#RIP Odysseus of Ithaca! both of them

[katerinaaqu]

Bekim Fehmiou (L'Odyssea 1968) vs Christos Tsagas (Iphigenia 1977)

The two of them are simply the PERFECT representation of Odysseus! Anything else is a cheap copy

You can't change my mind!

[mythology-void]

okay so I was doing a Research™️ about ancient Greek etymology as one does and I found some Things that made me want to Violently Claw My Arms Off please allow me to force feed you my discoveries

So there are 2 words for "not" in ancient Greek, depending on the context: ou and mē. Having introduced himself in the Cyclops episode as " ou tis", or No-man, he then stabs Polyphemus in the eye. When Polyphemus' brothers come to check on him, they say this:

"... surely no man [mē tis] is carrying off your sheep? Surely no man [mē tis] is trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?"

Right after this, after the other cyclopes ditch Polyphemus, Odysseus's inner monologue goes something like this:

"Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever strategem [metis]." (pronounced mEH-Tis)

Now, there's a difference between mē tis and metis. [mē tis] (pronounced mEH-Tis with a space between the syllables) is the literal translation for "no man". Metis is a word for extreme intelligence/cunning, which is something Odysseus is famous for.

Now, there are several examples of abuse of metis/intelligence in the Odyssey, but I think the juxtaposition between [mē tis], or the concept of anonymity, and metis, or extreme intelligence, is REALLY interesting. Odysseus's adoption of the title "No-man" was characteristic of metis--it was a really smart move that simultaneously hid him from the cyclops and avoided any future consequences. It was a highly effective strategy all wrapped up in a nest little package with a bow on it.

But when he revealed himself as Odysseus of Ithaca, effectively throwing off No-man (anonymity and [mē tis]), that was characterized as idiocy--he's essentially doxxed himself, and now he's doing to (spoiler alert) get tossed around the Mediterranean by Poseidon for the next 10 years.

This is really interesting because it lets you see the parallels/codependency between metis(intelligence) and humility. When Odysseus refused to allow himself to go unnoticed (hubris) he suffered for it. BUT when he declined instant glory/satisfaction (kleos) in order to achieve the long term goal of survival, he was rewarded with Athena's favor (pay attention. This part is important).

And this situation repeats itself MULTIPLE TIMES in the Odyssey--the EXACT SAME THING happens near the end of the book, with the suitors. When. Odysseus is dressed as a beggar and the suitors/Antinious are abusing him, he ACTIVELY CHOOSES not to react--he doesn't stand up and rip off his disguise and start hollering "TIS I, ODYSSEUS OF ITHACA! FEAR MY WRATH"

No. He sits there patiently and waits. He plans and schemes and quietly orchestrates their downfall without alerting them of it. Why? Because he learned his lesson the first time this happened. He buried his rage and adopted what was, according to Grace LA Franz, a more feminine form of metis, weaving a web of destruction for his enemies that ultimately resulted in their total annihilation (see Weaving a Way to Nostos: Odysseus and Feminine Metis in the Odyssey by Grace LaFranz). His patience allowed him to win the whole prize--no questions asked, no 10-year-long-business-trip strings attached--just the sweetness of a full victory. And he is, once again, rewarded with Athena's favor--both in the battle with the suitors and in the aftermath (cleanup/reuniting with Penelope).

This really reinforces the idea in the Odyssey that Odysseus's defining characteristic is not just his intelligence--it's his ability to learn from his mistakes. He used what he learned at the Lotus Eaters Island against Polyphemus--the Lotus Eaters drugged his men, so he drugged Polyphemus. He used what he learned from Circe and Polyphemus against the suitors--Circe used false sweetness and honeyed words to lure his men into a trap, so that's exactly what he did to the suitors. His hubris on Polyphemus' island cost his whole crew their lives, so he intentionally left well enough alone until the right time. He didn't just learn from his failures--he turned them into BATTLE STRATEGY.

i don't care what anyone says that is completely totally and objectively awesome

[somereaderinblue]

Odysseus of Troy AU

Inspired by the Warrior!Penelope AU, @maggie44paint's Malewife Menelaus AU & @theblindgoddess + DaughterOfDungeonBat's Penelope of Troy AU.

So instead of Helen, Paris chooses Odysseus, thinking he's the safer option because he's just the king of small, barren Ithaca & super smart. Baby Telemachus is also spirited away as extra leverage.

Paris thinks he's being cunning, hoping this choice can somewhat ease Athena's wrath as well.

At first, Athena is furious....but then she gives the go-ahead for 3 reasons.

Odysseus will give Paris hell.

Hera will give Paris hell.

This one is important: Penelope will give Paris hell.

Paris tells himself he's doing Penelope a favour! Now she can find another, more powerful husband & have another kid with him. Plus, she's a woman with a tiny kingdom, it's not like she'll come knocking on Troy's walls.

Newsflash: a furious Penelope comes pounding on Troy's walls with a vengeance.

(Bonus if she isn't even being backed by Ares here. Oh no, all that unstoppable rage is 100% pure Penelope.)

In Olympus, Hera & Athena are cackling and high-fiving over a bucket of popcorn. In Troy, Ody is going full Mission Impossible, being a monster (rawr rawr rawr) to Paris, mapping out servant passages, calculating how much cloth it'll take to make a long enough rope & hoarding tiny paper scraps and crumbs for bird feeding.

He goes all: Yes, I need more clothes. It's not my fault my clothes keep ripping. *wink wink*. Oh, I'm not supposed to be here? Silly me, I'm hopeless without Athena's wisdom now! Look at the cute birdie, little wolf! *slips a message onto them while his son's buried under feathers*

Athena is very proud of her master liar.

Bonus:

Hector & Ody ironically become good friends because they're both dads and loving husbands. Hector tells himself he will NOT get attached to the man who's singlehandedly screwed him, his family & Troy over......only to pat the guy's back as he sobs for the nth time over missing his wife. It's hard not to empathize with him & feel a little sorry for the kid who doesn't even remember his mom.

And maybe when Hector senses that the end is coming, he & Andromache ask Ody to take Astyanax with him. He won't have a future in Troy, but it's better than no future, period.

Thus, Penelope returns to Ithaca with her family one member bigger than before.

[betterthanyalls]

hey betty wetty bo confetti

How’s about Ares x Reader in which she’s the daughter of Odysseus and and and she’s defending Telemachus & Penelope from the suitors and after getting into a fight with Antinous or however u spell his name, she meets Ares somehow?

