#Theban princess

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

José Ribelles y Helip (Spanish, 1778-1835) Antigone and Oedipus, n.d. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

[mythologyolympics]

Mythology Olympics tournament round 1

Propaganda!

In Greek mythology, Antigone is a Theban princess and a character in several ancient Greek tragedies. She is the daughter of Oedipus, king of Thebes; her mother is either Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene. The meaning of the name is, as in the case of the masculine equivalent Antigonus, "in place of one's parents" or "worthy of one's parents". Antigone appears in the three 5th century BC tragic plays written by Sophocles, known collectively as the three Theban plays, being the protagonist of the eponymous tragedy Antigone.

Angrboða (also Angrboda) is a jötunn in Norse mythology. She is the mate of Loki and the mother of monsters. She is only mentioned once in the Poetic Edda (Völuspá hin skamma) as the mother of Fenrir by Loki. The Prose Edda (Gylfaginning) describes her as "a giantess in Jötunheimar." Her name has been translated as 'the one who brings grief', 'she-who-offers-sorrow', or 'harm-bidder'. The first element is related to the English word "anger", but means "sorrow" or "regret" in Old Norse, the later meaning is retained in Scandinavian languages. [art credit]

[aliciavance4228]

The Strange Things with the Thebans...

I promised you guys that I'll make an essay about it so let's get it started.

Chapter I: Cadmus & The Dragon

One of the greatest heroes before Heracles alongside Perseus and Bellerophon, Cadmus is the mythological founder king of Thebes. One interesting fact about him is that, despite of being considered a greek hero, Cadmus wasn't even greek in the first place. In fact he was phoencian and came from a city called Tyre. By ancient standards he would've been considered a "barbarian". Another irony is that Cadmus' initial purpose wasn't even to become a king, but to rescue his sister Europa, at that time kidnapped by Zeus in the shape of a bull. A further irony: Europe was named after an asian princess. Aaand another further irony: when the modern state of Hellas/Greece joined the European single currency, and so abandoned the drachma of old, it celebrated its accession and new monetary union by striking a coin bearing the image of Zeus disguised as a bull in the act of abducting (a polite way of masking the actual fact of rape) Europa.

Anyway, back to Cadmus: Once arrived in Boetia he intended to sacrifice a cow to Athena and asked his men to fetch water from the river. There was one single, little, tiny, itsy-bitsy problem though: the said river was guarded by the Ismenian Dragon, who also happened to be Ares' son. So Cadmus, just like any other hero, slayed the dragon and, listening to Athena's advice, planted the serpent's teeth. Out of these teeth a bunch of dudes grew up and started to fight (and consequently kill) each other, with the exception of five who survived: Echion, Udaeus, Chthonius, Hyperenor, and Pelor, who are now considered the ancestors of thebans. (Okay, the question now would be with whom they reproduced, but that's an ask even I don't want to know the answer to...).

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 22 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "[Kadmos (Cadmus)] sent some of his men to fetch water from the spring of Ares, but a Serpent, said by many to be a child of Ares, guarded the spring and destroyed most of those who had been sent. In outrage Kadmos killed the Serpent, and then, following the instructions of Athena, planted its teeth. From this sowing there sprang from the earth armed men, called Spartoi (Sparti). These proceeded to kill each other, some in voluntary encounters, and others in ignorance. Pherelydes says that when Kadmos saw the armed men growing up from the earth, he threw stones at them, and they, believing that they were being hit by each other, started their fight... As for Kadmos, to atone for the deaths he served Ares as a laborer for an 'everlasting' year, for a year then was equal to eight years now."

Cadmus was punished for slaying the dragon by serving Ares for a certain period of time. Later, Athena assigned to him the government of Thebes and Zeus gave him Harmonia as his wife. Found another irony: Harmonia was the daughter of Ares, which makes him and Cadmus in-laws. Irony number five million: despite of being married with the personification of harmony herself, Cadmus' family tree is characterized by an entire disharmony. According to Statius, Harmonia received from Hephaestus a cursed necklace that brought unluck, which later got passed from one generation to another:

Statius, Thebaid 2. 265 ff (trans. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.) : "The dread necklace of Harmonia... The Lemnian [Hephaistos], so they of old believed, long time distressed at Mars' [Ares'] deceit and seeing that no punishment gave hindrance to the disclosed armour, and the avenging chains removed not the offence [of his affair with Hephaistos' then wife Aphrodite], wrought this [a cursed necklace] for Harmonia on her bridal day to be the glory of her dower [description of the necklace follows]... The work first proved its worth, when Harmonia's complaints turned to dreadful hissing, and she bore company to grovelling Cadmus, and with long trailing breast drew furrows in the Illyrian fields [the pair were turned into serpents in Illyria]. Next, scarce had shameless Semele [their daughter] put the hurtful gift about her neck, when lying Juno [Hera] crossed her threshold. Thou too, unhappy Jocasta, didst, as they say, possess the beauteous, baleful thing, and didst deck thy countenance with its praise - on what a couch, alas! to find favour; and many more beside. Last Argia shines in the splendour of the gift, and in pride of ornament and accursed gold surpassed her sister's mean attiring. The wife of the doomed prophet [Eriphyle wife of Amphiaraus] beheld it, and at every shrine and banquet in secret cherished fierce jealousy, if only it might be granted her to possess the terrible jewel, nought profited, alas!"

Cadmus and Harmonia left Thebes after a series of catastrophes which happened in their family and emmigrated to Illyria where they battled various local tribes to found a new kingdom. Eventually, they two got turned into snakes and carried off to the Elysium to live a peaceful life.

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 39 : "Kadmos (Cadmus) and Harmonia left Thebes and went to the Enkhelean (Enchelean) people. They were being harassed by the Illyrians, and learned from the god through an oracle that they would overpower the Illyrians if they had Kadmos and Harmonia as their leaders. Trusting this, they made these two their leaders in the campaign, and did indeed defeat the Illyrians. Kadmos ruled the Illyrians, and fathered a son named Illyrios, Later on, both he and Harmonia were turned into serpents, and were sent by Zeus out to the Elysian field."

Chapter 2: Semele Thyone

Semele: the youngest daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia and mother of Dionysus, and the theban princess infamously known for her not-so-bright intellectual capabilities.

Zeus slept with Semele and left her pregnant. Later, Hera payed her a visit disguised as her nurse and told her to ask Zeus to come to her in the same way he's coming to his wife (gotta admit, I didn't expect Hera to be this horny...). Later, Semele got killed by Zeus for her mistake, and Zeus managed to rescue the fetus she was carrying in her womb and let it develop inside his thigh.

