#lycophron

[lesbian-iphigenia]

thinking about Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses

how do you feel about iphigenia x achilles in general?

Antoninus Liberalis account is kinda funny because there's no mention of her being told she will marry Achilles, so they had no connection, Artemis just said "I ship it" and got them together 😭😭

I really enjoy Iphigenia x Achilles tbh. Maybe not as an "endgame" ship, but more as a passing thing that made them both grow.

Euripides' Achilles did seem to genuinely care for Iphigenia and, after her speech, he started seeing her in a more equal and humanized light, which I think is sweet. Euripides' Iphigenia never got this development, she loved Achilles because she was going to be his bride, not because she loved him for who he is (but I don't doubt that, given more time, she would have started loving him for who he is), so the relationship is cute in Euripides, but unequal.

In Lycophron, they are an established relationship with a whole child together, and Achilles is even willing to leave the war for her (something he never does for Deidamia in any source I can remember) and, honestly, I do really enjoy them in this version. I mean, read this

"He will tread the ground"; so Achilles says, he will spend four years in Scythia, mourning, "longing" for the "bed" of Iphigenia;

Tzetzes, Ad Lycophronem.

He genuinely loved her so much 😭😭😭

In conclusion, I enjoy Iphigenia x Achilles, bu as a passing relationship for both characters rather than their endgame

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 17: The Library of Alexandria (Miscellaneous Edition)

I welcome your suggestions for both Library of Alexandria and other lost works of World Literature and History, as there will be future polls.

[dilutedh2so4]

When there was a famine in Greece, Apollo decreed that they should transfer the bones of Hektor (which were at the place called Ophrunos) from Troy to some city in Greece which did not take part in the expedition against Troy. When the Greeks realized that Thebes in Boiotia had not fought against Troy, they retrieved the remains of the hero and installed them there.

Tzetzes, Ad Lycophronem 1194.

[andros-paidophonoio]

Dreams of my father, the Hunter (Troilus and Āppaliunāš/Apollo)

I know there’s interesting discussion on whether or not Troilus is originally son of Apollo or not, but one of my sort of thoughts for my headcanon world is like…what if its a Schrödinger’s situation where whatever the truth is, that’s what he believes to be true, maybe in a childish fantasy way, up til the very end. Anyways I drew a more Hittite inspired figure, I think its neat how Āppaliunāš is known more for hunting being “one of Entrapment” while Cassandra in Lycophron’s Alexandra also curiously characterizes Troilus as the one who “smites” and “seizes” Achilles in an “inescapable noose” of doom. Just a thought. But here he is not thinking of that. He’s imagining having a nice warm hug

[aristoteliancomplacency]

‘the father of Agapenor was Ancaeus (son of the Arcadian Lycurgus), who took part in the Calydonian boar-hunt, and was killed by the boar. Lycophron seems to confuse him with the other Ancaeus (son of Poseidon), a cultivator of vines, to whom it was foretold that he should never drink the juice of the vines which he was planting. Cup in hand at the vintage, he laughed to scorn the prophet, who replied: πολλà μεταξù πέλει κύλικος καὶ χειλεος ἄκρου . At that moment news came that a boar was devastating the vinyard, and Ancaeus, leaving the cup untasted, rushed to attack it, and was pierced by its tusk.’

Jeeeeze Lycophron. Can’t believe you mixed up the Ancaeus who got mauled by a boar with the other Ancaeus who got mauled by a boar. Rookie fucking mistake.

[leynaeithnea]

Greek Mythology Sources

Interest in greek mythology rises anew with the new number of retellings and adaptions...and misconceptions all around...

Claims like "that never happened" or "that's the roman version" are around a lot...but even if you wanted to learn more, where would you even start looking? Where do you begin your research for your next fic, or next discussion? Well...That's for you!

Here's a list of source names, links to access them, maps, family trees & more

Where to access the texts:

ToposText

Database, interlinks all names and places, has almost all sources translated, can find all name mentions of place or character in the sources, has a map with the places

Perseus Collection Greek and Roman Materials (and Scaife Viewer)

Digital Library, nearly all main greek and roman sources, including OG language text and dictionary for those languages (is instable at times, try coming back a few hours/days later and it should be up again)

Theoi Greek Mythology

Database, has summary posts for individual heroes, creatures, gods and events, as well as many translations, has a search function

List of Ancient Sources

Homer's Iliad (8th BC)

Homer's Odyssey (8th BC)

Epic Cycle (and Theban Cycle) fragments (8-6th BC)

Homeric Hymns (7th BC)

Orphic Hymns (2nd BC/2nd AD)

Quintus Smyrnaeus’s Posthomerica (3rd AD)

Tryphiodorus’s Taking of Ilium (3rd AD)

Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica (3rd BC)

Nonnus’ Dionysiaca (5th AD)

Hesiod’s Theogony, Works and Days, Catalogue of Women (8th BC)

Statius’s Thebaid, Achilleid (1st AD)

(More under cut)

Virgil’s Aeneid (1st BC)

Valerius Flaccus’s Argonautica (1st AD)

Colluthus’s Taking of Helen (6th AD)

Pindar’s Odes (5th BC)

Plays by Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides (5th BC)

Fragments of lyric poets (8th-6th BC)

Athenaeus’s Deipnoshists (2nd AD)

Lycophron’s Alexandra (3rd BC)

Pausanias’s Description of Greece (2nd AD)

Strabo’s Geography (1st AD)

Scholia on Homer (~ 5th BC - 11th AD)

Scholia on Pindar  (2nd AD?)

Scholia on Sophocles, on Euripides (1st BC-15th AD)

Maurus Servius Honoratus’ Commentaries on the Aeneid (5th AD)

Corpus Aristotelicum (4th BC)

Fragments of Hellanicus’s works (5th BC)

Diodorus Siculus’s Bibliotheca Historica (1st AD)

Herodotus’s Histories (5th BC)

Dionysius Halicarnassius’s Roman Antiquities (1st BC)

Plutarch’s Quaestiones Graecae (1st AD)

Eustathius’s commentaries on Homer (12th AD)

Apollodorus’ Bibliotheca, Epitome (2nd AD)

Hyginus’s Fabulae (2nd AD)

Ovid’s Works (1st AD)

Antoninus Liberalis’s Metamorphoses (2nd AD)

Conon’s Narrations (1st AD)

Dictys Cretensis (4th AD)

Dares Phrygius (5th AD)

Malalas’s Chronography (6th AD)

St.Jerome’s Chronicon (4th AD)

Eusebius’s Chronography (5th AD)

Philostratus the Athenian’s Heroicus (3rd AD)

Seneca Plays (1st AD)

Suda (10th AD)

Tzetzes (12th AD)

Duris of Same (4th BC)

Ptolemy Hephaestion (2nd AD)

More Sources:

WordHoard

(Software/Java Document for Scholia on Homer, commentary on the Odyssey & Iliad)

About This Book – Euripides Scholia: Scholia on Orestes 501–1100

Scholia on Euripides

LacusCurtius • A Gateway to Ancient Rome

Roman Sources and History

https://web.archive.org/web/20050625081727/http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Hesiod/iliad.html

Little Iliad Fragments

Most of these places have older translations for the epics, poems and hymns (with older language), places like Poetry In Translation and https://www.gutenberg.org often have newer translations available for free, though…with a bit of digging most translations even recent ones can be found online :)

Comparing several translations is also good if you want to make any arguments about what a text says without being able to read the text in the original language, does the text really say that or is it just this translation?

