#aph Ancient Greece

[iamsebo]

Ref

[fertaine]

hellas scribble,,,,

[coralcatsea]

[heracleskarpusi]

probs not gonna shade this soooo the ancient besties

[athensandspartaadventures]

We are done! Here is the redraw of this art from 2011 (which, of course, has many more characters but I wanted to just focus on the major/recurring characters for this rendition).

It's important to look back and think about my journey this far, I have grown a lot as an artist, a writer, and an academic and it's good to recognize and celebrate :)

Athens and Sparta Adventures will reach its 15th anniversary (scream!!) in September of 2025 when it started as doodles in the margins of my notes in Classics 110 in my first year of university.

[hetalia-rng-showdown]

Hetalia RNG Showdown - Quarterfinal #7

Pick a character, any character! You can pick your favourite, a contender, a darkhorse, an underdog, or just pick the most chaotic choice possible!

This polls opens December 19 2024 12:00PM PST and closes December 26 2024 11:59AM PST.

Want to know how this tournament works? Read the FAQ here!

Want to find the other polls? Read the Winter 2024-25 Tournament Summary post here!

Please be respectful in the comments and tags, these polls are all just for fun!

[monaluisa]

I love shipping Rome and Ancient Greece because it's the guy who goes around killing everyone. The guy who has more power than anyone in Europe has ever seen. His people practically worship him as a god, and he may as well be one. But ooooooh boy will he do anything his woman says.

[lord-of-tomatoes]

Please make drawings of lil Greece too T-T

Motherless behaviour

[peachtalia]

I wrote a whole infodump on Herakles headcanons on a priv acc (yk for human version since I prefer to view the guys that way) so I’ll paste it all here cuz fun. It’s gonna be super disorganized and may not carry All of my ideas cuz it’s just me writing whatever came to mind in the moment but I’ll try to organize it the best I can from what I wrote. Also plz take into consideration that I’m not entirely following canon here and a load of it is headcanons with some of canon sprinkled in. Also this is a wip ig

I doubt anybody would read my word vomit cuz I didn’t bother to clean any of this up and my sentence structure is def abysmal as fuck but ig u could say I’m putting this here for my own sake but anyone else is free to read if u would like!!

cw talk of parental loss tho

Okay so I’m gonna ramble about names here cuz it interests me a lot. Obv I’m not Greek or in Greece I just have a deep interest in other cultures and like to research a lot and stalk forums and videos on experiences etc. My ideas may change over time as I learn more about the culture. He feels a bit more old-fashioned to me but anyways yeah nah if I happen to say anything innacurate plz lmk @ anyone who actually reads my word vomit haha

So anyways I def don’t see it as my place to bash on him being given the name "Herakles" cuz I Do know that in Greece they would seem to occasionally give Greek mythological names to ppl (ex: singer who's birth name is Artemios); but I noticed they most often use Christian names tho (also fun fact my irl name is the fem version of an old Greek saint and seems common there along with Hispanic countries that would often do the same lololol)

But at the same time I’d wanna assume that being named Herakles would kinda fuck u over since it would be a huge name to live up to. But that’s just me. Plus to me that adds to his overall life theme

Also I’ve mentioned this before but ppl for years would dunk on his surname claiming that it's "not a real Greek surname" when ... it actually IS, it's just super rare based on what I’ve collected. Admittedly ngly I’ve even been a part of this when I was a kid smh (See: Greek actress with the birth name Evgenia Karpouzi, the fandom would always use the spelling "Karpusi" but that's not language accurate to the more commonly taught Greek language romanization based on what I’ve learned.....

Anywho now onto headcanons and stories I like to apply to him lol

He seems the type whose mom is very huge in the historical arts and preservation field and might've been a Greek history professor and took a huge role in curating and preserving Ancient Greek ruins and artifacts...arranged heritage festivals and exhibitions etc.. Taught culture... Maybe pushed him to be very talented and knowledgeable as a kid and would actively pass down her own knowledge onto him and set pretty high standards for him while also spoiling tf out of him and also being caring yet not as present as a mother due to her career. He grew up very involved in the arts both creative-based and performance-wise but probably mostly the latter. He seems like the type who would be quiet and a bit of a loner at times but was also a lot more enthusiastic and expressive at times.

So anyways yeah not only does he suffer under the curse of living in the shadow of his mothers legacy and not meeting the public expectations in following in her footsteps but a lot of his life is basically formed around her and he wasn’t left with much room to actually form his own personal style due to how heavily influenced he was by her own interest and life path and her passing when he was idk 14 made it even harder for him to even try to let go of any of this cuz besides all of her leftover belongings and the collective community memory of her, it was all he had left of her from within himself so letting go of any of it to make more room for developing his own personal sense of style outside of her existence felt like betraying her or going against her wishes.

He feels deeply guilty for not taking on her legacy after her passing and following in her footsteps but he still does what he can to contribute here and there and still holds a load of pride in what he learns from her + what comes from his roots and besides hanging out with and feeding street cats he still has a lingering fascination and interest in philosophy and observing and maintaining historical sites not only cuz it’s great but also cuz it reminds him of her. It Would also make sense given how canonically he’s portrayed having a home that’s cluttered with his mom’s old things and artifacts that he never wants to get rid of since she passed while he was young.