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 26-27 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Zeus fell in love with Semele and slept with her, promising her anything she wanted, and keeping it all from Hera. But Semele was deceived by Hera into asking her to come to her as he came to Hera during their courtship. So Zeus, unable to refuse her, arrived in her bridal chamber in a chariot with lightning flashes and thunder, and sent a thunderbolt at her. Semele died of fright, and Zeus grabbed from the fire her sixth-month aborted baby, which he sewed into his thigh. After Semele's death the remaining daughters of Kadmos (Cadmus) circulated the story that she had slept with a mortal, thereafter accusing Zeus, and because of this had been killed by a thunderbolt."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 179 : "Jove [Zeus] desired to lie with Semele, and when Juno [Hera] found out, she changed her form to that of the nurse Beroe, came to Semele, and suggested that she ask Jove to come to her as he came to Juno, ‘that you may know,’ she said, ‘what pleasure it is to lie with a god.’ And so Semele asked Jove [Zeus] to come to her in this way. Her request was granted, and Jove, coming with lightning and thunder, burned Semele to death. From her womb Liber [Dionysos] was born. Mercury [Hermes] snatched him from the fire and gave him to Nysus to be reared. In Greek he is called Dionysus."

Years later Dionysus rescued her from the Underworld. She was made immortal and received the name Thyone:

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 38 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "He [Dionysos] retrieved his mother [Semele] from Haides' realm, gave her the name Thyone, and escorted her up to the sky."

Chapter 3: The Bacchae

"He is life's liberating force. He is release of limbs and communion through dance. He is laughter, and music in flutes. He is repose from all cares -- he is sleep! When his blood bursts from the grape and flows across tables laid in his honor to fuse with our blood, he gently, gradually, wraps us in shadows of ivy-cool sleep."

Thebes was closely associated with a particular shape-shifting, cross-dressing, gender-bending deity: Dionysus. Despite the fact that Thebes worshipped Dionysus even ahead of Apollo, according to Euripides' Bacchae his first visit to Thebes didn't go very well. Tragedy. Madness. Homocide. Maternal felicide. Dismemberment. Decapitation. Suicide ensued. Word Abuse.

Dionysus returns to Thebes followed by the Maenads in order to clear his mother's name and punish the thebans for not worshipping him. He disguises himself as a mortal and induces madness in all the women of Thebes, who flee to Mount Kytheron to celebrate rituals in honor of the god. Dionysus' aunts, Semele's sisters Ino, Autonoe, and Agave, are also charmed into becoming members of the Dionysian cult. In the court of the Theban palace, Cadmus and his advisor, Tiresias, prepare to join the Maenads. They are stopped by the arrival of the king of the city, Pentheus, back from his travels in Thebes. Son of Agave and Echíon, Pentheus is enraged by the condition of the Thebans and orders the immediate capture of Dionysus.

The king's messengers return bringing the god. Pentheus comes out of the palace and questions the young leader of the debauchery. Dionysus presents himself as a believer of the son of Zeus, inviting the king to join the rite. In response, Pentheus orders his confinement in a stable. The chorus mourns the prisoner, but is a few moments later the palace is engulfed in flames, and collapsed by a strong earthquake.

Dionysus emerges unscathed from the wreckage and is reunited with his maenads. Pentheus receives news from a messenger, who informs him about the situation of the maenads in the forests. They nurse wolf cubs, cast spells, and are possessed of unimaginable strength, which they use in killing herds of cows and bulls, and in attacking villages. Dionysus, still in disguise, convinces the king to abandon his plan of punishing the women by brute force. He advises him to spy on them first by dressing up as a maenad and pretending to be part of the group. Pentheus is slowly hypnotized by the god's influence and approves of the plan.

A messenger arrives to report that once the party reached the mountain, Pentheus wanted to climb a tree to get a better view, and the stranger used divine power to bend the tree and place the king in its highest branches. Dionysus revealed himself, summoned his followers and sued the intruder. The maddened maenads, led by Agave, brought Pentheus down from the tree, tore off his limbs and head, and tore his body to pieces.

Agave arrives home, carrying her son's bloody head. In her state of divine bliss, she thinks she holds the head of a mountain lion. She proudly shows it to her father, Cadmus, and is confused by his horrified expression. Agave calls Pentheus to come and marvel as well. Then the madness begins to fade, and Cadmus forces her to admit that she killed her own son. At the end of the play Pentheus' corpse is reassembled, Agave and her sisters are sent into exile, and Dionysus decrees that his grandparents, Cadmus and Harmonia, will be turned into serpents.

Chapter 4: Actaeon & his Hounds

Actaeon, son of Autonoe and Aristaeus as well as a theban prince and skillful hunter, is known for a) either intentionally or accidentally seeing Artemis bathing and b) getting turned into a deer and then flayed by his hounds. Was it worth it, Actaeon? Was it?!

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 30 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

"To Autonoe and Aristaios was born a son Aktaion, who was reared by Kheiron and trained as a huntsman, but was later eaten up on Kithairon by his own dogs [because] . . . he saw Artemis bathing. They say that the goddess changed him on the spot into a deer, and drove his fifty hunting dogs into a frenzy so that they unintentionally ate him. When he was no more, they looked for their master with great howls and bays, coming in the course of their search to Kheiron's cave. He made a likeness of Aktaion, which assuaged their grief."

Chapter 5: Leucothea & Palaemon

Ino married Athamas and gave birth to two sons, Learchus and Melicertes. After Hera found out they accepted to take care of infant Dionysus she inflicted both of them with madness. Athamas slew Learchus, whereas Ino grabbed Melicertes and leapt off a cliff into the sea. They were later welcomed by the sea gods and received the names Leucothea and Palaemon.

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 28 : "Zeus... gave birth to Dionysos, whom he entrusted to Hermes. Hermes took him to Ino and Athamas, and persuaded them to bring him up as a girl. Incensed, Hera inflicted madness on them, so that Athamas stalked and slew his elder son Learkhos (Learchus) on the conviction that he was a dear, while Ino threw Melikertes (Melicertes) into a basin of boiling water, and then, carrying both the basin and the corpse of the boy, she jumped to the bottom of the sea. Now she is called Leukothea (Leucothea), and her son is Palaimon (Palaemon): these names they receive from those who sail, for they help sailors beset by storms."

Chapter 6: The Sphinx

The Sphinx was a woman-headed winged lion infamously known for asking people the same riddle (and eventually turning them into dinner for giving her the wrong answer): "What is it that has one voice, and is four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?"

The origins of the Sphinx and the reason why she was sent to plague Thebes differ from one from one source to another. According to Pseudo-Apollodorus Hera sent her to Boetia as a punishment towards the Thebans for not having Lains punished, who had carried off Chrysippus from Pisa:

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 52 - 55 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "While he [Kreon (Creon)] was king, quite a scourge held Thebes in suppression, for Hera sent upon them the Sphinx, whose parents were Ekhidna (Echidna) and Typhon. She had a woman's face, the breast, feet, and tail of a lion, and bird wings. She had learned a riddle form the Mousai (Muses), and now sat on Mount Phikion (Phicium) where she kept challenging the Thebans with it. 