It also doesn't hurt to research a little about the author of a work as well to get context for which time and sociopolitical and personal situation they were writing in (it helps to do a quick search into the history of ancient greece too, i.e. epic writers writing during the 7th century BC had different agendas than playwrights of the 5th century during the persian wars, athenians during the conflicts with sparta, or later hellenistic writers after Alexander the Great)

Wikipedia: CAN be used, it's a good starting point, but check the sources cited as much as you can, rather than believing what the page itself says

Links to Maps

Ancient Greece Maps – Ancient Greece: Φώς & Λέξη

User:MaryroseB54 - Wikimedia Commons

Cyowari - Professional, Digital Artist | DeviantArt

Some of the Realms of Greece in the Heroic Age by Yaulendur on DeviantArt

Late Bronze Age Mediterranean Trade, c. 1400-1200 BCE: Empires, Merchants, and Maritime Routes of the Ancient World - World History Encyclopedia

Translators:

Translate to Ancient Greek Online

https://logeion.uchicago.edu

Wiktionary

Ancient Art 

Resources

Harvard Art Museums

Family Tree: 

(Compiled by a friend, not exhaustive) - Note that there are often various different versions of lineage for many characters, so this only represents ONE of many possibilities)

Family Echo

Books

Oxford classical dictionary.pdf

Brief History Of Ancient Greece.pdf

168679208-Ancient-Greece.pdf

Complete Greek Drama

The Ancient Epic Cycle and it's ancient reception A companion.pdf

Final Note

These things should not be gatekept, its time to share them freely

I wish I could offer even more sources via academic books and papers but I fear this would exceed my abilities considering the vastness of the topic of Greek Mythology! But this is a starting point :D Have fun! 

Google Scholar has a lot of secondary sources (scholia commentary & theories), books about history, society, politics, flora & fauna, religion, culture, etc. of the time both of history and mythical history…if you have a friend in academia with university access (if you don’t have it yourself) you can ask them to check if they have access to the papers/books otherwise hidden behind insane paywalls, because a LOT of them are available as pdfs!

I also wish I had more visual/audio sources but this is smth I cant change :") I'm sure there's some good videos on youtube out there...somewhere x)

Feel free to contact me if you have more sources you want to add or any links don't work

Here is the Post as DOCs to share outside of tumblr

[littlesparklight]

People clinging to "Achilles totally didn't want to go to war and the prophecy meant he was forced to go!!" makes me super tired.

His mom is the one that doesn't want him to go (sometimes it's Peleus, which is an odder choice) and she's the one who hides him.

Now, I'm not going to say that Lycophron's Alexandra is the only time Achilles is implied to have hidden himself willingly (because I'm too lazy to double check) but I think it's telling that when it's implied Achilles does it (and not that he's hidden by either of his parents) the reason/implication is that he is a coward. That he is afraid of war/dying. That is, it's used to cast Achilles in a bad light, contra to when it's either of his parents hiding him because he has no agency about that. It simply happens to him.

His mom then tells him loud and clear what his options are - live a long life but with no fame for future generations to know, or die at Troy in his prime and get that fame.

He chooses to go.

He chooses to fucking go, and in no sources that we have is he actually coerced; he simply has to be tricked into outing himself. He notably outs himself because of his ~inner manliness~ and urge for war, as he chooses the sword/responds to a seemingly military emergency.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Statistics of Apollo's Lovers

I was wondering just how unfortunate of a love-life our boy Apollo had, so - as one does - I did the research, math, and writing of said love-life.

such is the life of an adhd teen :)

In total, there are 63 people on this list. I have them separated into eight groups; Immortal, Immortal & Rejected, Lived, Died, Rejected & Died, Rejected & Cursed, Rejected & Lived, and who were Rejected by Apollo

Disclaimer: I am not a historian nor an expert in Greek Mythology, I am just a very invested nerd in Mythology, and in Apollo's mythology in general, and got curious about what his rap sheet actually looks like.

Sidenote: There will be some "lovers" not on this list. Reasons being;

No actual literary sources behind them

Said literary sources are dubious at best

Not enough information is given about the nature of their relationship to make an accurate take

So if somebody isn't on this list, it's because of one of those three reasons. Although there is still a chance I missed somebody! :)

Also, no RRverse lovers include in this list. Sorry my fellow ToA fans.

(Edited 04/05/25 - ALL SECTIONS SOURCED)

Let's begin! :D

Immortal Lovers

Calliope: muse of epic poetry. Mother of Hymenaios and Ialemus (Pindar's 3rd Threnos) by Apollo.

Clio: muse of history

Erato: muse of love poetry

Euterpe: muse of music

Polyhymnia: muse of hymns/sacred poetry

Melpomene: muse of tragedy

Thalia: muse of comedy. Mother of the Corybantes (The Bibliotheca by Pseudo-Apollodorus) by Apollo.

Terpsichore: muse of dance

Urania: muse of astronomy

Boreas: the North Wind. The Boreads called Apollo "beloved of our sire" in Apollonius of Rhodes's Argonautica.

Rhetia: alternate mother of the Corybantes by Apollo. (Strabo's Geography 10.3.21)

11 lovers total here.

10 Female, 1 Male

Immortal & Rejected

Hestia: goddess of the Hearth (Hymn to Aphrodite)

1 Interest. Female.

Lovers Who Lived:

Branchus: mortal shepherd, gifted prophecy (Conon's Narrations 33 & Callimachus's Iambus)

Rhoeo: mortal princess, eventually married an apprentice of Apollo (Diodorus Siculus's Bibliotheca historica 5.62 and Tzetzes on Lycophron 570)

Ourea: demigod daughter of Poseidon, dated Apollo during his punishment with Laomedon; had a son named Ileus, after the city of Troy (Hesiod's Catalogues of Women Fragment 83)

Evadne: nymph daughter of Poseidon, Apollo sent Eileithyia & (in some texts) the Fates to aid in their son's birth (Pindar's Olympian Ode 6)

Thero: great-granddaughter of Heracles, described as "beautiful as moonbeams" (Pausanias's Description of Greece 9)

Cyrene: mortal princess-turned-nymph queen, kick-ass lion wrangler, and mother of two of Apollo's sons - Aristaeus (a god) and Idmon (powerful seer) (Pindar's Pythian Ode 9.6 ff. and Nonnus's Dionysiaca and Callimachus's Hymn to Apollo 85)

Admetus: mortal king, took great care of Apollo during his second punishment, Apollo wingmanned him for Alcestis's hand - basically Apollo doted on him <3 (Callimachus's Hymn II to Apollo and Apollodorus's Bibliotheca 1.9.15 and Hyginus's Fabulae 50–51, and also written about by Ovid and Servius)

Hecuba: queen of Troy, together they had Troilus.

It was foretold that if Troilus lived to adulthood, Troy wouldn't fall - unfortunately, Achilles murdered Troilus in Apollo's temple. When the Achaeans burned Troy down, Apollo rescued Hecuba and brought her to safety in Lycia. (Stesichorus's Fr.108)

Hyrie/Thyrie: mortal. mothered a son by Apollo. Their son, Cycnus, attempted to kill himself after some shenanigans and his mother attempted the same. Apollo turned them into swans to save their lives. (Antoninus Liberalis's Metamorphoses 12 and Ovid's Metamorphoses 7.350)

Dryope: mortal. had a son named Amphissus with Apollo, who was a snake at the time. Later turned into a lotus flower, but it had nothing to do with Apollo so she's still on this list. (noncon; written by Ovid in Metamorphoses 8 CE/AD and later by Antoninus Liberalis in his own Metamorphoses sometime between 100-300 CE/AD)

Creusa: mortal queen. had a son named Ion with Apollo (Euripides's Ion). Please check out @my-name-is-apollo's post for more details because they make some good points about what's considered "rape" in Ancient Greece. I expand on this further at the end of the post.

Melia: Oceanid nymph. Had a son w/h Apollo named Tenerus. (Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 9.10.5–6)

Melia was said to be kidnapped, and her brother found her with Apollo. He set fire to Apollo's temple in an effort to get her back, but was killed. Melia and Apollo had two kids - but here's the interesting part. Melia was highly worshiped in Thebes, where her brother found her. She was an incredibly important figure in Thebes, especially when connected with Apollo. She and Apollo were essentially the parents of Thebes.