BTW DONT FEEL PRESSURED OR FEEL THERES A TIME LIMIT - TAKE YOUR TIME 🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵

Okay love ya 🤩🤗

that nickname concerns me BUT HIIIII so ion know how good this is :sobs: , i made it in the span of like 2-3 hours from a burst of motivation. HERE YOU GO TAKE THIS AS A LATE BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Masterlist

Warrior's Blood

Ares x Reader

EPIC: The Musical ~ Oneshot ~ Action

Words: 1.4K

Published: 11-3-2024 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A loud belch sounded from the palace’s dining hall, followed by boisterous laughter and unorganized yells. The princess of Ithaca glared down the hallway while she stalked past the dining hall to her destination of the training grounds. “Men,” a loud voice called, the speaker standing up on a wooden bench, “we have been waiting for the throne for far too long. Can’t you see we are being played?”

Y/n slowed her pace, taking a peek into the crowded room to see the one suitor she hates the most speaking. Antinous. 

“I say, we take the throne. That boyish prince and his sister only stand in our way to the queen. Once we are rid of them, we shall have full access to the crown." Cheers and yells followed quickly. The onlooking royalty sneered in disgust. Normally, Y/n would only walk away and tell her mother about the new plan, but something inside her felt different—an urge to fight, a need for conflict. 

Taking a step into the light of the hall, Y/n cleared her throat.

“What would my mother think of this? Threatening to kill both of her children and then seizing her by force?" Y/n had to keep from gagging, not only at the idea of their threat but also the horrid stench of the room. 

Antinous turned to the princess with a look of pure murder and flame.

“Well, if it isn’t the weak girl. If you speak even a word of our plan, I will rip you limb from limb so you can meet your father in the underworld,” he stalked towards the younger girl with a vicious grin. “Now that I’ve thought about it, how about we begin that plan now? Starting with you.”

Y/n was wise enough to duck down, blocking an oncoming punch, only to be nailed in the gut with his knee. Falling to the ground with a sharp gasp, she was pulled to her feet by her hair. “Come on, girlie. You had the strength before to challenge me; where is it now? You’re as weak as your father.”

Staggering and getting out of his grasp, she pulled up a loose fighting position. The princess narrowed her eyes at Antinous’ insults while taking steps back to match his steps forward. Y/n tried to find some sort of strategy to take him down, like how Telemachus taught her. Her brother would always say to fight with wisdom, but there was no wisdom anywhere near this fight. Strategy only works if your opponent has strategy too. Antinous was anything but a planned fighter. 

So with her next best option, Y/n grabbed a nearby vase and chucked it at her rival's head. She missed, making Antinous even more angry. With a yell, a foot made contact with her stomach, throwing the princess to the floor and her head hitting a pillar. Pain shot through her entire body as she struggled to regain her breath. 

‘So, I did this easily. Thanks for the amazing lessons, Tele.’ Her mind wandered, forgetting about her approaching opponent as she took a glance at a nearby wall. There, up high, hung a tapestry by her mother. The twelve Olmpyians were displayed with divine glory. Glory that could help Y/n not die, if only they saw her. With nothing left to lose, the princess sent up a silent prayer before deciding to help herself.

With much pain and huffs, Y/n managed to stand on her feet once more with a sway.

Antinous offered a loud laugh, ricocheting off the stone walls.

“You just can’t stay down, can you? Do you not want to see Odysseus in Hades?”

“Don’t you dare speak my father's name,” she hissed through gritted teeth. She leaned onto the pillar with one hand while her other held her hurt stomach. Something other than pain burned inside her—a yearning to see him hurt, to see Antinous suffer. 

A new energy boosted her body; her muscles didn’t feel as sore, and the pain was dissipating. Deciding not to question this, Y/n dodged another punch aimed for her jaw. With fast footing, she grabbed a spear off the wall beside her and countered another punch.

Antinous grabbed the spear to rip it from Y/n’s grasp. Quickly, Y/n pulled the spear closer to her and kicked Antinous in the ribs. Instead of knocking him down, he only stumbled back. 

‘Left’ A voice spoke in her mind. Y/n was about to question the order until she noticed Antinous barreling towards her and instantly followed the demanded direction. 

Dodging a swipe of his sword, the princess swung her spear down at the man's knees, causing him to trip. Looking down to where he fell, a sudden push of rage flowed through her veins.

‘Blood’

She didn’t need to hear the voice again to know exactly what to do. With momentum, Y/n brought the weapons head down into Anitnous’ thigh, earning a scream from the male. She ripped the weapon from his flesh only to bring it down once more with another bloody cry. Her thoughts seemed barren except for a new order from the unknown voice. 

‘Stop’

That order only seemed to boost her adrenaline. Stop? She couldn’t. Not with all this pent-up anger and frustration she felt for Antinous. Y/n needed to make him learn where he stood as a guest in her kingdom. But as she raised her spear once more, the voice barked a command louder and all her pain and exhaustion rushed in.

‘STOP’

In an instant, her spear clattered to the floor as Y/n held her head with a groan. Antinous was being tended to by his fellow suitors, who had opted to stay on the sidelines. With labored breaths, Y/n managed to stumble away from the dining hall and towards the empty training grounds. 

Exhausted, she slumped to the sandy floor and leaned her back against a rack of swords. Her eyes shut against the glaring sun as the royal attempted to regain her breath. To her pleasure, the heat was blocked by a sudden shadow. The young adult cracked open her eyes to see a darkened figure wearing the full armor of a Spartan soldier. A mixture of emotions flooded into her soul as she recognized the nation's armor. Was this news of her father from serving beside the Spartans? But her hope was snuffed out as the familiar voice spoke.

“Stand up.”

She wanted to argue, but something in her felt compelled to follow the instructions. So, shakily, Y/n stood up in front of the warrior. From a new angle, she could see the stranger's identity. All breath escaped her lungs as she recognized the being from similar statues and paintings.

“Ares.”

The god, who towered over her with his divine form, smirked at the recognition.

“Indeed. I’ve seen your skill, princess of Ithaca. You fight well,” the god of war stalked around the girl in a circle, seeing her state after the fight. 

Finally, the two pieces connected in her mind as she turned to face him.

“It was you. The voice. The orders. That was all you.”

“You follow orders well, except for when you’re told to stop. I like that sort of fight.” Ares stood tall, power and bloodlust radiating off him as his armor seemed to brighten a bloody red in the sun’s light.

“Why’d you stop me anyway? You are the god of bloodlust, are you not? I could’ve killed him and solved the whole problem!” Y/n argued, upset at the missed opportunity.

“Have you forgotten the laws of hospitality? You would have been punished harshly by the gods had I let you continue. Not even I can defy those.” He glared down at her with warning. In response, she looked away with a defeated huff.