According to a Scholia on Hesiod's Theogony though it was Dionysus who sent her, whereas according to Euripides' Phoenicians she was either sent by Ares as a punishment for Cadmus, by Hades, or she was in fact one of Cadmus' daughters who was thrown into madness and went through a metamorphosis. Luckily it looked more like one of Ovid's Metamorphoses rather than Kafka's Metamorphosis, though after she started to eat people she certainly became a parasite. *badum tss*

Anyway, what is certain though is that she went through an existential crisis and killed herself after Oedipus managed to respond correctly to her riddle.

Chapter 7: Oedipus Rex

"And as for this marriage with your mother— have no fear. Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother’s bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all— Live, Oedipus, as if there’s no tomorrow."

Cadmus and Harmonia's only son, Polydorus, had a son named Labdacus who had a son named Laius who had a son named Oedipus; also known as the original motherfu-

The most famous myth version of Oedipus is the play Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannos, written by Sophocles.

The tragedy begins with the turmoil of the city of Thebes, which was facing a torment: the plants, animals and women were barren, and the plague made countless victims. The Thebans cane to ask Oedipus, the king of Thebes for help, who also got rid of the Sphinx by answering the Sphinx's riddle correctly. Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law, is sent to the oracle to find out why this misfortune has befallen Thebes. The oracle reasons that the death of Laius, Oedipus' predecessor, has not been atoned for. In order to find out who killed Laius, Oedipus requests to be asked Tiresias, the old blind prophet. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer of Laius. Believing that Tiresias and Creon have plotted against him, Oedipus argues with them. His wife, Jocasta, with whom he has four children, two boys - Eteocles and Polynices - and two girls, Antigone and Ismene, reassures him by telling him that Laios has been foretold that he will be killed by his own son, whom they gave for adoption in another country to avoid this tragedy. At that moment, Oedipus remembers the reason why he came to Thebes: to get away from his family so as not to kill his father, as he was told at birth. At a crossroad, Oedipus had a conflict with a group of robbers, thus killing his father, disguised as not to be recognized as the king. Oedipus then suffers a nervous breakdown, gouging out his own eyes since he believed that they are the ones that caused him not to see the truth.

Chapter 8: Seven Against Thebes

Another tragic episode from Thebes was the myth of the seven heroes who made war on this city, after the king of Argos chose them as captains of an army whose purpose was to restore Oedipus' son Polynices to the Theban throne. The myth is recounted in the play with the same name written by Aeschylus.

Seven Against Thebes opens with Eteocles calling forth every man in the city, whether child or aged, to the fight and the threat, which is at hand. Everyone must be ready to defend the city in battle. At that moment, the Scout enters with news that the enemy is just outside the walls and is preparing for battle. There are seven commanders ready to attack the seven gates of Thebes. After delivering the news, the Scout departs, and Eteocles prays to Zeus for his favor in the battle to come. The Chorus, which has entered as the Scout has related his news, begins a lament as they hear the approach of the armies. They beg their gods to protect them and their city. Eteocles hears the Chorus’ fearful pleadings as he enters and chastises them for their fear, which he says will not help their beloved Thebes. Instead, Eteocles promises that the Chorus will be stoned to death for their mindless fear, as their fear will incite the city’s residents into an instinctive fear of their own, which will disable and defeat the city. But the Chorus is not appeased, and they continue with their warnings as Eteocles warns them of the risk they create with their wailing. Eteocles again warns the Chorus to remain inside and to hold back their panic. At their continued warnings and fearful exclamations, Eteocles responds with attacks on the nature of women, their weaknesses, and their fears. Finally the Chorus promises to restrain their fear and remain silent, and Eteocles again prays to the gods, with promises of sacrifices and trophies if Thebes is successfully defended. After Eteocles leaves the stage, the Chorus continues to voice their worry at the coming battle and the risk they face if they are taken and become slaves.

When the Scout enters, he brings news of who will lead the attack at each of the city’s gates. At the news of each opponent’s assignment, Eteocles assigns one of his men to defend that particular gate. When Eteocles is told that his brother, Polyneices, will lead the attack on the seventh gate, Eteocles decides that he will defend that gate. At this news, the Chorus warns Eteocles that he should not shed his brother’s blood, but Eteocles is beyond listening to warnings. He acknowledges the curse of his father, Oedipus, but Eteocles says that fate will determine the outcome, and if the gods are determined that he shall be destroyed, then this will happen. The chorus is dismayed at Eteocles departure and cry out that if each bother slays the other, there will be no family to see to a proper burial. The Chorus then begins to remind the audience of the story of Oedipus and the curse that followed his father, himself, and now his sons. At that moment, the Scout again enters with the news that Thebes has crushed her enemy, and the city is victorious. Six of the seven gates have withstood the onslaught of the enemy’s armies, but the battle at the seventh gate has ended in tragedy. Both Eteocles and Polyneices are dead, each at the others hand. The Scout reminds the Chorus that the city must mourn the death but also celebrate the end of the curse. The Chorus asks is they should mourn these deaths or celebrate the triumph of Thebes’ victory. With the arrival of the brother’s bodies, the Chorus acknowledges the tragedy that has unfolded. The bodies are followed closely by Ismene and Antigone, who have come to bury their brothers. The Chorus addresses the sisters, with grief and with sadness at the resolution of the curse. The two sisters respond to the Chorus with their own grief, as they lament the curse that damned both brothers. As Antigone wonders where they will bury the brothers, a Herald enters with an announcement that the council has met. The council has determined that Eteocles is a hero and will be accorded an honorable burial. However, Polyneices would have laid waste to Thebes, and thus, his corpse is to lie unburied, to be picked apart by the birds of prey. Antigone promises that she will bury her brother, as she will not be bound by the Theban council’s ruling. A brief argument with the Herald ensues, but Antigone will not be threatened, and finally, the Herald leaves to report to the council. The play ends with the Chorus divided. Half will accompany Eteocles to his grave; half will accompany Polyneices to his burial.

Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes was part of a trilogy, along with other two tragic plays called Laius and Oedipus. Unfortunately both of them got lost, along with a comedic play titled The Sphinx. Due to the popularity of Sophocles' Antigone the ending was rewritten about half of a century after Aeschylus' death so that play could have a less mournful tone and turn Antigone into a continuation of it.

Chapter 9: Antigone

Similarly with Oedipus Rex, the tragic play Antigone written by Sophocles is one of the most precious literary creations of antiquity. Antigone, the brave daughter of Oedipus, witnesses the disaster caused by the fight between her brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. Both fell in battle, and the throne of Thebes is occupied by Creon. The king orders the funeral of Eteocles, the defender of the fortress, to be organized with pomp. For the other son of Oedipus though, Polynices even a simple burial is prohibited. Antigone, the sister of the two fighters, stood up against the harsh royal order, facing the danger of the death penalty. In great secrecy, she surrenders the body of Polynices to the earth, thus fulfilling the obligation that, according to custom, the blood connection with the dead man demands.