As I read over their story, it sounded like (to me, at least. it's okay if you think otherwise!) that Melia just absconded/eloped with Apollo.

Was kidnapping an equivalent to assault back then? Perhaps. But it's still debated on whenever or not that's true. However, one thing I've noticed reading up on these myths is that when Apollo does do something unsavory, the text says so.

It never says anything about Apollo doing anything to Melia. Her father and brother believe she was kidnapped, but, like mentioned previously, it seems far much more likely that she just ran off with her boyfriend or something.

But that's just my interpretation.

Moving on! :)

Iapis: a favorite lover. Apollo wanted to teach him prophecy, the lyre, ect. but Iapis just wanted to heal :) so Apollo taught him healing :) (Smith 1873, s.v. Iapis)

Aethusa: daughter of Poseidon & the Pleiad Alcyone. Mother of Linus and Eleuther. She is the great-great grandmother of Orpheus. (Apollodorus's Bibliotheca 3.10.1 and Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 9.20.2 and Suida, s.v. Homer's Of the Origin of Homer and Hesiod and their Contest, Fragment 1.314)

Acacallis: daughter of King Minos. there's a lot of variation on whether or not she had kids with Hermes or Apollo. Some say she had a kid with each. (Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v. Kydōnia (Κυδωνία and Scholia on Apollonius Rhodius, 4.1492)

Chrysothemis: nymph queen who won the oldest contest of the Pythian Games - the singing of a hymn to Apollo. She had three daughters, and one of them is said to be Apollo's. (Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 10.7.2 and Hyginus's De Astronomica 2.25)

Corycia: naiad. had a son with Apollo. the Corycian Cave north of Delphi is named after her (Hyginus's Fabulae 161)

Leuconoe (also Choine or Philonis): daughter of Eosphorus, god of the planet Venus, and mother of the bard Philammon. (Hyginus's Fabulae 161) She was killed by Diana for her hubris.

Melaena (also Thyia or Kelaino): mother of Delphos, member of prophetic Thriae of Delphi. Priestess of Dionysus. (Herodotus's Histories 7.178.1)

Othreis: mothered Phager by Apollo, and later Meliteus by Zeus. (Antoninus Liberalis's Metamorphoses 13)

Stilbe: mother of Lapithus and Aineus by Apollo. (Diodorus Siculus's Library of History 4.69.1 and Scholia on Apollonius Rhodius, 1.40 and Scholia on Apollonius Rhodius, 1.948)

Syllis (possible same as Hyllis, granddaughter of Heracles): mothered Zeuxippus by Apollo. (Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 2.6.7)

Amphissa: Apollo seduced her in the form of a shepherd. They had a son named Agreus. (Ovid's Metamorphoses 6.103 and Hyginus's Fabulae 161)

(hey, has anybody else noticed that 'Apollo disguising himself' seems to only be a thing in Roman literature?)

Areia (or Deione): had a son named Miletus. Hid him in some smilax. Her father found him and named him. (Apollodorus's Bibliotheca 3.1.2)

Arsinoe: she and Apollo had a daughter named Eriopis. (Hesiod's Ehoiai 63 and Scholia ad Pindar's Pythian Ode 3.14)

Queen of Orkhomenos (no name is given): Mother of Trophonius (Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 9.37.5)

(my fellow ToA fans will recognize that name haha).

Hypermnestra: Either Apollo or her husband fathered her son Amphiaraus. (Hyginus's Fabulae 70)

(sidenote: @literallyjusttoa suggested that Apollo was dating both Hypermnestra and Oikles, and I, personally, like that headcannon)

Manto: Daughter of Tiresias. Apollo made her a priestess of Delphi. They had a son named Mopsus. When Apollo sent her to found an oracle elsewhere, he told her to marry the first man she saw outside of Delphi. That man turned out to be Rhacius, who brought her to Claros, where she founded the oracle of Apollo Clarios. (Apollodorus's Bibliotheca E6. 3)

Later, another man named Lampus attempted to assault her, but was killed by Apollo. She is also said to be a priestess who warned Niobe not to insult Leto, and to ask for forgiveness. Niobe did not. (Statius's Thebaid 7 and Ovid's Metamorphoses 6)

(Dante's Inferno places her in the eighth circle of hell, and let me just say- what the FUCK Dante! What did Manto ever do to you, huh??!! Don't do my girl dirty!!)

Parthenope: granddaughter of a river god. Mothered Lycomedes by Apollo (Pausanius's Descriptions of Greece 4.1)

Phthia: prophetess. called "beloved of Apollo". Mother three kings by him; Dorus, Laodocus, & Polypoetes (Apollodorus's Bibliotheca 1.7.6)

Procleia: Mother of Tenes, son of Apollo, who was killed by Achilles before the Trojan War. Daughter of King Laomedon, king of Troy. (Apollodorus's Epitome 3. 26)

Helenus: prince of Troy. Received from Apollo an ivory bow which he used to wound Achilles in the hand. (Photius's 'Bibliotheca excerpts')

Hippolytus of Sicyon: called "beloved of Apollo" in Plutarch's Life of Numa. I don't think this guy is the same as Hippolytus, son of Zeuxippus (son of Apollo), king of Sicyon Pausanias talks about in his Description of Greece. That would be a little weird taking the whole family tree into account - though it's never stopped other gods before. *shrug*

Psamathe: nereid, said to be the personification of the sand of the sea-shore. (Conon's Narrationes 19)

She and Apollo were lovers, but never had any kids. When another man assaulted her, she had a son and abandoned him.

(He was found by some shepherds dw - wait, he was then torn apart by dogs. Nevermind.)

Back to her, her father ordered for her to be executed and Apollo avenged her death by sending a plague onto Argos and refused to stop it until Psamathe and Phocus/Linus (her son) were properly given honors.

(I really like how even though Linus isn't Apollo's kid, and that Psamathe wanted nothing to do with the kid, Apollo still considered him worth avenging too <3 )

Okay, in a previous incarnation of this post, I said there was a version where she is raped by Apollo...however, I can't find any sources to back it up😅 Even her wiki page doesn't mention rape, and Theoi's excerpt of Paunasias's Descriptions of Greece about her doesn't either.

So where did I hear about this supposed version? (Don't shoot)

Youtube. A youtube video about Apollo. Yeah...

Lesson, kids! Don't trust youtube videos on mythology! Yes, even if they dedicated lots of time to it! They can still get things wrong! In fact, don't even take my word for it! Do your own research <3

Hymenaeus: No, not his kid. This is a different Hymenaeus haha! This Hymenaeus is the son of Magnes, and comes from Megalai Ehoiai fr. 16, commonly attributed to Hesiod, and Antonius Liberalis's Metamorphosis. Legend states that while Apollo was preoccupied with Hymenaeus, baby Hermes stole his cows ;)

Euboia: Daughter of Macareus. Bore a son named Agreus. (Hyginus's Fabulae 161)

Philodice: Wife of Leukippos, mothered Phoebe and Hilaera by Apollo (Descriptions of Greece 3.16.1, citing the Kypria).

Alright. 37 lovers here.

6 Male. 31 Female.

35 are 100% consensual. Creusa is questionable, depending on who's translating/which tradition you go with. Dryope is noncon.