“Why’d you even help me then?” She grumbled, looking at the nearby swords; a few training weapons had begun to rust from limited use. 

"You have the ambition needed for the battlefield. Why would I let such skill go to waste with no proper mentor?” This caused Y/n to look at him instantly in shock, meeting the gaze of a grinning god beneath his helmet.

“Mentor?” 

“Y/n of Ithaca. You fight to protect. You fight to the last stand. That is a warrior’s blood. Like your father before you, you have the makings of a legend.” Ares held out his hand like he was shaking for a deal. “Become my champion, and I will help you become stronger than any opponent you shall face.” 

Y/n thought it over for less than a few seconds before grabbing the gods hand in her own and shaking them up and down. 

“Deal.”

[l-egionaire]

My Warrior!Penelope AU: Telemachus

Since Odysseus is home and I don't see the thing with the suitors happening in my version of the au, what ends up going on with Telemachus? Well, with his father being slowly poisoned by treacherous servants, I imagine him taking over as man of the house. His father is becoming so weak and sickly that he starts taking on more and more of his responsibilities, meeting with court, talking with the townspeople, performing diplomatic and so on. It's hard, and stressful. Not only do the more senior members of his father's court look at him like a child trying to play king, but he also has to constantly check in on and try to take care of his ailing father and secretly fearing that he'll lose another parent. It's hard on him and he feels like he doesn't have anyone to help....until one day, while trying to argue a trade negotiation, the members of court around him seem to freeze.

"Wha-whats going on?

"That'd be me."

He turns to see Athena standing next to his chair.

"What's happening? Is time....frozen?"

"Nope. I just sped up your thoughts. Gave you a little extra time to think."

"Whoa....cool!"

Athen chuckles.

"Lets have a little chat..."

Soon, Athena is there acting as both his friend and advisor, teaching him about diplomacy, treaties, negotiation, and politics, as well as training him in the art of battle, now that her warrior of the mind was....unwell. However, she offered him other aid as well. She explained her suspicions about his father being poisoned and suggested Telemachus cook his meals in secret to test it. Sure enough, once he stops eating the food given by the servants, he begins to slowly recover.

Under Telemachus's watch, Ithaca and Odysseus grow stronger. But still his council doubts his abilities, during one meeting even getting into a fiercesome shouting match with him over a deal he made to ask another kingdom for help protecting them with so many of their soldiers gone. It gets to the point that they're shouting him down, and he's about ready to rip his hair out...when once again, time slows down around him. But this felt different than Athena's quick thought. Hers seemed to fill the air with a calm, cooling aura that made his thoughts flow smoother. This was hot, humid and filled his mind with searing rage.

"Are you just going to let them talk to you like that all day?"

He looks to his side, in the opposite spot to where Athena would usually appear, and saw a tall, muscular figure in full armor and blood red cape.

Telemachus's eyes widened.

"Ares...."

The war god looked down at him with blazing red eyes.

"You are the leader. ACT like it. Don't allow them to simply push you around like this."

Telemachus then turned back to his council. He grit his teeth and, as time returned back to its usual pace, slammed both fists against the meeting table.

"ENOUGH! While I understand your concerns, this is MY decision! And I won't have you questioning it!"

That made them quiet down and Telemachus could swear he heard low, rumbling laughter.

After the meeting, Ares appears to him in his room, Athena also there glaring at him.

"Why are you here?"

"To assist the young prince, of course."

"I'm ALREADY helping him!"

"Can a king not have more than one counsel? Can a warrior not have more than one master? Besides, I certainly was more help today than you were."

Athena growls and raises her spear but Telemachus steps between them.

"No! He's right. I think....I think he can help me. In a different way then you, I mean."

Athen grimaces while Ares give her a smug smile.

"Ugh...Fine..."

And from that day, Telemachus splits his time between being trained by the two gods. Athena teaches him battle strategies and techniques, Ares gives him physical training and Exercise. Athena teaches him about reading treaties and Ares takes him to hunt and skin a boar. Athena trains him in the buisness of diplomacy and bridge building and Ares coaches him on the basics of war and battle. Strangely, while both gods talk poorly of the other, it's not uncommon for one of them to watch while he trains with the other.

One day, both watch from a balcony as he works with a spear against a training dummy.

"......He's a good lad.....he'll grow strong. Grow well."

"Yes, I'm sure he will......and I have to imagine he'd grow better with his MOTHER."

"........."

"Ares, it's been TWENTY YEARS. WHERE is Penlope?

".......She......she accured the wrath of two of the gods. And Father, saw fit to...to punish her...."

"What? Punish her how?"

"Well, first he.....he.....you know how father is with women...."

Athena's eyes widen.

". Oh, Odysseus is going to KILL him."

"Father is king of the gods."

"And Odysseus will still find a way to, for putting his hands on his wife."

Ares can't help letting out a chuckle.

"What did he do after that?"

"He....saw fit to banish her to the Land of the Giants."

"The Land of-She could be KILLED! Ares, why haven't you DONE something!? Why haven't you talked to him or tried to help her!?

"YOU THINK I WOULDN'T IF I COULD!? It is because of my blessing alone that Dionysus and Father did not SLAY her! It's the sole reason she still lives! I told her the same. And she.....she asked me to watch over the boy. Make sure HE stays safe."

".....There really isn't ANYTHING you can do?"

"You KNOW how our father is Athena. Besides, this punishment comes from Apollo. His favored son. And I'm.....I'm not......he won't listen to me."

"....But he might listen to US."

Ares looks at her.

"....You really think it would change anything?:

"I think it woud at least show we're serious. We NEVER agree on anything.

"...Why would you help me?"

"Because Telemachus needs his mother, and Odysseus needs his wife back. And i promised them both that if I could, I would do everything in my power to bring her back to them.

"....Very well sister."

[yescallmejosey]

Humbly requesting more spicy Odypen hcs.

Sigh, im gonna burn in hell for sure

warning: straight up smut people

as i said before, both Odysseus and Penelope and switches. both of them have different ways of working their magic:

Penelope likes to tease Odysseus with gentle touches on his body. Her hand traces the line of his collarbone before moving down to his ribs, her fingers so soft it causes her husband to shiver. She is loving, but there is something devious about it. The king of Ithaca becomes putty in her hands the moment she traces a thumb down his length and the moment he lets out but the smallest whimper she will pull away. Now imagine that all night.

Odysseus is devoted to making his wife feel good. Every touch, every slow thrust is meant to make her feel like in heaven. Every since they met, he devoted himself into making sure she was happy and sex is no exception. He understands this moment as a way to know Penelope better, learning what she likes even if they had spend at least twenty years together.