Antigone's deed was quickly discovered by Creon who sentences her to death. However, she is fearless in the face of death, viewing it as a release from suffering. In the heated discussion between Creon and Antigone, a sharp clash of moral principles is revealed. Antigone, the frail and tender maiden, is endowed with a bold character, with a courage worthy of a fighter. Her strength to face the king is derived from the conscience that acts in the name of the ancient, unwritten laws, which summarize the traditional morality, deeply rooted in the Greek cities. Antigone will perish in prison, but Creon, who disregarded the will of the gods, will receive a severe punishment by losing his son, Haemon (Antigone's fiance), and his wife, who commits suicide by cursing her proud and reckless husband.

Final Note

It took me waaay longer than I intitially expected to make this thing. The fact that I forgot at one point about this post didn't help either. I've also considered including the myth of the Coronides as well, but I've already talked about it many times on this blog so I decided to end it with Antigone. I'm also aware of the fact that there are different versions of the exact same myth, as well as I might have accidentally included mistakes here and there. Also also, I realized that if I don't insert any humor I'll die out of boredom while making this, hence the dry jokes. Anyway, hope you'll like it! 👍

[mythologypaintings]

Oedipus and Antigone

Artist: Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (Danish, 1783–1853)

Genre: Mythological Art

Date: 1812

Media: Oil on Canvas

Collection: The National Museum in Stockholm

Description

In this painting of Oedipus and Antigone from 1812, Eckersberg presents a doting and concerned Antigone and an elderly Oedipus who is visibly very frail. Oedipus nonetheless shoulders the burden of carrying some heavy clothing on his back, while Antigone walks more freely, albeit while expending energy tending to her father. I love the bright colours in this scene, but also the way Eckersberg manages to capture the melancholy of both characters and the tenderness between them. On they go, in sadness, across the bridge.

In Greek mythology Antigone is a Theban princess and a character in several ancient Greek tragedies. She is the daughter of Oedipus, king of Thebes; her mother is either Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene. The meaning of the name is, as in the case of the masculine equivalent Antigonus, "in place of one's parents" or "worthy of one's parents".

[hannahhook7744]

Descendants name headcanons;

Elle Athanasiou (daughter of Prince Eric and Ariel).

Arabella Athanasiou (niece of Prince Eric and Ariel).

Henry (de Vil) Crowley (the kid with white hair that may or may not be related to Carlos from Carlos' Scavenger hunt).

Hayden 'Hadie' Athanasiou.

Hyllus 'Herkie' Amphitryon Tiryn-Theban-Athanasiou of Argolis.

Benjamin 'Ben' Florian Léandre.

Maleficent Bertha Fae || turns to Malanie 'Mal' Bertha Fae-Athanasiou || when she is able to change her name.

Princess Geneviève ‘Evie’ Evelyn Grimhilde-Westergaard Of The Southern Isles.

Jakeem 'Jay' Al-Jazira.

Jadeana 'Jade' Al-Jazira.

Harrison 'Harry' Hook.

Chadwick 'Chad' Charming.

Audrea 'Audrey' Rose.

Uma Athanasiou.

Jehanne 'Jane' Fae.

Li 'Lonnie' Lan-Lei.

Li 'Li Shang Jr/Lil Shang' Shaiming.

LeFou Deux 'Lee' Beaumont.

Pino 'Pin' Liddell.

Allison 'Ally' Liddell.

Gillian 'Gil' LeGume.

Gaston 'Bronze' Legume III.

Gaston 'Junior' Legume Jr.

Frederique 'Freddie' Facilier.

Cecelia 'Cecelia' Facilier.

Rubina 'Ruby' Fitzherbert.

Samson 'Sammy' Smee.

Ginevra 'Ginny' Gothel.

Diego Ramirez-de Vil.

Richard 'Rick' Ratcliffe.

Skipper 'Squeaky' Smee.

Sterling 'Squirmy' Smee.

Claymore 'Clay' Clayton.

Madeleine 'Maddy' Mim.

Reza Vizer of Agrabah.

Harold 'Harry' Badun.

Jason 'Jace' Badun.

Yzla Sorcerer of Enchancia.

Zevon Sorcerer of Enchancia.

Yaz 'Lil Yaz' Sorcerer of Enchancia.

Tiger Poeny Rossí.

Hermione 'Hermie' Bing.

Blake 'Big Murph' Murphy.

Edmund 'Eddie' Balthazar.

Opal Facilier.

Douglas 'Doug' Bergmann.

Derek Bergmann.

Robert 'Bobby' Hood of Locksley.

Artorius 'Artie' Pendragon.

Drizella 'Dizzy' Tremaine-Westergaard of the Southern Isles ||.

Jedoun 'Jordan' Ayad.

Aziz Bint Aladdin Bin Cassim Al Hamed of Agrabah.

Sophie White.

Glauco White.

Daniel 'Danny' Darling-Cooper of Darling Coast.

Róisín 'Red' Hearts.

Zhu Yi-min (based on @queercendants ' naming post).

Arabella Athanasiou of Tirulia.

Melody Athanasiou of Tirulia.

More to be added if I can think of any more first and last names.

@cleverqueencommander thanks for the help coming up with Elle's new last name!

[misanthropicmegara]

Ever since the founding of Thebes, it was rare for its princesses to leave its walls. If it had been up to her father, Megara would have stayed, too, but there was one thing even Kreon knew. If Megara wanted to leave, she would.

Incidentally, the only thing that got her out of the city was a chance to cheer for her high school. The curse on Thebes did not extend to athletic competitions, so in view of their inability to win a war, every school in the city was eager to send their young men off. And if young men from the most turbulent Greek city state had to rush off and represent their polis, they would do it with all the finest cheerleaders.

Since Thebans had a reputation for terrible luck, they approached Athens in a series of wagons while pretending they had any shot in Asphodel of returning with a laurel. On the plus side, Megara reasoned to her fellow cheerleaders, at least they got out of Thebes.

@blackskiesbeautifultimes

[emi-goes-the-distance]

Erimenthe, Goddess of Fragility and Presentation.

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♡

Also known as the lover of Athena.

Initially a mortal Theban princess, Erimenthe was later gifted godhood as a result of her fragile yet delicate nature and loyal spirit. She’s loyal to Athena, whom Erimenthe swears to support for eternity.

As a goddess, Erimenthe represents the fragile things in life and is said to love giving and receiving gifts. She is also said to be very grateful, especially as she was gifted godhood.

Some say she may smite those who are greedy or immoral in nature, especially ruthless rulers..