Lovers Who Died:

Hyacinthus*: mortal prince. we all know this one, right? Right? one and only true love turned into flower (okay that's my bias speaking but AM I WRONG?) (Plutarch's Life of Numa, 4.5; Philostratus the younger's Imagines; Pseudo-Apollodorus's Bibliotheca 1.3.3; Ovid's Metamorphoses 10.162–219; Bion's Poems 11; and various pieces of art)

Cyparissus: mortal. his DEER DIED and he asked Apollo to let him MOURN FOREVER so he was turned into a cypress tree (Ovid's Metamorphoses X 106ff)

Coronis: mortal princess. cheated on Apollo w/h Ischys, who in Fabulae was killed by Zeus. mother of Asclepius. killed by Artemis. (Pindar's Pythian Odes 3.5; Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 2.26.6; Hyginus's Fabulae 202; Ovid's Metamorphoses 2.536 and 2.596; Hyginus's De Astronomica 2.40; Isyllus's Hymn to Asclepius 128.37 ff.)

There is another version of Asclepius's birth given by Pausanias in Descriptions of Greece 2.26.1-7, where Coronis exposes him on a mountain and Apollo takes him in.

Adonis: yes, THAT Adonis. he's in this category because. well. he died. rip (Ptolemy Hephaestion's New History Book 5)

Phorbas: Okay so Apollo's lover Phorbas and another Phorbas sometimes get mashed together so this is what I was able to gather.

Plutarch's Life of Numa 4.5 and Hyginus's De Astronomia 2.14.5 cites Phorbas as Apollo's lover. The other Phorbas is said to be a rival to Apollo in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. Personally, I separate the two because it makes more sense with Phorbas the lover's overall story.

Here it is: The island of Rhodes fell victim to a plague of dragons or serpents, and the oracle said to summon Phorbas for help. He defeated the infestation, and after he died, Apollo asked Zeus to place him in the stars, and so Phorbas became the constellation Serpentarius, also known more widely as Ophiuchus (a man holding a serpent).

FORGET ORION AND HIS ONE-OFF MENTION OF BEING DIANA'S LOVER HERE IS A CONSTELLATION TRAGIC LOVE STORY!!!!!

(*Hyacinthus was resurrected, as celebrated in the Hyacinthia festival in Sparta. Nonnus's Dionysiaca 19.102 and Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece 3.19.4 supports this belief as well.)

5 lovers.

4 Male. 1 Female. All consensual.

Sidenote: QUIT BURYING THE GAYS GREECE!!!!

Love-Interests Who Rejected & Died:

Daphne: do i nEED to say anything? Nymph. turned into tree to escape.

Daphne and Apollo actually go back a bit. Their story was used to explain why the laurel was so sacred to Apollo. It's in Delphi, Branchus planted laurel trees around the temple he built to Apollo, the laurel was even sacred to Apollo's historical forebearer Apulu, an Etruscan god! (I have sources to back this up :3 along with an Essay.)

Apollo & Daphne first originate from Phylarchus, but we do not have any of his work :( It's been lost to history...a moment of silence RIP. He was a contemporary in the 3rd century BC/BCE (first day of 300 BC/BCE and last day of 201 BC/BCE).

He was, however, cited as a source in Parthenius's Erotica Pathemata, written sometime in the 1 century AD/CE (sometime between 66 BC/BCE and the author's death in 14 AD/CE).

Then they show up again in Pausanias's Descriptions of Greece, written between 150 AD/CE and 170 AD/CE.

Hyginus wrote his Fabulae sometime before Ovid's because it's widely criticized to be his earliest work and Ovid wrote his Metamorphoses in 8 AD/CE.

The first two versions are roughly the same, and Ovid's shares similarities with the first in only the ending. Hyginus is basically like Ovid's but without Eros.

So in publication order, it's; Erotica Pathemata, Fabulae, Metamorphoses, then Descrip. of Greece.

In Erotica Pathemata, Daphne is the daughter of Amyclas and is being courted by Leucippus. She is not interested in any sort of romance. Leucippus disguises himself as a girl to get close to her, but his ruse is revealed when Apollo nudges Daphne and her attendants into taking a bath in the river. Leucippus is consequently killed.

Apollo then becomes interested and Daphne runs away, imploring Zeus that "she might be translated away from mortal sight", and is transformed into the laurel tree.

In Fabulae, Daphne's story is a bit more familiar. She's the daughter of Peneus, the river god, and Gaea is the one who transforms her into a laurel tree.

In Metamorphoses, Eros is added to the story and is the reason why Apollo is so enamored and Daphne is so repulsed.

(I would just like to say that in this version, it was 100% nonconsensual for both of them! And I don't mean with rape- Apollo never touches Daphne in any of these version. What I mean here is that Eros maliciously makes Apollo chase down a woman and makes sure Daphne would be repulsed by him. That is noncon behavior there on both sides.)

In Descriptions of Greece 10.7.8, Daphne is the daughter of Ladon and her and Apollo are only connected by way of why the laurel crown is the victory prize of the Pythian Games. However, in Descriptions of Greece 8.20.2-8.20.4, Daphne and Leucippus make an appearance here too, but Apollo is not the reason why they stop to take a swim and his ruse is revealed, resulting in his death.

Castalia: Nymph. turned into spring to escape.

First things first, Castalia was used to explain the existence of the Castalian Spring in Delphi. However, in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, the spring is already there when Apollo was born. So there's that to consider first.

Anyway, to escape Apollo's advances, Castalia transforms herself into a spring. (Lactantius Placidus's On Statius's Thebaid 1.698. This was written between Lactantius's lifespan of c. 350 – c. 400 AD/CE, placing it firmly in Roman times.)

2 Interests.

2 Female.

Love-Interests Who Rejected & Cursed

Cassandra: mortal princess. Received the gift of prophecy from Apollo. Due to a broken oath, she was then cursed. (Aeschylus's Agamemnon)

It is only in Roman-era tellings where Cassandra is cursed for not sleeping with Apollo, and there was no oath made (Hyginus & Pseudo-Apollodorus). In Agamemnon, it was done so because of the broken oath- not the refusing to sleep with Apollo thing.

The version where she gains prophetic abilities by way of a snake licking her ears is not part of Greco-Roman literature, but rather by an American poet.

Nevertheless, even after the curse Cassandra still loved Apollo, and called him "god most dear to me" in Eurpides's play The Trojan Women.

1 Interests.

1 Female.

Love-Interests Who Rejected & Lived

Sinope: mortal. there are two different version of her myth.

In Diodorus Siculus's Library of History 4.72.2 and Corinna's Frag. 654, Apollo "seizes" her and they have a son named Syrus.

In Apollonius's Argonautica  2.946-951 and Valerius Flaccus's Argonautica 5.109, it is Zeus who abducts her, but she gets him to promise her anything and requests to remain a virgin. He obliges. Later, Apollo and the river Halys both try to charm her, but fall for the same trick.

Library of History was written between 60-30 BC/BCE, Apollonius's Argonautica between 300 BC/BCE and 201 BC/BCE, and Valerius Flaccus's Argonautica between 70-96 AD/CE, making Apollonius's version the oldest and Valerius Flaccus's the youngest.

Marpessa: mortal princess, granddaughter of Ares. Idas, son of Poseidon, kidnapped her and Apollo caught up to them. Zeus had Marpessa chose between them, and she chose Idas, reasoning that she would eventually grow old and Apollo would tire of her. (Homer's The Iliad, 9.557 and Apollodorus's Bibliotheca 1.7.8–9)

Bolina: mortal. Apollo approached her and she flung herself off a cliff. He turned her into a nymph to save her life. (Pausanias's Description of Greece 7.23.4)

Ocroe/Okyrrhoe: nymph and daughter of a river god. asked a boatman to take her home after Apollo approached her. Apollo ended up turning the boat to stone and the seafarer into a fish. (Athenaeus's The Deipnosophists 7.283 E [citing The Founding of Naucratis by Apollonius Rhodius]. The Deipnosophists was written in the early 3rd century AD, between 201 AD and 300 AD)

Sibyl of Cumae: mortal seer. promised to date Apollo if she was given longevity as long as the amount of sand in her hand. he did, but she refused him. (Ovid's Metamorphoses 14)

5 Interests. All female.

Okyrrhoe's story is the only one with any iffy stuff, although, when something iffy does occur, the text usually says so outright.