Oral is perhaps Odysseus’s favorite thing. He doesn’t need to feel pleasure himself to enjoy himself, especially when has his wife begging and shaking with a single flick of his tongue. He eats her out like a starving man, his lips sucking her clit and gifting her wet kisses along her thighs. The king of Ithaca is able to spend all night like this, pushing orgasm after orgasm out of Penelope until she can no longer come undone on his face.

Penelope’s favorite thing though is literally ride him stupid. Just seeing his eyes pleading and watering as she moves as fast as she can, ripping moans out of his husband. Her stamina defeats Odysseus’s attempt of containing himself from spilling himself inside of her. But the way her hips move, the way her words soothed him was just too much. Penelope did always get what she wanted

Im just gonna crawl into a corner, enjoy

[cowboys-tshot]

I keep seeing people call Eurylochus a hypocrite, and while I kinda agree, I also kinda disagree. Hear me out.

So, people's main thing with Eury is that he gets mad at Odysseus for sacrificing six men to Scylla, but he doomed all of the crew by opening the wind bag, and wanted to abandon 22 men-turned-pigs on Circe's island. (For anyone wondering where I'm getting that number, it's from The Odyssey).

But these events aren't really the same, or comparable. Let's take them one by one. (This is gonna be a long one, so I'll cut the post here for the sake of your timelines)

The wind bag. I fully understand why people are pissed at Eurylochus for doing this, and I am too. But you have to remember that he did not do this out of malicious intent. He did not know this would end in the eventual deaths of the entire crew. Even though Eurylochus was warned about the storm being inside the bag, none of them knew it would take them right to the Laestrygonians. He had no idea Poseidon was pissed off at Odysseus for blinding Polyphemus. It was a stupid decision, certainly, but the following events were not intentional on his part.

Circe's island. Eurylochus had no reason to believe there was any way of rescuing those 22 men. Circe's a goddess/witch. What the fuck are two human dudes gonna do about that? Odysseus didn't even know what he was going to do. He would not have had any solution if not for Hermes, which is not something Eurylochus could've predicted. It's pretty reasonable for him to think that those men were a lost cause.

Scylla. So far, all of the deaths have been "accidental:" 14 from Polyphemus, 543 from Poseidon/Laestrygonians, and 1 from Circe (RIP Elpenor). I am not attributing the 543 deaths to Eurylochus for the reasons detailed above. No one knew these deaths would happen. They were all sudden/unexpected. Let's take these next sixth deaths moment-by-moment:

Odysseus redirects the ship, using directions that no one else knew (Odysseus was reading the siren's lips, but everyone else was too busy catching the other sirens, and all of them had beeswax in their ears). Odysseus tells Eurylochus to light six torches.

One by one, Eurylochus watches every man that he handed a torch get brutally eaten. He himself is almost eaten, but he passes his torch off to someone else before he notices the correlation. He only realizes what's happening as the sixth man is about to die, and Eurylochus is too late to save him.

Odysseus won't even gaze at the blood left behind. But it's all Eurylochus can look at.

These deaths were planned. Odysseus knew what he was bringing his men into, and not only did he keep it from them, he sacrificed his men that didn't even know what was happening. And Eurylochus likely feels part of the blame, having been the one to light the torches, even if he didn't know the consequences of it.

Eurylochus has a right to be upset, to be angry. These are the first deaths that could have been prevented, because Odysseus could've simply not taken his men through Scylla's territory. But that's the only way to get home. Odysseus sees it as a necessary sacrifice, but Eurylochus sees it as needless. Because at this point, Eurylochus has given up hope that they'll ever get home. What is the point of sacrificing these men for a goal we will never achieve?

This is not a situation where one person is at fault. Odysseus and Eurylochus are both to blame. Like Scylla says, "There is no price we won't pay." Odysseus himself says, "You know you'd have done the same." People do stupid, dangerous, bad shit to survive. Odysseus sacrifices his men. Eurylochus still wants to live, he just doesn't see the point in trying to return to Ithaca. That's why he kills Helios's cattle. He is starving and he wants to live, even though he knows the consequences.

The whole point of all this is that people will do awful and/or stupid things to survive. Not just Odysseus.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Why is the Ithaca Saga wangxian coded and how you could write an Epic fic about it?

I'm so glad you asked Anonymous Asker on Tumblr Dot Com!

Okay so let's start with The Challenge - At the start of this song, Penelope talks about how she has been waiting for Odysseus and unravelling the tapestry she has been weaving for him for TWENTY YEARS! This is similar (to me, anyway) to how Lan Wangji plays Enquiry for Wei Wuxian every night for thirteen (or sixteen, for all those Untamed fans) years, both of them desperately waiting and hoping for any sign of their beloveds returning in their own ways - either getting home before Penelope finishes her tapestry or just replying when Lan Wangji calls for him in the night.

Then Penelope is like "yo wait...the storm....MY HUSBAND COULD BE BACK!!" and then she obviously tells all the suitors that anyone who can blah blah blah blah BLAAH (I'd write it but I'm minorly tipsy right now my bad), wanting to prove that her husband is back. To meee, this is like Lan Wangji listening to Lan Sizhui talking about Mo Xuanyu and being like "hmmm...sounds familiar. Babygirl??" I can't explain that very much but YOU KNOW?? THE VIBES!!!

Then we go onto Hold Them Down - Okay, so this one is so much more loose because I'm a moron but I do think that I can make this wangxian coded!!! Because, right, with the different suitors trying to string Odysseus' bow, it can be like the different sects vying for power - power that an alliance with the Lan Sect could bring (through MARRIAGE to WANGJI), which is why they're all trying to 'string the bow' or......court him, if that makes sense.

Then we move onto the suitors plotting to kill Telemachus so they can gain power (and what I say next is literally JUST what I think would happen) similar to how I think that if the other sects (like the Jin sect) found out about Lan Sizhui being Wen Yuan, they'd probably try and kill him too because BOOO HIIISSSS BOOOO A WENNNN!!!! (I think that'd be a cool plotline......)

Obviously then we move to the suitors being slimy bastards about Penelope, which could be like certain sects being slimy bastards about Lan Wangji!!! Like, we know it could happen because Jin Guangshan gets away with being a slimy bastard all the TIME, and as long as they're not doing it around the Lan Sect, the sects could say whatever the fuck they want!!! Man, can you tell I'm slowly going insane???