(I originally wanted her to be the goddess of mercy and modesty, but those are already taken in mythology so…)

♡

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[mythologyandancienthistory]

Dionysus (Bacchus): The God of Wine and Fertility in Greek Mythology

Dionysus was the last god to enter Olympus. Homer did not recognize him. There are no early sources for his story other than some brief allusions in Hesiod, in the eighth or ninth century. A later Homeric hymn, perhaps as late as the fourth century, gives the only account of the pirate ship.

Birth of Dionysus in Thebes

Thebes was the city of Dionysus himself, where he was born the son of Zeus and the Theban princess Semele.

Only in Thebes did mortal women bear immortal gods.

Semele's Tragic Fate

Semele was the most unlucky of all the women Zeus fell in love with, and the reason for her condition was also Hera. Zeus was madly in love with her and told her that anything she asked of him he would do; he swore an oath to her by the River Styx, an oath that not even he himself could break. She told him that what she wanted above all was to see him in all his glory as King of Heaven and Lord of Thunderbolt. It was Hera who put that wish in her heart. Zeus knew that no mortal could see him like that and live, but he could do nothing. He swore by the Styx. He came as she asked, and in front of that terrible glory of flaming light she died. But Zeus took her child, who was about to be born, and hid it in his side, away from Hera, until it was time for it to be born. Hermes then carried him off to be cared for by the nymphs of Nyssa, but no mortal has ever seen Nyssa or knows where it is. Some say that the nymphs are the Hades, which Zeus then placed in the sky as stars, the stars that bring rain when they approach the horizon. Thus, the god of the vine was born from fire and nurtured by rain, the intense scorching heat that ripens the grapes and the water that keeps the plant alive. After reaching maturity, Dionysus traveled to exotic places.

The gold-rich lands of Lydia, Phrygia too, the sun-baked plains of Persia, and the great walls of Bactria. And the storm-swept Medes.

Encounter with Pirates

Everywhere he taught the people the culture of karma and the secrets of his worship, and everywhere they accepted him as a god until he came close to his own country

One day over the sea near Greece, a pirate ship sailed ashore and on the shore they saw a handsome young man whose black hair fell over a purple cloak that covered his strong shoulders. He looked like the son of a king, a young man whose parents could afford to pay a large ransom. The sailors rushed ashore and grabbed him. On the deck of the ship they brought rough ropes to tie him up, but to their surprise they could not tie him up, for the ropes would not hold together and would break when they touched his hands or feet. He sat looking at them with a smile in his black eyes.

The ship's captain alone among them understood and shouted that this must be a god and should be released at once or they would be mortally wounded. But the captain mocked him as a silly fool and ordered the sailors to hurry up and hoist the sail. The wind filled it and the men pulled on the taut sails, but the ship did not move. Then wonder after wonder happened. Fragrant wine flowed in streams on the deck; a vine with many clusters spread over the sail; a dark green ivy plant wrapped around the mast like a hoop, with beautiful flowers and fruits. The terrified pirates ordered the helmsman to head for land. But it was too late: while they were talking, their captive had transformed into a lion, roaring and roaring terribly. The pirates jumped into the sea and immediately turned into dolphins, all but the good helmsman. The god was merciful to him. He grabbed him and told him to take heart, for he had found favor with the one who was already a god - Dionysus.

To read the full article, click on this link

Dionysus (Bacchus)

[semtituloh]

Dionysus Greek god of wine, fertility, and vegetation, god of the theater. Son of Zeus and Semele, the Theban princess. Vía https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/define-dionysus

[valkyries-things]

MEGARA // PRINCESS OF THEBES

“She was a Theban princess and the first wife of the hero Heracles. Hera sent Heracles into a fit of temporary madness due to her hatred for him. In his madness, Heracles killed their children either by shooting them with arrows or by throwing them into a fire. Whether Megara also died as a result of this attack depended on the author. Heracles' desire to atone for the murders of his wife and children is typically cited as the catalyst for becoming a slave to his cousin Eurystheus and performing the Twelve Labours.”

(depiction of an insane Heracles killing their son while Megara (right) watches in horror)

[patroclux]

Hi, would you be OK with sharing a source for the photos you used for your edits on Queens and Princesses of Greek Mythology (the one that was for Hera, Antigone, Medea, Clytemnystra, Andromeda, Helen, Persephone) and the Theban plays? I'd love to make edits using some of them for some book series characters. (Btw, I first saw your edits years ago and I just wanted to add that they're really beautiful. They were so nice they got me back into Greek Mythology at some point in high school - and I never thought I'd get back into it after my initial obsession in middle school ran its course).

I don't have all the sources for the photos in those two edits anymore. Hera is Naomi Campbell by Mert & Marcus (2014). There's a full image of the Antigone photo on Pinterest here. Thank you for the nice message. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you out more.

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (French, 1780 - 1867) Oedipus and the Sphinx, 1808 National Gallery, London Oedipus, a figure from Greek mythology, stands nude and in profile before the Sphinx, who guards the entrance to the ancient city of Thebes. The Sphinx – a monster with the face, head and shoulders of a woman, a lion’s body, and bird’s wings – asks Oedipus to solve the riddle she poses to all travellers seeking to enter the city: ‘What has a voice and walks on all fours in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?’ Oedipus correctly answers that it is man who crawls on all fours as a child, walks on two legs as an adult, and uses a walking stick as a third leg in old age. The bones of a previous traveller, killed by the Sphinx for having failed to solve the riddle, lie at the bottom of the picture. Thebes is visible in the distance on the right.

The theme of a monster defeated by human intelligence clearly appealed to Ingres. The picture also complements another of his paintings, Angelica saved by Ruggierro, which shows a chivalrous knight attacking a sea monster to save a princess. But this is also a painting of a man facing his destiny, as Oedipus’s actions will lead him to become King of Thebes, as the oracle predicted at his birth, and to unknowingly marry his own mother, Jocasta. This unwitting tragedy and its consequences is the drama of Oedipus Rex, the middle play of Sophocles' Theban Plays.

This painting is a later, and smaller, version of one painted in 1808 and subsequently reworked in 1827 (Louvre, Paris). The first version of Oedipus and the Sphinx was essentially a figure study that Ingres painted while studying at the French Academy in Rome. It was sent to Paris to be judged by members of the Institut de France. As required by the Institut’s rules, the figure of Oedipus was based upon a live model, although the pose was derived from the classical statue, Hermes Fastening his Sandal (Louvre), a Roman marble copy of a lost Greek bronze. Oedipus’s body is presented as an arrangement of geometrical shapes; for example, the triangle formed by his left arm, thigh and chest is mirrored and inverted by his left upper arm and forearm. The use of profile for both Oedipus and the Sphinx, together with the shallow space in much of the picture, recalls classical friezes and ancient Greek vases, which Ingres used as the sources for his deliberately classical artistic style.