As for his beef with Sadiq I see it as a ‘obnoxious goofy uncle and petty nephew’ sort of conflict lol. But I like to see it as like. Sadiq was a younger college student of his mom’s who would also do volunteer assistant work for her, so naturally he’d meet Herakles thru that. And with him being that type of guy would screw around with Herakles and poke fun at him yk like how those older guys would treat young kids sometimes and purposely provoke them in a joking yet annoying manner (I have lots of experience of this) and Sadiq himself never saw it as a big deal but yk Herakles Hated that shit and he’s the type to take that kind of stuff to heart. Also Herakles would envy the time he spends with his mom cuz here he is able to get involved with her work life and meanwhile Hera is being some kid at home who sometimes gets to go to his moms work sometimes.

And ooomfg when his mom passes u know damn well that envy turned into pure vitriol cuz Sadiq was able to spend more time around his mom before her sudden death. But Sadiq (still unaware of how deep this shit goes for Herakles) takes Herakles under his wing cuz he feels super bad to say the least.

Now Herakles has one of those large Greek families but he’s autistic* as shit so while he can be loud with them he’s also quiet and a bit of a loner at times so he’d be super reliant on his mother for initiating his interactions with others and she’d take a big part in involving him in family gatherings so u know damn well the second she was gone he didn’t know wtf to do anymore or how to connect with others on his own without her being an extra support lol yk like that one social person that helps interactions go smoother.

* yes I am aware that autism may present differently depending on culture but I’m autistic myself and am basing this on observations I’ve made thru autistic ppl I’ve known in different countries and who also have a similar familial dynamic culturally. Even tho I’m in the US I also have this experience myself with my Viet family members. No duh it’s not ‘just an autism thing’ but yk headcanons

Not to mention him being depressed as fuck over her passing and beginning to self isolate. And being so pitied by family members 24/7 SUCKED Ass so idk ig eventually (after many years and moments of Herakles mostly blowing people off) ppl began to avoid him and stopped inviting him to things like yk that sad thing that often happens whenever someone’s going thru a loss and ppl don’t know what to do about it. He’d ignore their invitations often for years. Of course they’d still try to call or send something or visit every now and then but only very occasionally. It’s like an ‘idk what to do’ sort of thing.

So yeah he’s an only child and was raised by a single mother with a busy and active life where he was always expected to become her shadow whether intended or not. Wow. But despite his family inching away from him, bro still has that younger Cypriot cousin who vibes with him and relates with his quietness and occasional loner behavior so he’d often hang around him cuz the rest of the family would overwhelm him sometimes, therefore even during this time he was the last to stick around for the most part and they’d often hang out in silence. He is a bit more chatty than Herakles tho at times. Idk his name yet. That one Cypriot cousin has a younger brother I think, who’d hang around Sadiq but Herakles’s a #hater and doesn’t really like him for that. He’s the type to threaten to cut ppl off from association and he gets petty and stubborn as hell and holds grudges like u cannot believe. Obviously despite his spite he does still care for Sadiq deep down. He says what he wants but he doesn’t actually wish the guy any real harm and would get super bothered and upset if anybody were to attempt to do so.

Oh yeah and I also mentioned before that I see him being narcoleptic lol *maybe* he occasionally dealt with cataplectic symptoms and it would make sense given how rarely he seems to express strong emotions but I still don’t know. I’m not as knowledgeable in cataplexy I admit. But he’s def on the narcolepsy spectrum and lacks a load of motivation and drive in his life overall. Some of it comes from his mildly nihilistic view on life and some of it is depressiveness and the inability to help himself more on his own accord. It probably took a lot for him to get on a stricter medication routine for it. He tries to take care of himself at the bare minimum but he still doesn’t quite cultivate the best or healthiest of habits. He’s often got others around him trying to help him out and check up on him. Think also of the comic strips of Ludwig trying to help him organize and clean his house and get his finances into check.

Idk how his mom died. Maybe it’s one of those things never spoken about but it was sudden and he was at home when it happened and just remembers it getting super late and dark and him wondering where tf she is each time he’d wake up and him attempting to call her work and go to voicemail each time.

Also back on the topic of his tendencies but Herakles can for sure be the sore loser and jealous type but only depending on whether or not the matter involves Sadiq. Otherwise he’s like eh whatever it’s fine I’ll get it next time) and as I said above he’s also got a somewhat nihilist mindset and wishes to just spend his time doing as he pleases lolll his philosophical info dumps would get mind breaking at times and he just drones onnnn and onnnn and on about it it’s like the kind of stuff that’d make u lie on ur back with ur hands behind ur head staring up at the sky like “yeah……..wow…😕” and would prob put u to sleep cuz he speaks in a slower and softer tone. And you’d prob experience a strange yet vivid dream in the moment. He’s got an ambient and nostalgic feel to his presence that’s hard to explain and melancholy yet oddly calming.