THEN!!! Odysseus. HahHAHAHAHHA. Come on pals, let me whip out the lyrics because this one was just like "WOAH HOLY SHIT!!" Alright so basically we literally start with Odysseus talking about how he's dealt with so much SHIT through the twenty years he's been gone, just to come back and hear the suitors being disgusting about his family - which can be linked in such an awesome way to Wei Wuxian because imagine that guy being like "I've been through all of this fucking SHIT (the destruction of Lotus Pier, the Burial Mounds, the Sunshot Campaign, everything with the Wens, accidentally killing his sister's fiancé, Nightless City, being ripped apart by ghosts and corpses???) and I come back to you planning to kill my SON (a Wen) and defile my HUSBAND FRIEND??" and the sects being like "oh SHIT, it's the Yiling Patriarch!!"

And then we have the suitors running and trying to escape Odysseus as he goes about and kicks their asses - and there was one quote that really got to me! So, we know that one of the suitors is like "we have the advantage!" and another one is like "No, you don't understand it, this man plans for every fight", which truly and utterly reminds me of how everyone seems to forget that Wei Wuxian was once the head disciple of Lotus Pier and literally one of the strongest cultivators of his generation due to him instead being portrayed as a villainous monster because of his demonic cultivation. The suitor dies after saying this, so I'm not sure what kind of cultivator would say such a thing!

And we can think about Odysseus being like "you think I don't know my own palace? I built it" with the second siege of the Burial Mounds, in such a cool way!! It could be like the sects running around the Burial Mounds and trying to kill Wei Wuxian but he's like "I spent so many torturous months here, you think I don't know this place like the back of my hand?" And he's just killing them off while they try to run and hide, not letting anything stop him. More killing more murder, then the suitors try and grab Telemachus to kill him - just like they'd try and grab Lan Sizhui to murder him because he's a WEN!!!

Both Odysseus and Wei Wuxian would react in the same way - I mean, did you hear the arrows fucking FLYING AT THE END OF THE SONG??? IT'S LITERALLY SO FUCKING SICK!!!!! I heard that and just thought "holy shit, Wei Wuxian with his ghostly cultivation, absolutely kicking the ASSES of everyone who dared to hurt/threaten his family???" And how both Odysseus and Wei Wuxian started their lives/journeys with peace and mercy in their hearts but everything around them piled up until they couldn't take it anymore and finally, finally fought back.

ALRIGHT I HAVE TWO MORE SONGS TO GO THROUGH BUT I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE VERY INTERESTED????

[historygirlie]

I am really intrigued in the way you draw the Greek gods. You have some sort of unique style that catches my eye! Like from what I have noticed from your art is that you have really changeable clothing for each one. Like Apollo’s dressing changes from one type to another keeping the original design though. Also am I delusional or do Hermes and Apollo have the same necklaces (like they both have necklaces with waves in them?)? And if I am being correct Apollo has wings too? Why did you choose to do that so? Also in your two pieces drawing for the Ithaca saga realise didn’t Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope have the same bracelets and if my brain is working isn’t Telemachus’ dressing colour the mix between Penelope’s light purple and Odysseus blue? I went in such a deep rant I love your art!

HOLY MOLY THATS SOME DEEP ANALYSIS THERE HUN!! I never thought someone would look in so deep to my work I am honoured 😭😭. As for answering your questions yes you are correct the designs for the gods’ clothing does change and that depends on what are they doing and who they are meeting. So like the most obvious design I have right now is Hermes. In this picture:

(which is totally epic) he is dressed in a mission so like he has a job to do as a messenger god. (Also bro trusts his skirt WAYYYY too much)

Yet in my more casual designs like when he meets Ody (or when he is twerking in that animation I posted) he is dressed simpler to emphasise that he has a more close to humans side like in the case of the design I did:

As for the necklaces yes it is true Hermes and Apollo have the same ones. They matched and in fact the story for that is a bit interesting. I though that since Hermes tried to steal Apollo’s cattle, Apollo made Hermes swear to not try and trick him and so they have the necklaces so they do not lie to one another (yet Hermes finds a way to twist the truth EVERY time). The earrings in the meantime are something every god has (it depends then on their preferences to keep them or not). The same goes for the tattoos (they are basically carved to their skin so each time they use powers they show). Hermes has snake tattoos, Apollo has like little arrows. Usually it is their respective animals that decide that.

Apollo’s wings on the other side symbolise his sacred animal: the crow. They seem white but in the dark they are actually black. Hermes has wings since…he has to fly man. Apollo’s wings are smaller than Hermes and one of them is actually half ripped out.in a drawing I did his wings are like they were in the beginning before they were ripped out from a reason I won’t tell y’all 😈. (I’d like to see ur theories for it). Oh and also one of Apollo’s suns in the halo he has is actually broken. Again y’all can theorise.

As for the two part drawing I did yes the bracelets and the clothes were intentional. The bracelets were to show the family had something that unified them and made them a family. Odysseus though doesnt have his anymore though since yeah the trip was bad. And the colours of their clothes are as you said mixing together. Also a detail in the second drawing is that all of their clothing’s colours are darker symbolising growth and maturing, also pain and suffering of being torn apart.

ANYWAYSSSSSS I yapped a lot but I hope I answered all your questions!

[somepsychopomp]

I love the idea that the Trojans pay closer attention to when Ody's heats are then Odysseus himself. They live in fear that one day he just rips the walls down with his bare hands. Everyone refuses to go fight by the fifth year. The Greeks have about five seconds to recognize what that means before they get jumped <3

Okay so I’m no longer asking- I’m telling y'all that if u leave me an idea or suggestion with no clear context clues/explanation as to what you’re talking about, I’m not going to answer 😭 Believe me, I love writing and answering prompts but if I have to treat it like a guessing game, its not nearly as fun for me anymore. Sorry to anon because I know that wasn't your intention, but I am simply not a mind reader

Like I know you’re talking about my omegaverse AU but I’m not sure if you’re referring to my actual AU or the Trojan spin-off. It sounds more like you’re referring to my side idea of omega Ody being kidnapped by Paris to Troy so okay-

I think Ody would actually be a lot more clever about his heats & would try to conceal them as much as possible, whether that be by frequently washing/changing his clothes and/or using copious perfume or ancient scent blockers.

And if not that, he could try prolonging his period of pre-heat to confuse the alphas in the Trojan palace as much as possible. Maybe he does this with herbal remedies that can partially suppress a heat, or he knows how to mimic the mannerisms of an omega approaching their heat- ex. increased purring & scent marking

Tricking the palace into thinking he’s near-heat has a few advantages. One, Odysseus can eavesdrop more easily because its Ancient Times and no one thinks a horny omega has even two brain cells to rub together. When they all think he's just a dumb himbo, Ody can steal supplies he needs more easily, or even seduce the palace guards into giving him access to places he shouldn't be in.