Rejected by Apollo:

Clytie*: Oceanid nymph. turned into a heliotrope to gaze at the sun forever after the rejection.

1 Advance. Female.

(*Clytie's story was originally about her affection for Helios. [Ovid's Metamorphoses 4.192–270; Ovid used Greek sources about the etymology of the names involved, meaning Clytie and Helios go back to Greek times] As Apollo got superimposed over Helios's myths, people have assumed it is he who is the sun god in her myth and not Helios.)

In Conclusion...

63 people total, and 35 of them have Roman-Era roots with (as far as I know!! Don't take my word as gospel truth!!) no relation to Greece except by way of shared mythology.

Here's the list:

Rhoeo

Thero

Hyrie/Thyrie

Dryope

Melia

Aethusa

Acacallis

Chrysothemis

Corycia

Choine

Thyia

Othreis

Stilbe

Syllis

Amphissa

Areia

Queen of Orkhomenos

Hypermnestra

Manto

Parthenope

Phthia

Procleia

Helenus

Hippolytus of Sicyon

Psamathe

Cyparissus

Adonis

Phorbas

Castalia

Sinope

Bolina

Ocroe/Okyrrhoe

Sibyl of Cumae

Rhetia

Euboia

Meaning, 56% of the lovers listed on this post are not entirely Greek in origin (AS FAR AS I KNOW-)! That does not mean ofc that you have to ignore them. I, for one, really like the story of Rhoeo, and Manto, and Psamethe- I find their myths sweet (Rhoeo & Manto) and bittersweet (Psamethe).

Let's get to the calculations now, yeah?

63 people total (Includes Clytie)

51 Women (81%). 12 Men (19%).

19% were Immortal (Including Lovers & Rejected)

74% Lived (Including Lovers & Cursed & Rejected)

11% Died (Including Lovers & Rejected)

2% were Cursed

2% were Rejected by him

62 people total (Not Including Clytie)

50 Women (81%). 12 Men (19%).

19% were Immortal

69% Lived (Lovers & Cursed & Rejected)

11% Died (Lovers & Rejected)

in that 11%, one was apotheosized - Hyacinthus.

Meaning 9% died permanently, while 2% were resurrected.

2% were Cursed

0% were Rejected by him

Additionally, I left off five male lovers and two female lovers - Atymnius, Leucates, Cinyras, Erginus, Leukippos, Hecate, & Acantha.

Atymnius has no references to being Apollo's lover, only to Zeus's son Sarpedon. (Wikipedia why do you even have him listed? You need sources smh)

Leucates is another male "lover" left off the rack - apparently he jumped off a cliff to avoid Apollo, but I couldn't find any mythological text to account for it- and no, OSP's wiki page is not a reliable source. There is a cliff named similarly to him where Aphrodite went (by Apollo's advice) to rid herself of her longing for Adonis after his death. Also Zeus uses it to rid himself of his love for Hera before he...well, commits adultery again. 🤷

Cinyras was a priest of Aphrodite on the island of Cyprus. He was also the island's king. Pindar calls him "beloved of Apollo" in his Pythian Ode. However, looking further into Cinyras's life throws a bit of a wrench into it. He's also cited to be a challenger to Apollo's skill, and either Apollo or Mars (Ares) kills him for his hubris.

(honestly, I kinda like the idea that Mars went into Big Brother Mode)

I did consider leaving him on the list, since technically you could argue it was a romance-gone-bad, but among every other source Cinyras is mentioned in, Pindar's the only one who puts a romantic label on him and Apollo.

Plus, he’s been described as a son of Apollo too, and I personally like that more lol

Erginus now I only put on here because I saw a tumblr post saying he was a lover of Apollo, but after consulting fellow nerds on the matter we concluded that there is (very likely) no records indicating such. Hence his placement here to curb potential misinformation <3

Leukippos is here for much the same reasons as Erginus. Full disclosure here from fellow nerds but long story short a few of his daughters are said to be Apollo’s by way of his wife, who is on this list (Philodice in the Lived section!)

Hecate, the goddess of magic and crossroads, is said to be the mother of Scylla (like, the sea-monster) by Apollo, but Scylla's parentage is one of those "no specific parents" ones, so I left her off the list.

Acantha has absolutely no classical references. There's a plant like her name, but she's made-up, so she doesn't count. *stink-eyes the guy who invented her and claimed his “sources” were reliable when they really aren’t*

(Of course, I could be wrong about any of these. Again, I'm not an expert.)

With all this in mind, this means Apollo's love life actually isn't as tragic as media portrays it, and he isn't as bad as Zeus or Poseidon in the nonconsensual area.

Does he still have those kinds of myths? Yes, with Dryope and Creusa; though, we can discount Creusa because;

1) Depends on who's translating it; and

2) Ion is given different parentage in the Bibliotheca, which yes, came much after Ion, however Xuthus was traditionally considered to be Ion's father rather than Apollo. This means there was probably a different oral tradition on Ion's parentage that just wasn't written down as early as Euripides's was- in fact, it may even just be an invention of Euripides's.

(and honestly Apollo's characterization in Ion just doesn't quite match up with the rest of his appearances in the wider myths (in my opinion, at least))

So that leaves us with just Dryope, who comes from Ovid, a Roman poet, and Antoninus Liberalis, a late Greek one.

Now I'm not saying we should throw her out because of Ovid's whole "wrote the gods even more terribly to criticize Augustus" thing, but it is something to keep in mind. Political mechanics have been used to change myths before, and this is certainly one example of it.

Additionally, I have seen many people discard Dionysus's rapes in the Dionysiaca because of how late it was written, so this one can be given similar treatment if one choses too because of just how late Ovid and Antoninus Liberalis's work was.

You can, in fact, pick and chose if you wish, especially if it'll increase your enjoyment of literature. That's certainly what I do :)

So overall, I'd say Apollo has a rather clean relationship past. He's doing pretty damn good.

Also, I think we should all take note that even if Apollo had noncon myths, that doesn't reflect on the actual god. The Ancient Greeks did not see the myths as "canon" to their gods- in fact, some were not happy with the myths showing the gods in such a light.

That's something else to keep in mind. The gods of the myths are not the gods of Greece, and are more like parables or fables for the Ancient Greeks I'd say. Lessons on morality and such, and of course, warnings against hubris and the like.

This was quite the journey, and I really hope you all enjoyed reading and learning with me! This really makes me wonder- if Apollo's love life is this good, I wonder how misinformed we are on everyone else's? I have no plans on doing Zeus or Poseidon or anyone else (not for a LONG time lol, this took a lot of effort and research!), but if anyone has any idea, or gets inspired to do something like this for any other god, please tag me!! I'd love to see it! :D

And since this was on a previous reblog, here be a meme from a while ago:

[ID: Me Explaining Me. On the left is a girl with her hands up, fingers pinched together, like she's intensely explaining something. The text over her says "Me giving a detailed diatribe about Apollo's love life and how modern media has done him and his lovers dirty". On the right is the girl's mother, wrapped up to her chin in a blanket, with a look on her face that screams "absolutely done with this shit". The Mother is labeled "My family". /End ID]

suffers in I'm the only mythology nerd in the family

[smokey07]

Hey did you know? According to Tzetzes and his scholia on Lycophron, Neoptolemus is being also called

Σκύριος Δράκων

Scyrian Dragon

And according to Tzetzes it was because of his bloodthirsty and fierce personality

On the Skyrian Dragon: (it was a name) of Neoptolemous because of his murderous and bloodthirsty nature

(Translation by me)

Just food for thought hehehe 😋

Something came out of this.

