, spiritual, or mental. This ‘Peter’ is not the Peter we first meet in 1932.

This is a different ship, and you can sail and stay on the same course in memory of, or under the false pretense of being, the original as many times as you want, but you cannot bring back the parts you replaced and undo the ‘improvements’ you made. But that doesn’t need to make Peter a monster.

[whencyclopedia]

Slavery in the Roman World

Slavery was an ever-present feature of the Roman world. Slaves served in households, agriculture, mines, the military, workshops, construction and many services. As many as 1 in 3 of the population in Italy or 1 in 5 across the empire were slaves and upon this foundation of forced labour was built the entire edifice of the Roman state.

Slavery as An Accepted Reality

Slavery, that is complete mastery (dominium) of one individual over another, was so imbedded in Roman culture that slaves became almost invisible and there was certainly no feeling of injustice in this situation on the part of the rulers. Inequality in power, freedom and the control of resources was an accepted part of life and went right back to the mythology of Jupiter overthrowing Saturn. As K.Bradley eloquently puts it, 'freedom...was not a general right but a select privilege' (Potter, 627). Further, it was believed that the freedom of some was only possible because others were enslaved. Slavery, was, therefore, not considered an evil but a necessity by Roman citizens. The fact that slaves were taken from the losers in battle (and their subsequent offspring) was also a helpful justification and confirmation of Rome's (perceived) cultural superiority and divine right to rule over others and exploit those persons for absolutely any purpose whatsoever.

Aside from the huge numbers of slaves taken as war captives (e.g. 75,000 from the First Punic War alone) slaves were also acquired via piracy, trade, brigandage and, of course, as the offspring of slaves as a child born to a slave mother (vernae) automatically became a slave irrespective of who the father was. Slave markets proliferated, perhaps one of the most notorious being the market on Delos, which was continuously supplied by the Cilician pirates. Slave markets existed in most large towns, though, and here, in a public square, slaves were paraded with signs around their necks advertising their virtues for prospective buyers. Traders specialised in the commodity, for example, one A. Kapreilius Timotheus traded throughout the Mediterranean.

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