Cue Odysseus' many failed escape attempts from Troy. (Stealing a length of rope to scale the wall to freedom, stealing a knife and slitting a guard's throat so he can take a horse from the stable, seducing another to gain access to Troy's underground servant tunnels, etc.) The only reason why they're failed attempts is bc Priam is really smart and Hector is an extraordinarily talented warrior, and together they can just barely keep omega Ody in containment.

Omega Odysseus in heat is a different beast. If Ody in my actual AU has be to locked aboard one of his ships while in heat during the Trojan War, then he's 100% getting locked in Troy's dungeon while he's with them.

Granted, they prettied it up for him by cleaning the old blood and grime off the walls, giving him tons of soft bedding, keeping Paris far away from him, and providing him with a vast assortment of snacks and hand-carved dildos to bounce on.

Ody's horny phase lasts a few hours, maybe even a day if the Trojans are lucky. But once he begins to grow frustrated bc the dildos just can't satisfy him like his Penelope can, omega Odysseus is breaking out no matter how hard they try to barricade his cell. Somehow, perhaps with Athena's help, they always end up with a naked Odysseus running through the halls and ripping out throats with his bare teeth.

He won't rest until he either A) has his alpha back or B) has killed Paris. He would prefer both, but since Ody can probably only get B because Penelope is leading the forces from Ithaca outside of Troy's walls, he'll take it.

Whenever Ody escapes containment, which is quite often, Paris is told to hide while literally an entire battalion of fully-armored Trojan soldiers is sent to capture the omega. His heat doesn't make him the addled, boneless, whimpering pet that they expect an omega to be. He's quick and merciless, fueled by his instinctual rage at being separated from his mate and infant son.

Even when he's captured, Ody's still got a few tricks left. Sometimes, he'll cry out in pain and feign an injury. Since he's technically married to Paris and considered Trojan royalty, one of the guards or soldiers would have no choice but to venture closer to check on him.

From there, it's easy for Ody's canines to find flesh and for his nimble fingers to snatch the dagger or sword from the poor man's side.

After the Trojans start getting wise to Odysseus' ways, they basically form a union. They already have enemies at their gates, seemingly every able-bodied man in Greece (plus Penelope), but now they have a monster in their midst. One that is slowly killing them off from within their own palace.

Return the omega to his homeland, they say to their king. Or else they will simply refuse to fight any longer.

Bonus: If we're following my AU where Troy isn't sacked by the end of the war, then by the time Ody gets to leave, they'll have probably started to let omegas into their army. Something about viewing them as the most terrifying and ruthless warriors imaginable.

[wheatwhip]

My interpretations for the visuals of epic:

In "Luck Runs Out" when Odysseus and Eurylochus are speaking in private, there is a sun, visible between them in the background. This composition is repeated in both the second half of "Mutiny" and "Thunder Bringer". The sun's position in the sky progresses every scene towards a sunset until it's fully absent during the "we'll die" "i know" scene.

Every time the Cyclops is alluded to, the focus character has an eye hidden. Does not have to be Odysseus

In "The Underworld" every person not on the ship is turned away and their face can't be seen. Aswell Polities is not talking to Odysseus, but the infant.

Also in "The Underworld", the bit right before Odysseus says goodbye to his mom, he is on the edge of the ship, trying to get a glimpse of her, and the brief instrumental is Eurylochus pulling him back. The following Chorus he turns to Eurylochus and is talking to him directly and then the crew, as if seeking out comfort.

This one is the most important to me okay. In "Suffering", each line he proceeds to undress a little (taking off his shoes when he says he's too shy, and his shirt(?) when he says can't you let me stay dry) and when he asks her to come up onto the ship she takes his hand and does, successfully letting her believe he's been fooled, and when he says the final line, they're standing on the ship together and he stabs her similarily to how Circe attempted in "There Are Other Ways"

In "Suffering" and "Different Beast", the daughter is played by a real younger siren and while Odysseus sings, Siren!Penelope is looking at her and the other caught sirens. The second chorus, she breaks away from Odysseus to go to her sisters and it's holding the face of the youngest one, that she and the others swallow their pride to beg for their lives.

In "There Are Other Ways" Circe gives Odysseus a flower that is in some way in his hair. This remains until "Different Beast" where during the line where he instructs his men to cut off their tail, he rips it out.

In "Scylla" the crew's guard is mostly down after she says Hello, all of the crew is looking to Odysseus, waiting for him to speak. After he tells them to row for their lives, it takes them a second to because of the shock

At the start of "Mutiny", the remaining crew does not seem to believe Eurylochus, slowly accepting and realizing by the time he's giving examples as their gaze turns to Odysseus instead.

Every time the Cyclops is alluded to, the focus character has an eye hidden.

At the very beginning of "Thunder Bringer", during the instrumental, the shot is actually of Ithaca where Penelope removes a bracelet/necklace/ribbon and sets it down, but an Eagle comes and swipes it. We then follow the flying eagle and back to the boat. During Penelope's verse, the eagle drops the item to Odysseus. Ideally this is incorporated into his design afterwards as a symbol of devotion and possibly to then end where on their reunion he returns it.

[epicthemusical]

Killed for Mercy

WARNING THUNDER SAGA SPOILERS

blame the EPIC writing discord server for this-

“Choose, you or your crew.” Odysseus feels exhausted, the guilt dragging him down. He wants to be angry and scream at the gods for this but he doesn't have the energy anymore. In the end Eurylochus is right since he had all the power he must carry all the blame. He should have led them better. His arrogance in revealing his name to the cyclops caused 550 men to drown. He had failed to keep the bag closed. Then his first mistake of deciding to go to the cyclops cave caused Polites to die…Gods what would Polites think if he could see the monster he had become? Maybe he deserves to die and at least this way he could spare his crew. But then there is Penelope and Telemachus. He may be tainted in blood and death but he has to get home and keep them safe. He is the only one who can make sure they are safe.

“..Captain?” His brother begs for an answer just like he did after the lair of Scylla.

“Eurylochus.” That's right he's not the only one that could keep them safe…Eurylochus is his brother in law, surely he would keep his family safe for him. He has decided then but he has to apologize first, for failing as their Captain.

“Im sor-” Before he can finish he coughs up blood staring at the sword in his chest in shock. The sword is pulled out and he starts to fall. Before he hits the deck, arms wrap around him and hold him gently. He looks up and sees Eurylochus there, tears streaming down his face.