Oh also he still practices Orthodox Christianity besides being an atheist on the most part and not even following any religion or religious rules or moral code bc it’s what he was raised doing with his mom and he feels like it’s what she would’ve wanted lmfaooo I guess it’s for nostalgia’s sake and paying respects to her. Maybe he’s an atheist. Idk. Perhaps his philosophical ideals and stuff he’s learned influences his view on general spirituality and religion so in a way he feels like in the end all gods are all to reach a similar point and intention and are an outer extension/projection of our own subconscious beings and are vessels of hope and focal points for moral code and explanations for the world around us. Or maybe he just views them as beings created to give people’s lives purpose. Or he believes all things at once. Who knows what goes on in his mind.

As for his narcolepsy, his mom may have assumed at first that he was the type of child to nap a lot or that he was lazy, but over time she’d realize something is probably up and would recognize that he wouldn’t be able to help it most of the time and that he actually isn’t the lazy type and works hard when he can. She’d get called by teachers often yelling about his tendency of zoning out and sleeping in class and she’d just respond with “Oh yeah? Well maybe your class isn’t interesting enough if he’s always falling asleep in it!”

So yeah. A load of his life was built around her from the start, and he relied on her for a lot, I mean she’s his mom and all too and the only closer(?) family member in his life given that he’s an only child and has no father. The sudden change of her leaving completely threw his life off course so for years he’s been in some sort of endless state of limbo where he’s both apathetic both saddened yet he might not make it so obvious when around others. He just appears quiet, apathetic and carefree for the most part.

[hetagrammy]

You just know Lovino was a mama's boy

[lossis]

Helena Mycenae, Nation of Greeks

Welp, I gave in and drew her! Some things there are spoilers for my fic, The foam that rolls between the waves, so be aware under the cut.

For symbolism I have the pomegranates as an important symbol for ancient greece, on the top right corner I've drawn cycladic statues, minoan patterns and at the end, ancent greek trims.

The colors are based on red amphorae and the eyes on Helena's hair are like the ones drawn on triremes, only green, because... she has green eyes!

The doll's names are in linear A and B! Linear A hasn't been translated, sooo it's just random symbols.

On the olive tree three dolls are hung, Helena, Minos and Delos. Delos' doll is burned, like he did, Minos' is missing its heart, like the way he died, and Helena hangs beside them, the only one remaining.

[roran01]

Do you think ancient Greece and ancient Egypt ever bonded over their love for cats?

[fertaine]

CW BLOOD

felt silly today (reference under cut!!)

[coralcatsea]

Ancient Greece: You need a name so that you may walk more easily amongst humans.

Greece: How about I use the name of the legendary hero, Heracles?

Ancient Greece: Hmm. It is a good name, meaning "glory of Hera". Hopefully it will suit you far better than the mortal. Now for a last name, I have a suggestio–

Greece: Karpusi. 🍉

Ancient Greece: ...You want to be Heracles Watermelon?? Watermelon is not a name.

Greece: I like watermelons.

Ancient Greece: It doesn't sound very impressive...

Greece: This watermelon is the glory of Hera, it's very impressive.

Ancient Greece: -sigh- As you wish...

[heracleskarpusi]

just started school yesterday so expect less art but anyways!! not really historically accurate i just like to imagine mama greece and rome being friends sometimes :3 and lil heracles being protective of his mama and looking at rome like 🤨

[athensandspartaadventures]

absolutely the biggest most dramatic redesign by far!

So, back when I started drawing this comic as a Hetalia spin-off, Ancient "Mama" Greece was only mentioned by name as someone Rome fell in love with at first sight and did not have a design or any other particular attributes. I modelled her a little on Herakles (modern Greece) but mostly I just kind of ran with a few fanon interpretations I liked and some of my own particulars, but I felt like the character I drew and the character in my head were often very different.

So as of quite recently, Ancient Greece does have a canon design (although has not appeared much in canon). I figured, well, this is an opportunity for me to portray her more like how she is in my head than her scanty appearances in canon (which, kind of reinforce the image of her as having "beautiful" as one of her primary character traits, boring)

I wanted to portray Ancient Greece how I "encountered" her in my studies. Rather than leaning into the stereotype of her being a "goddess-like" beautiful and mysterious figure, I wanted to acknowledge her as someone that was constantly in turmoil and determined to get stronger, someone who rarely had any idea of what was going on (haha). We (at least in the western anglosphere i'm writing in) so often encounter Ancient Greece through this Victorian lens of pristine white statues in ruin and decay, and we forget that it was this vibrant, strange, bloody, living, breathing, dynamic culture.

Anyway, I was trying to remember whether it was Polykleitos or Praxiteles that struck me in art history class and found this ancient post from ten years ago and thought yes, this is the year i finally lean into the Polykleitos energy! So this pose is based off of Diadeumenos (diadem bearer) and the clothing is based somewhat off of Wounded Amazon. I really really wanted to lean into the youthful/masculine/androgynous energy for her more, so I felt the pose and shorter chiton was the right decision.