WARNING: Blood and gore

I dig this quote a lot, also inspired by that one painting of younger Napoleon looming over Europe.

Map cut from here.

[deathlessathanasia]

What are some of your favorite less common/popular versions of myths?

Hera as the mother of Typhon (Homeric Hymn 3 to Apollo, Stesichorus Fragment 239), or as collaborator with Gaia and Kronos in his creation (Schol. b ad Il. 2.783). Not only is it cool as heck, but it also disproves the misconception that the one and only time she ever acted directly against Zeus was when she and some other gods tried to bind him.

The version related in Pseudo Hyginus Fabulae (139) where Kronos only tries to get rid of his sons: he imprisons Hades in the Underworld, Poseidon beneath the sea and is prepared to eat Zeus, but before he gets the chance Hera asks Rhea to give the baby to her and she takes him to safety on Crete. Here you get the awesome motif of Hades and Poseidon turning their once prisons into their kingdoms, and then of course Hera's role is very interesting.

Hera encouraging the Titans to fight Zeus and bring Kronos back to power (Pseudo-Hyginus Fabulae 150). Ooh, if only she ever tried to do something against Zeus!

Hera as Zeus's older twin who inadvertently saves her brother by being born before him. (Lactantius, Divine Institutes 1.14.4, The Sibylline Oracles 3.158-170, Etymologicum Magnum 434.49). The accounts are either Euhemeristic or attested in a Byzantine source, but great idea is great.

Poseidon escaping being eaten as a baby just like Zeus (Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.8.2, Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5.55.1, Tzetzes ad Lycophron 644).

The version where the gods eaten by Kronos are released not when Zeus is an adult, but immediately after Kronos swallows the rock he mistook for his son (Nonnus, Dionysiaca 12.43 ff,, 41.65 ff, Pseudo-Clement, Recognitions 10.17-20, Pseudo-Nonnus Abbas, ad Gregorii Orationem in Iulianum I 141 n. 78). I see a lot of story potential in this. Just imagine the things each of them could get to until Zeus grows up and the war begins.

Persephone, Athena and Artemis growing up together (Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5.2.3). What is there not to love about this?

Athena, daughter of Poseidon, deciding that her father sucks and getting herself adopted by Zeus (Herodotus, Histories 4.180). It's just so funny.

[lesbian-iphigenia]

is it weird that i kinda ship peleus and thetis

I don't think so? Their relationship is pretty ambiguous tbh, aside from the beginning of it which is fully nonconsensual. I think there are some arguments to be made that they maybe liked each other (This is mostly centering Thetis, since in most sources she's the one denying the marriage)

According to Pseudo-Hesiod, Lycophron, and probably many others, they had various children together (who all died) before Achilles

The author of the Aigimios says in the second book that Thetis used to throw the children she had by Peleus into a cauldron of water, because she wished to learn where they were mortal . . . And that after many had perished Peleus was annoyed, and prevented her from throwing Akhilleus (Achilles) into the cauldron

Pseudo-Hesiod, Aegimius Fragment 2. Translation by Evelyn-White

Out of seven sons [of Thetis] consumed in the flame alone [Akhilleus (Achilles)] escaping the fiery ashes

Lycophron, Alexandra. Translation by Mair

While her relationship with Peleus normally starts unconsensually, there's one source that paints a different picture, one where not only is their relationship consensual, but it's actually initiated by Thetis

the phantom of a sea goddess had fallen in love with Peleus, and the divinity used to visit and lie with Peleus on Mount Pelion; but out of fear of publicity she told him nothing about herself or where she came from. One day, when the sea was calm and she chanced to be playing, riding on dolphins and seahorses, he looked down from the summit of mount Pelion and saw her, and recognized her as a goddess; when she next came to him, he was afraid.

But she encouraged him by reminding him of the love of Dawn for Tithonus, of how Aphrodite succumbed to An- chises, and how Selene visited Endymion while he slept.

She added, “I shall give youa child greater than any mortal.”

Philostratus, Heroicus. Translated by Jeffrey Rusten and Jason König

In this vase we see Thetis doing the anakalypsis gesture, which is when a woman either unveils or veils herself, both of these acts have different meanings, the act of veiling oneself is an act of modesty. The act of unbelieving oneself seems to have multiple meanings, but the in specifically wedding related context, it implies an acceptance of the groom and the marriage. Let's also note that Eros (or an Erote) its also there, not only that, but is specifically interacting with Thetis

Here's another vase with Thetis doing the anakalypsis gesture towards Peleus. The context here it's different tho, rather than their wedding, it's Peleus wrestling Thetis. The anakalypsis gesture can be tricky since you never really know if the woman it's veiling or unveiling herself. You may also ask why would Thetis unveil herself is she's actively fighting against Peleus, well that can be answer with the fact brides usually were expected to try to deny their grooms, or just any sexual/romantic desire they had. Thetis subtly unveiling herself can be seen as an act of her consenting to the union while still following her role as a bride to not immediately reciprocate

(I feel the need to clarify Thetis is NOT doing this in most representations of either, Peleus wrestling her or their wedding. And even in these cases it can be read as the act of veiling herself rather than unveiling)

In Euripides' Andromache, Thetis invites Peleus to live an inmortal life with her, I think this very obviously implies she likes him at least.

So yeah, I don't think there's anything really weird in shipping them

I feel the need to say again, in most sources, Thetis doesn't really give that much of a shit about Peleus, they constantly tell of her abandoning him for one reason or another, and reading her as being completely and utterly miserable through her whole marriage it's valid, I'm just trying to say Peleus and Thetis CAN be read as liking each other sometimes

[blue-lotus333]

The Worship of Odysseus.

Although Odysseus was not as widely revered as heroes like Heracles or Achilles, he was still honored in certain locations, particularly those associated with the Odyssey or the folklore surrounding him.

Places of Worship: Strabo, in his Geography, mentions an altar dedicated to Odysseus that allegedly exists in Tunisia, in an area he refers to as Meninx. He describes this region as the land of the Lotus Eaters, where the altar of Odysseus and a depiction of the lotus fruit can be found. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, refers to a small group of islands opposite Vibo called Ithacesiæ, which are identified with present-day islands such as Torricella, Praca, and Brace. He mentions a statue of Odysseus located there, likely intended for worship or honor.

Odysseus is also linked as a founder of several cities, including Lisbon and Rome, often associated with Aeneas, as well as a city in Spain called “Odyssea.” Furthermore, there is no doubt that he was venerated by the Cephallenians.

Additionally, places like Aetolia, Epirus, and Tarentum in southern Italy also practiced his worship. Later, the Spartans had a shrine dedicated to Odysseus, claiming to house the Palladium that he had stolen from Troy.

Sources:

- https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-grc1:17.3.17

- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0137:book=3:chapter=13#note21

- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-grc1:3.4.3

- John Tzetzes on Lycophron’s Alexandra 799.

- Aristotle, On Marvellous Things Heard 840a

- Plutarch, Greek Questions 48.

[galusandmalus]

just wanted to share the Diomedes vs dragon lore again, don't want people forgetting that he does have some real, genuine Ws and not just Ls. "The Corcyraeans summoned Diomedes, and he killed a serpent in their country. He and a great party of men came to Iapygia and fought with those who were waging war against the Brundisians. and he gained honor. Constitution of the Tarantines"-Heraclides Lembus, On Constitutions

" Diomedes threw stones from the Trojan wall into his ship instead of the usual ballast. Arriving in Argos and being overlooked by his wife Aegialeia, he went to Italy. There, he found a dragon in Scythia ravaging Phaiakia and killed it, holding the golden shield of Glaucus, the dragon mistaking the golden fleece for that of a ram. Honored greatly for this, he erected a statue made from the stones of Ilium." -Tzetzes, Ad Lycophronem "For as on wings they shall come back again, traversing with trackless steps the terraces. And a high god shall he be called by many, even by those who dwell by the cavernous plain of Io, when he shall have slain the dragon that harried the Phaeacians." -Lycophron, Alexandra

Sometimes he is referred to as a dragon but that's more of a metaphorical thing for him killing Iphigenia

[aster-aspera]

How does Diomedes die?