“I'm sorry Ody but I can't let you sacrifice the crew.” Odysseus feels the urge to laugh at the irony. He guesses this is a fitting way for him to die. Even if he may have deserved it he feels tears fall as the wound from the betrayal that had not yet healed is ripped open again. Still he doesn't want Eurylochus to feel more guilt than he already will.

“I forgive you. Can you take care of Penelope and Telemachus for me please?” His request is tinged with desperation as he waits for Eurylochus to answer

“Of course I swear I will keep them safe for you.” Odysseus nods and another cough, more blood lost.

“Hey Zeus, I choose to die in my crew's place!” A pause before Zeus replies

“Very well Odysseus of Ithaca. You will be dead soon anyway .” Zeus leaves and Eurylochus gently holds Odysseus close, both of them crying. Odysseus feels his vision turning black and he knows his time is almost out.

“I'm sorry Eury…for everything. I only hope that Polites will forgive me when we meet again…Thank you…” His final words said he goes limp in Eurylochus arms.

“No brother, I'm the one who should be sorry..” Eurylochus whispers as he sobs over Odysseus body.

[streets-in-paradise]

Actually, some uses of repetition on the Troy (2004) script regarding the familiar relation aren't useless, or just there to "no homo" Achilles and Patroclus.

Best example is this one :

"Odysseus: Even if your cousin doesn't come, I hope you'll join us, Patroclus. We could use a strong arm like yours.

Achilles: Play your tricks on me, but not on my cousin. "

Odysseus is trying to persuade Patroclus because he guessed Achilles would do as he wants if he convinces the boy. For this, the discursive use is very clever.

He sees already that Patroclus has his head full of epic tales and craves so badly to live his own adventure. The lad wants to follow the footsteps of his teacher, making a name for himself. Noticing he is used to be " the cousin of Achilles", Odysseus sweet talks him doing an inversion of this logic where he remains at the shadow. He could have said " Even if Achilles doesn't come", but instead cleverly chose to adress the famous hero as " your cousin". The cousin of Patroclus, sentence where Achilles is the relative behind the name.

Again, feeding the crave for glory of the young boy.

The reply of Achilles reestablishes the order in the dynamic while warning the king of ithaca that he is crossing dangerous territory. " Play your tricks on me, but not on my cousin " implies once more that he is the name of the duo. In this case not out of protagonism seeking, but protectiveness.

Phrasing has a purposefull meaning, the intentionality shows things about the characters. There are a few other moments where the placing of "cousin" says more than what people want to read, but I will get in another topic.

One can also argue the script keeps a similar insistence in pointing out Hector and Paris are brothers. The repetition is as constant as in the case of Achilles and Patroclus, yet it never gets scrutinized (for obvious reasons).

Countless examples show this, so I'll list only a few:

" Paris: Do you love me, brother? Would you protect me against any enemy?"

" Paris: I have no trouble sleeping on the seas, brother. Athena sings lullabies to me. "

" Hector * grabbing Paris' face* : Paris, you are my brother and i love you, but if you do anything to endanger Troy I will rip your pretty face from your pretty skull. "

" Achilles *to Hector, about the widows in Troy*: Perhaps your brother can comfort them. I heard he is good at charming other men's wives. "

And perhaps the most important

" Menelaus*threatening a trembling Paris who is embracing his brother's knees*: Stand back, Prince Hector! I will kill him at your feet, I don't care!

Hector: He is my brother."

Because it creates a devastating contrast with this

"They were cousins " and " they were brothers" work as parallels, fixation on remarking it goes both ways and it serves the story.

[just-my-life365]

So I’ve been obsessing over Epic the musical. It makes me wish so much that I had any skill in the animation department because while I love seeing all of the animatics come out, I have such specific images in my head that I want to share.

So since I have no time to learn digital art/animation rn (I say like it’s easy🙄) I’ll just share some stuff here and hope I can describe it properly. So now, please excuse my rambling:

The main thing I’ve been thinking about is the Gods creating little illusion of humans when they’re trying to make a point.

Like in God Games when Athena goes “please reconsider this” I know she’s brought Aphrodite into her quick thought, but I always see her creating a little illusion of Penelope and Telemachus waiting for their family to be whole again. Penelope keeping her strength while dying inside and Telemachus fumbling through keeping her safe from the suitors and taking on tasks that he’s too young and inexperienced to handle. She makes the little illusion of them and drifts them towards Aphrodite, trying to appeal to her sense of love and family. Showing her another mother/wife who is suffering and the child who needs and longs for the guidance of his father. Aphrodites expression softens the slightest bit, wavering at the sight, and that’s when Ares comes in, destroying Athena’s illusion and pulling her into his quick thought.

Another one I have now is in Get in the Water.

“I’ll raise the tides so high, all of Ithaca will die”

I want Poseidon to manipulate the water into a version of Ithaca and force Odysseus to watch is be destroyed. Put him in it, his people drowning around him screaming for him to help just like his crew did.

“I’ll make tidal waves so profound, both your son and your wife will drown”

And it’s Penelope holding baby Telemachus before they’re washed away in a violent wave

“I’ll take your son and gouge his eyes”

It’s Poseidon holding a water construct of Telemachus by the throat and ripping his eyes out. Odysseus’s expression flashes from amazement/longing at the first look of what his son looks like after all these years to horror as Poseidon shows him exactly what he’ll do to his child.

There’s just so much potential to expand on the visual torture Odysseus endures in this. Make him scared to live through all of the horror he’s seeing twice. Make him live in fear that any illusion he experiences is prophesy from the gods just like the one he experienced in The Horse and the Infant when Zeus showed what would happen if he let Astynax live.

I also imagine in Love in Paradise, before Odyssey goes “I don’t belong here, there’s something wrong here. I won’t be drawn to love in paradise,” things get hazy for him. The island and landscape shifts into the most beautiful, ideal paradise (haha) he could ever imaging. His eyes go a little cloudy, he becomes a little drowsy, more complacent as her spell tries to sink in. He has to shake out of it fight to keep his head. I imagine Calypso uses spells like this throughout their time together.