[leynaeithnea]

Bonus Material! (Because we all love them, dont we)

Glossary:

Tydeus, son of Oeneus and Periboea, a prince of Calydon

Parthaon, son of Ares, father of Oeneus, Malas & Agrius

Oeneus, son of Parthaon, king of Aetolian Calydon

Althea, daughter of Thestius, princess of Pleuron, first wife of Oeneus and mother of Meleager, Deianira, Gorge and the other sons and daughters who die in the war after the Hunt

Melas, son of Parthaon, brother of Oeneus

Agrius, son of Parthaon, brother of Oeneus

Thestius, son of Demonice and Ares, king of Pleuron, father of Althea, Leda (mother of Helen) & her two brothers who Meleager kills during the Calydonian hunt

Meleager, son of Oeneus and Althea, who killed the Calydonian boar and his uncles, who wanted to claim the boar skin for themselves

Deianira, daughter of Althea and Dionysos, who married Heracles

Capaneus, son of Hipponous, born in Olenus, was one of the seven against Thebes, father of Stheneleus (one of the Epigoni)

Gorge, daughter of Oeneus and Althea, who married Andraemon for a miltary alliance, mother of Thoas

Andraemon, a king in Aetolia, possibly Pylenes' king, father of Thoas and husband of Gorge

Hipponous, king of Olenus, father of Capaneus and Periboea

Hippostratus, a man who was claimed to have slept with Periboea

Periboea, daughter of Hipponous, second wife of Oeneus, mother of Tydeus and Olenias

Olenias, Tydeus' younger brother

Thoas, son of Andraemon and Gorge, later king of Calydon & and the surrounding cities, who took the throne after Agrius was exiled by him and Diomedes and lead the Aetolians armies to Troy

Diomedes, hero of the Trojan war and one of the Epigoni, son of Tydeus and Deiyple, king of Argos

Polynices, son of Oedipus, who wants to claim his rightful year as king of Thebes

Oedipus, previous king of Thebes, who unknowingly married his mother and killed his father

Atalanta, huntress in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, who drew first blood

Curetes: name for the people living in Pleuron

Calydon, a city-state in Aetolia, ruled by: Parthaon, Oeneus, Agrius, Thoas,

Pleuron, a city in Aetolia, close to Calydon, often at war, ruled by: Thestius, Agrius, Thoas

Olenus, a city in Aetolia, ruled by: Hipponous, Agrius, Thoas

Plyene, a city in Aetolia, possibly ruled by: Andreamon, Thoas

Argos, a city-state in Argolis, ruled by: Adrastus, Diomedes (up till: trojan war)

Maps!

Sources:

I mainly used the ToposText website for research, since it has the most translations of our original sources for greek myths.

(not an exhaustive list, but i tried to find as many as I could, the ones at the top I tend to to follow more, the last are just very few or single mentions for additional info and geography, only linked the important ones, the rest are also on the website though)

Homer, The Iliad

Statius, The Thebiad

Apollodorus, Library

Hyginus, Fabulae

Diodorus Siculus, Library 1-7

Euripides, Phoenician Women

Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes

Euripides, Suppliant Women

D Scholia to the Iliad

Ovid, Metamorphoses

Pausanias, Description of Greece

Hesiod, Fragments

Strabo, Geography

Sophocles, Trachinian Women

[Sophocles, Oedipus Rex/Antigone/Epigoni]

This website is great! I recommend it, great ones are also:

Theoi and Perseus Digital Library if you wanna do research, perseus' library tends to have the text in the originial languages (greek/latin) as well as a fancy word-translation tool

I also highly recommend reading the epics, plays & poems because theyre GREAT

My favorite Iliad and Odyssey translations at the moment are from Robert Fagles. Fritzgeralds are pretty good too I believe as well as A.S. Klines.

For the Thebiad: Jane Wilson Joyce for a poetic version (highly recommend but not the easiest read), or a bit easier read A.S. Klines translation which is also aviable copyright free (for non-commercial use) on the website for Poetry In Translation!

Reading the Theban Plays by Sophocles was a BLAST, I listened to the dramatized audiobook produced by BBC and hearing them acted out makes it such a great expierence! Highly recommend those

We mixed a LOT of these sources and many different versions across sources and time together for this headcanon, however, I tried to go for a version which none of the main sources (Iliad, Thebiad) contradict, and also fills in the blanks of what happened in a fairly reasonable way, explaining motivations and various political situations that we know of throughout the sources.

Explaining my reasoning for each choice made would take way too long of an essay, but everyone is welcome to either adopt this HC as it is, or use whatever parts you like, or do your own research and come up with your own version of events! :D (tag me if you do?)

Tydeus, Son of Oeneus, father of Diomedes....who fell in the war of the Seven Against Thebes. They all know how you died...

...in a desperate, dying frenzy eating the brain of your enemy; immortality denied. They know how you, as exile, came to Argos and married a daughter of the king, like Polynices, son of Oedipus. And how you soon joined your brother-in-law on his doomed quest to claim his rightful place on the throne of Thebes. How you, as envoy, tried for peace - denied, yet defeated Thebes once? twice? over. In friendly games, then betrayed: fifty against one in nightly ambush against you. Hope for peace was lost. They know how you died in that war, and how your armies failed to take Thebes...and failed even more to reclaim your own throne. They know how your son swore an oath to avenge you. And how ten years later, he, and the other sons of the fallen Seven, warred once more against Thebes; victory on their side. And how your son joined the armies sailing for Troy and how he gained immortal fame.

But who ever asks: "Where did this man come from?", "What lead this man into exile?" Who ever tries to understand?

Well, I shall try, with what I've been given, to tell your tale, and hope to do it justice.

Cursed house of Parthaon, destroyer, son of the god of war. Sons of Parthaon doomed to war each other - outright, and in secrecy - in a frenzy for rulership, a doomed house of fathers who would soon learn to bury their sons. A curse? (What did you do to deserve this fate, I wonder? Or was it simply your ancestors love for bloodshed, that would grant you all this suffering?) Doomed house of Oeneus, in your childrens veins the blood of War ran twice over.

Im starting early in the tale, long before great-hearted Tydeus was born. But you have to know, so you understand in what haunted house Tydeus grew up in, why he became an exile, why he choose the Theban war……

So instead of with you, Tydeus, we will begin our tale with your father Oeneus, son of Parthaon. His two brothers, Melas and Agrius, they have always envied his rule over Calydon, which he secured through his marriage to Althea, (his cousin once removed, descenant of Ares) the daughter of Thestius of Pleuron. Thestius, too, was the father of Leda, mother of Helen, for whom the Trojan war was fought.