Not sure why you're asking me specifically because im definitely not a diomedes expert, also not sure if you mean in mythology or in my fics but uhh i scoured through all of topostext because i was curious

It looks to me that there are three main trends in the sources I consulted, with a few variants sprinkled in there too

Made a god: Pindar, Lycophron, Augustine

Died in Italy: Strabo, Antoninus Liberalis, D Scholia to the Iliad, Polyaenus Killed by Daunus: Tzetzes Killed by Aeneas: Aristotelian Corpus

Died/disappeared on the island of Diomedes (modern day Palagruža, near Croatia): Strabo, Circuit of the Earth

I am going to put all the sources under the cut, translations are all from topostext

Disclaimer that i am listing everything I could find on topostext, so it's definitely not a comprehensive list, and not all sources are equally reliable. It's up to you to be critical of what you're reading.

Putting Strabo separately because he lists a few variations of the myth:

Strabo, geography:

§ 6.3.9 Two islands that are called the Islands of Diomedes, of which one is inhabited, while the other, it is said, is desert; on the latter, according to certain narrators of myths, Diomedes was caused to disappear, and his companions were changed to birds, and to this day, in fact, remain tame and live a sort of human life, not only in their orderly ways but also in their tameness towards honorable men and in their flight from wicked and knavish men. But I have already mentioned the stories constantly told among the Heneti about this hero and the rites which are observed in his honor. … According to some, Diomedes even tried to cut a canal as far as the sea, but left behind both this and the rest of his undertakings only half-finished, because he was summoned home and there ended his life. This is one account of him; but there is also a second, that he stayed here (in Sipus) till the end of his life; and a third, the aforesaid mythical account, which tells of his disappearance in the island; and as a fourth one might set down the account of the Heneti, for they too tell a mythical story of how he in some way came to his end in their country, and they call it his apotheosis.

Made a god:

Pindar, Nemean odes:

§ 10.1 Nemean 10: For Theaeus of Argos Wrestling ?444 B.C. Graces, sing of the city of Danaus and his fifty daughters on their splendid thrones, Hera's Argos, a home suitable for a god; it blazes with countless excellences because of its bold deeds. Long indeed is the story of Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa, [5] and many are the cities founded in Egypt by the devising of Epaphus. Nor did Hypermnestra go astray, when she restrained in its scabbard her sword, which was alone in its verdict. And once the golden-haired, gray-eyed goddess made Diomedes an immortal god;

Lycophron, Alexandra:

§ 594 Another [i.e., Diomedes] shall found Argyrippa, a Daunian estate beside Ausonian Phylamus, seeing the bitter fate of his comrades turned to winged birds, who shall accept a sea life, after the manner of fishermen, like in form to bright-eyed swans. Seizing in their bills the spawn of fishes they shall dwell in an island which bears their leader's name, on a theatre-shaped rising ground, building in rows their close-set nests with firm bits of wood, after the manner of Zethus. And together they shall betake them to the chase and by night to rest in the dell, avoiding all the alien crowd of men, but in folds of Grecian robes seeking their accustomed resting-place they shall eat crumbs from the hand and fragments of cake from the table, murmuring pleasantly, remembering, hapless ones, their former way of life. His wounding of the Lady of Troezen shall be part cause of his wild lustful bitch shall be frenzied for adulterous bed. But the altar-tomb of Hoplosmia shall save him from doom, when already prepared for slaughter. And in the glen of Ausonian he shall stand like a colossus resting his feet on the boulders, the foundations of Amoebeus, the builder of the walls, when he has cast out of his ship the ballast stones. And, disappointed by the judgement of his brother Alaenus, he shall cast an effectual curse upon the fields, that they may never send up the opulent corn-ear of Deo, when Zeus with his rain nurtures the soil, save only if one who draws his blood from his own Aetolian stock shall till the land, cleaving the furrows with team of oxen. And with pillars which no man shall boast to have moved even a little by his might. For as on wings they shall come back again, traversing with trackless steps the terraces. And a high god shall he be called by many, even by those who dwell by the cavernous plain of Io, when he shall have slain the dragon that harried the Phaeacians.

Augustine, City of God Bk. 18

§ 18.16 Of Diomede, Who After the Destruction of Troy Was Placed Among the Gods, While His Companions are Said to Have Been Changed into Birds. Troy was overthrown, and its destruction was everywhere sung and made well known even to boys; for it was signally published and spread abroad, both by its own greatness and by writers of excellent style. And this was done in the reign of Latinus the son of Faunus, from whom the kingdom began to be called Latium instead of Laurentum. The victorious Greeks, on leaving Troy destroyed and returning to their own countries, were torn and crushed by divers and horrible calamities. Yet even from among them they increased the number of their gods for they made Diomede a god. They allege that his return home was prevented by a divinely imposed punishment, and they prove, not by fabulous and poetic falsehood, but by historic attestation, that his companions were turned into birds. Yet they think that, even although he was made a god, he could neither restore them to the human form by his own power, nor yet obtain it from Jupiter his king, as a favor granted to a new inhabitant of heaven. They also say that his temple is in the island of Diomedaea, not far from Mount Garganus in Apulia, and that these birds fly round about this temple, and worship in it with such wonderful obedience, that they fill their beaks with water and sprinkle it; and if Greeks, or those born of the Greek race, come there, they are not only still, but fly to meet them; but if they are foreigners, they fly up at their heads, and wound them with such severe strokes as even to kill them. For they are said to be well enough armed for these combats with their hard and large beaks.

Died in Italy:

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses

§ 37 THE DORIANS: After the capture of Troy, Diomedes arrived in Argos and denounced his wife Aegialia for her behaviour when she was stirred by Aphrodite. He went to Calydon in Aitolia where he made away with Agrius and his sons. He handed over the rule of the place to his grandfather Oineus. He then sailed for Argos but was swept into the Ionian Sea by a storm. When Daunius, king of the Daunians, saw who it was that had arrived, he begged him for help in warring against the Messapians, for a share of the land and marriage to his daughter. Diomedes agreed to the proposal, drew up his men and routed the Messapians, He took his land which he assigned to the Dorians, his followers. The daughter of Daunius gave him two sons, Diomedes and Amphinomus. He died of old age in the lands of the Daunians and the Dorians buried him with honours on the isle which they called Diomedia after him. They cultivated the lands that had been assigned to them adjoining those of the king. It brought them much produce because of their experience in farming. After the death of Daunius, the barbarian Illyrians coveted their lands and plotted against them. They appeared suddenly on the island and the Illyrians slaughtered all the Dorians as they were sacrificing victims. By the will of Zeus the bodies of the Greeks disappeared and their souls were changed into birds. Even today when a ship of the Greeks is brought into harbour, these birds go up to them, but they flee from an Illyrian ship and all disappear from the island.