On a lighter note (maybe), Legendary/Little wolf ends/starts with Antinous seated and smug. His smirk falls when Telemachus turns away from him, hoping for a sign. Other suitors shove Telemachus to get his attention again and he stumble, turning back to them, nervous that they’ll all attack him at once. They shove a weapon in his hands. The fight starts with swords and Telemachus once again gets his ass beat. His sword is knocked from his hands. Antinous pulls back to deliver a final (possibly deadly) blow, and that’s when Athena steps in. He pushes back some of the suitors, repositions Telemachus’s stance, enhances his vision and reflexes, and pushes him forward. He uppercuts, Antinous drops his weapon. Telemachus does much better in a fist fight with Athena’s help than with the sword, which he’s never been all that confident with. I see a lot of quick evasion and intention jabs on his part, causing more damage than anyone thought he would. But yes, it does end with the Antinous KO punch and Telemachus retreating, but I like the transition for weapons to fist fight. The fight choreo goes so hard in my head lol

Anyway, these are just a few thoughts. I’ll probably come back with more later, but thanks for letting me share🫶

[elvensixpm]

Mutiny (a vision):

I've always been attached to ships in stories. When Mutiny plays, I always imagine Odysseus' ship rocking violently on the water as him and Eurylochus fight— like the tipping of scales back and forth, the power, the trust shifting between Odysseus and Eurylochus reflected in the way the ship tilts on the waters.

I imagine the ship tilting so violently both Eurylochus and Odysseus lose their footing, and in the midst of Eurylochus' attention being diverted away from him, Odysseus takes the moment to lauch—

He has already decided that at this point, nobody is getting in his way of returning back to Ithaca.

But the crew has already turned against him. The ship tilts again and pain sears in his chest. He looks down and underneath him, Eurylochus' eyes widen. Crimson blood drips down onto the other man's face, and sunlight gleams on the blade in his chest.

The captain is overthrown. He sinks forward just as the blade is drawn from him, and Eurylochus catches him, yelling something to the mutinous crew, something he can't decipher— but it makes him feel as bitter as the bile rising in his throat.

He feels hands on him, and he is lifted from the arms of his brother, no— traitor. A cloth is pressed against his wound, but all he can think about is how he should have gone ahead and disposed of the man earlier. Before he had blinded their eyes and turned them into the pigs they were now.

Through bleary eyes, he can see Eurylochus' gaze following him. The solemn tilt of his head indicates a silent apology— but there is no hope for forgiveness now.

Odysseus slips into unconsciousness.

extra (very) useless rambling:

also i just want to say

full speed ahead, storm, and mutiny just hit different I LOVE SHIPS I LOVE SHIPS I LOVE SHIPS !!!! 😭😭😭 (the boat not the pairing of two or more characters)

guys u dont understand idk why it's these three songs in particular but they just hit different

i don't particularly like Ruthlessness because Poseidon destroys the other ships 😿 its a banger but like everytime THAT part happens im like noooo

i like to imagine the ship rocking in storm is the same as mutiny too hehe (but storm is waaay more violent. like almost 90° tilts even if it's not possible)

did i just get a fixation on epic because there's ships cause no way bruh 😭🙏 rip telemachus i dont think you'll be sailing in epic (i need more ship content.... PLEASE)

lowkey whenever people say oh i love this ship im liiike 🤑🤑 I LOVE SHIPS TOO (and then i get disappointed when it's..... character x character ...... ok well i set myself up for that of course its not ship ship)

🙏 sorry for the ship rambling guys

dunno if this would be the specific ship Odysseus and his crew would've sailed on but she is a beauty 😭 POSEIDON HOW COULD YOU.....

cupid shot his arrow while i was looking at ships and boats i fear

[jay-avian]

Gonna write a little mini essay on EPIC the Musical. Names have a lot of power in this musical. They're usually used to indicate a character's presence or lack thereof.

One of the most obvious uses of names is for antagonists. So far, all of the antagonists have had their name sung as their introduction. This, for the most part, has been obvious. Upon listening to the musical again, I realized the same is true for siren Penelope. Her name is sung by a backup choir before her vocal appearance. Yes, her name has been sung before, but only by a singular character talking about her, rather than to indicate her presence (with the exception of Ody's dream to give the illusion of her presence).

In the Circe saga, I had a hard time remembering when, if at all, Circe's name was used as her introduction. In the song "Puppeteer", she sings her name herself to the crew. This might indicate that she was the antagonist to the crew all along, but had tried to keep her motives a secret at first. Scylla has her named mentioned by both the siren and Odysseus. After Ody's first mention when they reach her lair, we never hear it again, and we don't need to. We know she's there, we can hear her lurking throughout.

But when we get to Zeus, we don't hear his name at all in the musical (so far). Ody doesn't even utter his name the way he did with Poseidon in "Ruthlessness". Why could this be? It could be because this character needs no introduction to make his presence known, or that his introduction is simply by the name "Thunder Bringer". I originally thought that maybe Zeus isn't really meant to be an "antagonist" like the others, but simply seeks to restore some sort of balance. But on the other hand, other gods like Athena, Hermes, and Aeolus get their names mentioned too upon their arrival. In the snippets of God Games we've seen, Zeus still doesn't get a name drop (though he may eventually have one in that song or some other time).

Even Polites and Eurylochus get their names introduced in the beginning. Their names are used as they normally would: to get their attention, to give them orders. As far as Polites, his name is mentioned only once after his death, indicating his presence is still felt. But after that, he's simply referred to as "my best friend", an epithet rather than a name. Eury is sometimes referred to as "brother" by Ody, both a nod to their deep relationship as well as their literal one (as they are brothers-in-law).

When it came to "the wind god" and "the sun god", their actual names weren't used, but epithets instead. We hear the name of Aeolus only when Odysseus calls upon them. Poseidon's name, besides in his song, gets used by Odysseus when explaining to the sirens what had happened. Poseidon's wrath has already been revoked, his presence ever looming. He's always in the background somewhere just out of reach. (Saw a post about this part, but I can't find it again rip)

Odysseus is one of the few people who didn't get an introduction until much later. He isn't referred to as Captain until the third song and isn't referred to by name or epithet by Zeus during the first song. Ody only reveals his name himself when he's proclaiming to be the enemy of Polyphemus. Polites surprisingly doesn't use his name, only referring to Ody as Captain or, more importantly, "my friend" throughout the song "Open Arms". Eurylochus mostly uses Captain, but only says "my friend" and even "Ody" once towards the end of Mutiny. Both crew members' last mention of Odysseus was by the title Captain, indicating that at the end, they saw him as their leader, the man who they were meant to follow.

His name is also used by Poseidon, specifically "Odysseus of Ithaca", indicating his identity as king to some degree. Zeus both uses his real name and his title of king as well. Both gods refer to him as king in order to teach the lesson that rulers, like themselves, need to be ruthless or make tough decisions in order to be successful. Athena doesn't make a mention of his name whatsoever (so far), only stating that he is a warrior (of the mind), a general, the only titles important to her.

And lastly, we hear his name towards the end of Mutiny in the fight scene, indicating not only that he's winning the battle, but he is becoming an antagonist himself.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. Let me know if I missed something (I'm fairly sure I did)