Now often have there been wars between Calydon and the Curetes of Pleuron, and for now there was peace. And you Oeneus, you let Dionysos into your house, and turned away your gaze when he caught the attention of your wife and so Deianira was born, (He gifted you a vine for it, and showed you how to plant it.) and Meleager was born to you too, beloved by Ares - cursed to die, when the wood in the fire during his birth was burned.

But then you forgot Artemis in your sacrifices, and she sent you the Calydonian boar, and you called the heroes to defeat the beast. And Atalanta drew first blood. And Meleager killed it and offered its skin as reward to Atalanta. And the brothers of Althea, scorned to hunt with a woman, tried to claim the boar skin for themselves, so in a burst of anger Meleager killed them. And there was war between Calydon and Pleuron & Olenus close by got dragged into it, too. (Olenus: place of birth of Capaneus, who did not stay, but left for Argos scorning his fathers weakness, who would join the Seven Against Thebes, and who would die, blasted by a lighting bolt of Zeus)

And Meleager refused to fight in the war he started, so the war came to the doors of Calydon and nearly the city was sacked. And all his brothers died in that war. And yet he refused to fight, until they begged him. Then he went to war and fended off the armies and fought his way almost all the war to Pleuron with Ares, victory was on his side, when Althea, scared that he would now kill her father too (not just her brothers) burned the wood that held Meleagers life. And Meleager died. And Althea, in horror of what she had done, hung herself. And Meleagers sisters mourning never ceased, and they were turned to birds. Now all but two of Oeneus' children remained: Gorge, and Deianira. And yet the war was not over.

So, begrudgingly - for he feared to loose these, his last children, too - he gave Gorge as wife to Andraemon, a king of Aetolia (was the city he ruled Pylene? Or another nearby?) in return for his miliary support.

And they defeated Pleuron, and Oeneus appointed his brother Agrius to govern the city. And with the thread of Andraemons forces, as well as Calydons, Olenian Hipponous, father of Capaneus and Periboea, sought for peace. Here Oeneus was a guest in Hipponous' halls, and he lay with his daughter Periboea, unknown to all. And Capaneus left the city, in scorn for his fathers refusal of war - he would find a loyal wife and forces in Argos.

Now Oeneus and Hipponous reached an agreement for peace, and Oeneus returned to Calydon. And Deianira married Heracles - Oeneus was relucant to let her go, the last child in his house. But now Periboea was pregnant, and rumor said she had lain with Hippostratus, but she claimed that it was Ares who had joined her bed, though she knew the childs true father. Knowing that Oeneus was bereft of wife and male issue, Hipponous send her, in the end, to Calydon. As price of honor, a peace offering. Trusting that her tales of Ares' involvements would be enough to keep the peace between their cities: for Oeneus lacked a male heir now. And Oeneus took Periboea as wife, and she gave birth to Tydeus, Oeneus' true son. (Did Hipponous suspect? Or was it luck or fate or godly intervention?)

A few years later Olenias was born, younger brother to Tydeus. They grew up in Calydon, the home haunted by the ghosts of Meleager and his brothers who still burned in the memories of their father and the wailing of their bird-sisters could still be heard in the winds. And Melas, brother of Oeneus, and his sons, still envied Oeneus‘ throne, for why had Agrius received a city but not he? Still…the children matured: Tydeus reaches stern adulthood. He was impulsive, and loud and full of life, and somehow he filled the emptiness his dead siblings had left behind, he loved sparring and hunting in the woods, he was fierce and quick to make friends and quick to anger, and quick to forgive those he loved and loyal to his family and country. His little brother was eager to follow after him, striving to be just like him, he was not yet a man, but had nearly left boyhood behind. Both of them were eager to prove themselves.

One day, Tydeus and Olenias went hunting. The Calydonian boar was dead, but there was still plently other game in the woods. They hunted in the forest between Pleuron - their uncles abode - and Calydon. Daring? Sure. Did their parents know they were out alone hunting? Probably not. They were traveling to Pleuron, hunting on their way there. They found their prey. Olenias drew first blood, Tydeus dealt the death blow. And as Tydeus skinned the boar Olenias wandered off.

Night was fast approaching and as fate would have it, the sons of Melas were hunting in the very same forest of their uncle…or maybe they knew the sons of Oeneus were traveling alone. They had not forgotten their fathers desire for the throne. Their own. And doomed Olenias ran into them, as he lost his way in the dark and they convinced him to join their hunt. Its dangerous alone in the forest, don’t you know? Especially so late at night, so they said to him. They promised to help him find Tydeus, once they hunted their game, they knew it was close by…Innocent, unfortunate youth. He trusted them, for his cousins had always treated him fairly before. He could not have known the darkness of their hearts, the plan they formed in brotherly silence the second they saw him stumble through the thicket. Olenias could not have known that they planned to take him to force his father off the throne (wasn’t it easier to string a lie to have the young boy follow them willingly, rather than kidnap him by force?) Little did Olenias know that the game his cousins hunted for was not a boar, not an animal at all, but his older brother: Tydeus, heir of Calydon.

He, in the meantime was looking for Olenias, concerned for his safety in the dark forest. He carried the boar skin on his back, which he had planned to gift to Olenias. After all, it had been the first time his brother had drawn a games blood. But in the rush of the hunt Tydeus had lost track of time. He should have been more careful, he knew, and now he searched for his younger brother.

Melas' sons found him first.

Eight against one, they ambushed him, and Tydeus defended himself, recognizing his cousins and knowing within a heartbeat their reason for the attack, their jealousy that had long been brewing - his anger rose and he killed every one of them, proving himself, but at what cost? - not knowing the brother he had been searching for was in their midsts; confused and caughed unawares by the fray. When the ninth body dropped to the ground, Tydeus stormed to Pleuron where he faced off Agrius, yelling about the ambush, fury born of bitter betrayal driving him into a rage. Yet all the while he kept looking around the halls, expecting to find his brother already there, having found safety in the halls. Upon hearing the news, Agrius however had his heart already fixed on the throne of Calydon, secretly gleeful and his brother Melas' unlucky lot. Tydeus saw the gleam of triumph in the eyes of Agrius, so alike to the one gleaming in the eyes of Melas' sons. So Tydeus asked the men to find the bodies of the men he had slain, to prove his point, and to demand justice for himself. And that they did. Carrying nine bodies, one of them still breathing - barely. Tydeus upon catching sight of his brother Olenias, let out a frightened cry. He tried to rush to Olenias, but they held him back from his brothers still bleeding side. Olenias, barely holding on to life's light, noticed Tydeus and his mouth formed words that did not escape his lips, reaching out with his blood-covered hand. But the youngest prince of Calydon lost his strenght before Tydeus could fight off the grip of the men that held him down, before he could fall down at his side to plead for his forgiveness and before he could ask how he ended up in the fray. Even before Olenias stops breathing Agrius now already demanded Tydeus' exile. Tydeus…oh Tydeus, fratricide unwilling, who would believe you now? Did you not also slaughter the sons of your uncle, all of them, in a single night? And before the words declaring exile were even spoken, Tydeus turned and ran, leaving the gated halls of Pleuron and Calydonian woods behind - to atone for his brothers murder, that was the customx, horror and guilt drove him forth - but there was rage boiling in his gut, for he knew the ambitions of his fathers brothers. Yet he left as exile, deep in his heart set to be back to take his kingdom when the time came. Leaving Aetolia behind, he wandered through Achaea and Arcadia for months, never quite able to escape the haunting image of his brother dying in his arms, a life he took. The only thing Tydeus carried with him when he left was what he'd been wearing, his weapons, and the boar hide. He kept the boarskin for himself. Unlike Meleager, he would not go to war for it, but instead he carried it, a memory of his brother. A memory of his sin. Eventually Tydeus would reach Argos - he had lost track of time, of himself - the heavy boar hide on his back a steady reminder of what he’d done. And then he met Polynices, an exile who also suffered betrayal, and was denied his right to the throne, who was haunted by his family's ghostly sins.