D Scholia to the Iliad

§ 5.412 so that wise Aigialeia, Adrastos’ daughter, not… (μὴ δὴν Αἰγιάλεια περίφρων Ἀδραστίνη) Diomedes married Aigialeia, the youngest of Adrastos’ daughters. (Adrastos had three daughters: Argeia wife of Polyneices, Deipyle wife of Tydeus, , so Aigialeia was his mother’s sister.) When he went on military campaign against Troy, he left Cometes son of Sthenelos to take care of his kingdom and his household. Here’s the account. When Aphrodite was wounded by Diomedes, she could not harm him because Athena was helping him. Instead, she made his wife crazy for sleeping around and for licentiously and indiscriminately carousing with young men of every age. Aphrodite also filled Cometes with desire for her. When Diomedes returned from Troy, Cometes pursued him with his bodyguard, intending to kill him. Diomedes, furnished with only weak support, fled to the altar of Athena. After that he departed for Italy and, it is said, he received from Daunos some people to establish a settlement. In the end, when his fellow settlers were in dire straits and had nothing to eat, Athena turned them in to herons, and Diomedes’ life then came to an end. The story is in Lycophron (592ff.).59 But the poet does not tell this story. Instead he only says that [Diomedes should beware] fighting a stronger god than you [Aphrodite] in battle and being killed: then, if his wife learned about his death, she would mourn alongside his household. [RSS]

Polyaenus, Strategems

§ 8.18.1 Daunus: In honour of Diomedes, who died in Italy, Daunus instituted funeral games. On the first day he proposed to the Greeks to form a procession in arms. The next day he commanded the barbarians to do the same; directing them, for the purpose, to borrow the weapons of the Greeks; with which they were no sooner furnished, than they fell upon the Greeks, and slew them with their own weapons.

Tzetzes, Ad Lycophronem

§ 592 After the destruction of Troy, Diomedes sailed back to his homeland Argos and found his wife Aegialeia being unfaithful with Cometes, the son of Sthenelus, because he had wounded Aphrodite in Troy. Fearing that he would be killed by the same Aegialeia, he first sought refuge at the altar of Hera of Argos and was saved. This means that Diomedes, having been expelled, went to Italy to the Daunian tribe among the barbarians, where Daunus reigned. Daunus, being besieged, asked Diomedes to help him, promising to give him a part of his land. Diomedes founded a city for the Daunians, which he called Hippion Argos. Later, Daunus offered him a choice between all the spoils of war or all the land, and Alaenus, the illegitimate brother of Diomedes, who was in love with Daunus's daughter Euippe, became their judge. He decided that Daunus should keep the land and Diomedes should take the spoils of war. Angered by this, Diomedes cursed the land, saying that no one would be able to sow the land or reap its fruits unless they were of his lineage and could move his steles. Later, Diomedes was killed by Daunus, and his friends, mourning the hero, were transformed into swan-like birds. They avoid barbarians and wander among the Greeks, even taking food from their hands and nestling in their laps... (I'm cutting Tzetzes off here because he keeps rambling lmao)

Aristotelian Corpus, On Marvelous Things Heard

§ 27.79 They say that in the island of Diomedeia in the Adriatic there is a remarkable and hallowed shrine of Diomedes, and that birds of vast size sit round this shrine in a circle, having large hard beaks. They say moreover that if ever Greeks disembark on the spot they keep quiet, but if any of the barbarians that live round about land there, they rise and wheeling round attack their heads, and wounding them with their bills kill them. The legend is that these birds are descended from the companions of Diomedes, who were wrecked near the island, when Diomedes was treacherously murdered by Aeneas, the king of those parts at the time.

On the island of Diomedes:

Pseudo Scymnus or Pausanias of Damascus, Circuit of the Earth

§ 425 Pharos lies not far from them, an island settlement of the Parians, and the so-called Black Kerkyra, which the Knidians settled. This country has a large lake they call Lychnites. The next island, some say, is where Diomedes ended his life, whence its name Diomedeia. Beyond these are barbarian Brygians. Toward the sea is Epidamnos, a Greek city, that Kerkyra apparently founded. Beyond the Brygians dwell the so-called Encheleians, whom Kadmos once ruled. Neighboring them is Apollonia, a foundation of the Kerkyrans and Corinthians, and Orikos a Greek seaside city; for Euboeans returning from Troy built it, carried here by the winds. Then the barbarian races of the Thesprotians and Chaonians inhabit not much space. Kerkyra is an island opposite Thesprotia. After the Thesprotians dwell the Molossians, whom Pyrros once brought, the son of Neoptolemos, and Dodona the oracle of Zeus, a Pelasgian foundation.

[superscrub323]

"And now Ares, the dancer, fires the land, with his conch leading the chant of blood. And all the land lies ravaged before my eyes and, as it were fields of corn, bristle the fields of the gleaming spears. And in my ears seems a voice of lamentation from the tower tops reaching to the windless seats of air, with groaning women and rending of robes, awaiting sorrow upon sorrow." -Lycophron, Alexandra

ARES CANNONICALLY CAN DANCE HELL YEAH also ignore horrific war imagery

Oh I might joke about Ares being a bird loving girl dad but I never want people to forget his day job is war and he reveals in it. And I thank you for your reminder.

[rightwheretheyleftme]

𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙨

Compilation of all of the sources that give Telemachus a spouse after the events of The Odyssey

1. Circe

Agias of Troezen, The Returns Fragment 4 (from Eustathius on Homer's Odyssey 1796. 45) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.): "The Colophonian author of the Returns says that Telemachus afterwards married Circe, while Telegonus the son of Circe correspondingly married Penelope."

Eugammon of Cyrene, Telegony Frag 1 (from Proclus, Chrestomathia) (C6th B.C.): "Telegonus, on learning his mistake, transports his father's body with Penelope and Telemachus to his mother's island, where Circe makes them immortal, and Telegonus marries Penelope, and Telemachus Circe."

Lycophron, Alexandra (Greek poet C3rd B.C): “When he [Odysseus] is dead, Perge, hill of the Tyrrhenians, shall receive his ashes in the land of Gortyn; when, as he breathes out his life, he shall bewail the fate of his son [Telemachus] and his wife [Circe], whom her husband shall slay and himself next pass to Hades […]” [Explanation here]

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 125 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.): “Telegonus with Telemachus and Penelope returned to his home on the island of Aeaea by Minerva's instructions. They brought the body of Ulysses to Circe, and buried it there. By the advise of Minerva again, Telegonus married Penelope, and Telemachus married Circe. From Circe and Telemachus Latinus was born, who gave his name to the Latin language."

2) Epicasta, daughter of Nestor

Contest of Homer and Hesiod (Greek narrative C3rd B.C): “[…] Ithaca is his [Homer’s] country, Telemachus his father, and Epicasta, Nestor's daughter, the mother that bare him, a man by far the wisest of mortal kind.”

3) Nausicaa

Dictys of Crete, Trojan War Chronicle: “Soon afterwards, in answer to Ulysses' hopes and prayers, Nausicaa, the daughter of Alcinous, was married to Telemachus. […] Nausicaa and Telemachus had a son, to whom Ulysses gave the name Ptoliporthus (Sacker of Cities).”

Aristotle, Economics (Greek philosopher C3rd B.C): “Everywhere he bids affection be coupled with self-control and shame; whilst the fear he commends is such as Helen owns when she thus addresses Priam: "Beloved sire of my lord, it is fitting that I fear thee and dread thee and revere"; meaning that her love for him is mingled with fear and modest shame. And again, Ulysses speaks to Nausicaa in this manner: "Thou, lady, dost fill me with wonder and with fear."”

4) Polycaste, daughter of Nestor

Suda Encyclopedia (Byzantine C10th A.D): “Ὅμηρος: Homer: [A] [Homer] the poet, [son] of [list of possible parentages] Telemachus the son of Odysseus and of Polycaste the daughter of Nestor.”

Hesiod, Catalogues of Women Fragment (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.): “So well-girded Polycaste, the youngest daughter of Nestor, Neleus' son, was joined in love with Telemachus through golden Aphrodite and bare Persepolis.”

5) Cassiphone, daughter of Circe and Odysseus

Tzetzes, Ad Lycophronem (Byzantine grammarian C12th A.D): “[…] there has been a marriage of Telemachus, Odysseus's son, and Cassiphone, Circe's daughter […]”

If you know of any source that I’m missing, please let me know!