But Agrius, rid of Tydeus for now waited patiently until Andraemon, son-in-law to Oeneus, had his attention elsewhere since he could involve himself in war on behalf of his father-in-law if Agrius acted too soon. The ruler of Pleuron did not have to wait for long. Tydeus called to arms from Argos to march against Thebes. And they followed his call. And when news arrive from Thebes, Agrius rejoiced. Now he had free reign. Tydeus, the exile, last potential threat and beloved prince of Calydon was dead. Their troops suffered many losses. Oeneus was utterly defeated - again bereft of children. And now nothing was standing in Agrius‘ way.

So he deposed Oeneus, and while the Aetolian region was united when Tydeus called to arms, it was in friendly alliance and love and loyalty for their prince. But now Agrius ended up seizing Calydon from Oeneus, and Olenus too.

He let Andraemon keep his his city. But now he was not able to fight Agrius for the rest of Calydon and help his father-in-law. At this point Agrius has more influence and forces than him, a war only a fool would start. So Agrius rules over Calydon and its surrounding regions...

…until Diomedes comes, son of Tydeus, still heady with victory over Thebes, new king of Argos, marches to Aetolia, his goal to free his grandfather from imprisonment. He joins forces with Thoas, son of Andraemon, and they defeat Agrius - most of his sons are slain and he ends his own life when he is exiled, the sons of Porthaon now all know the loss of their children - and they free Oeneus. And Diomedes hands the throne Thoas. Andraemons son now rules over Calydon and the regions Agrius held, as well as the ones Andraemon had kept, the ones who had remained loyal to Oeneus. And with these Thoas will match against Troy, and Diomedes, with his own forces will join the war and bring victory for the Achaeans.

///

Thanks again to @lyculuscaelus @holy-mother-of-whumpers and @akaittou for helping me dig through the research and make sense of all the sources for Tydeus as well as figuring out the family trees, political and geographical relations as well as the details for Tydeus' exile ♡

[aliciavance4228]

That moment when you remember that Megara, the first wife of Heracles, was a Theban Princess and the daughter of Creon.

[trvgcdiv]

* herakles: blood-stained champion.

basic-ass profile series.

portrayal notes.

Herakles the Lionhearted, son of Zeus. Culture Hero. God. Murderer. 

Vibes-based portrayal while I pin down the various tales that make up the man, the myth, the legend of Herakles. Currently mainlining The Oxford Handbook of Heracles ed. by Daniel Ogden to get my bearings. 

Themes centered on the meaning of heroism and violence and what happens when the bigge damn hero is more terrifying than the monsters he slays. 

Interested in exploring the fall of a hero :’) (but a hero should rise before he falls, yes?)

Tertiary, Pre/Epic Cycle. Verses include (but not limited to) myth canon, myth AU, modern, and uhhh… Just about anywhere I can slot him in tbh. 

basics.

Alkaios of Thebes  Herakles God of Strength and Heroes; Divine Protector of Mankind, Patron of the Gymnasium Theban-born, but of Mykenai heritage (Tyrins, Troezen) / Aegan Of white, Black, and mixed indigenous Mexican descent in non-myth verses Pre/Epic Cycle

appearance.

His aura is what's larger than life — the man himself is on the taller side for a man of his era, but hardly the towering height most people imagine based on his exploits. 

Bronzed bc regardless of the existence of sunscreen, he's not gonna wear it. Dark brown hair, curled and thick. Dark eyes that would never be called cow-like. 

A thick dark beard and plenty of body hair as well. If he were a mortal man who changed and aged over time as one, he'd be one hell of a bear. Or, well, "dad bod" for those who aren't MLM.

relationships.

DIVINE HERITAGE: Zeus (father; grandsire); Hera NOTABLE ANCESTORS: Perseus PARENTS: Alcmene of Mykenai and Zeus (divine); Aphitryon (mortal); Rhadamanthus (stepfather) SIBLINGS: many divine siblings by his divine father; Iphikles and Laonome SPOUSE: Megara, princess of Thebes; Omphale, queen of Lydia; Deianira, princess of Calydon; Hebe, goddess of Youth LOVERS: enough of them that I need time to collect a list of names and make a separate headcanon post. CHILDREN: Some say there are over 100. Tbf some of those are now dead.  CONNECTIONS: honestly? Probably everyone.

personality.

The duality of Heracles is that he is both the best and worst person you could ever meet. He’d literally go to Hades and back to repay what’s a relatively small favor. 

He’s also known for impulsive acts of great violence, both in infancy (against the snakes Hera sent to his crib) and in adolescence (the murder of his music teacher, Linus)

He can be extremely generous and exceedingly loyal, boisterous drinker and a genial guest. 

He is also violent, arrogant, and impulsive. He is intolerant to the faintest slight and is capable of extreme brutality. 

Awful in both senses, inspiring awe and dread. 

need to know.

Typical ancient Greek male sexuality in that he has his wife and then both male and female lovers. Less important than the gender of his partners is that he’s (usually) the top. 

Only Omphale has had the honor of topping Herakles in his whole dang life. 

Grew up possibly in Thebes???

Timeline goes: some adventures > marriage to Megara > some adventures > madness and murder of family > 12 Labors in part to cleanse his soul of miasma of his murders > more adventures. 

There’s so much to know lkajsf;fsdaasfd

I’ll update this when I know what’s the most need-to-know

[misanthropicmegara]

Teiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes, once spoke to the princesses of his accursed city-state, warning them that the Fates had destined some of them to die for love. Megara swore to herself that would never be her. Like so many Theban tragedies, death befalls those who fight their fate. In her servitude to Hades, she's lost hope, but Teiresias never warned her about Hercules.

My secret's out! Anyone interested, I hope you enjoy it!