#pallas titan of war

[froggyart]

could you draw the Titan Pallas?

[Click for better quality]

Here ya go bud!

(He so cool)

[skitterjitter]

thinking about God of War and names --

do they know of the legacies they bear?

Kratos, named for a son of Styx and Pallas, brother of Nike, pledged to the Olympians during the Titanomachy, strength and might personified

Atreus, who was named no trembles, fearless, an innocent boy with a name steeped in the blood of kin

[evermore-grimoire]

The Evermore Grimoire: Greek Mythology

Styx (Στυξ meaning "Hated") was the Titan goddess of the underworld River Styx in Greek mythology. She was the embodiment of hatred and detestation. This made her one of the most feard Titans. During the "Golden Age" of the Titans, Styx was the guardian of the Underworld. Before the war, she was married to her cousin Pallas (god of warcraft), son of Crius (god of heavenly constellations) and Eurybia (goddess of mastery of the sea). However, Pallas was killed during the war. Throughout most of the war, Styx remained neutral, like her parents and siblings, the River gods and Ocean nymphs. During the last battle of the Titan War, she chose to side with Zeus (king of the gods) and the Olympians, giving her four children, Bia (goddess of force), Cratus (god of power), Zelos (god of rivalry) and Nike (goddess of victory) in her service. To honour her, Zeus decreed that the solemn oaths of the gods be sworn by the water of Styx

artwork by Yliade

[englandsgirl18181234]

how shocked will Annabeth and her siblings be to see the difference in Athena? If her mind has been degrading and she didn’t start to make kids until quite a long time after the Odyssey, I don’t see how Athena’s children would have ever known her true self.

Also, I hope the gods find out just how important Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus are to her, and that Apollo makes it clear how much Athena was suffering in mind and body, that they really made an already horrible situation even worse. Especially with Demeter’s needless cruelty towards Athena for petitioning Hades respectfully and the attack on the Olive tree bed. Athena’s grief sounds like it was on a similar (if less outwardly destructive) level as Demeter’s own when Persephone was taken (and in a sense, Telemachus was Athena’s child—Demeter was being cruel to a mother who wanted to see her spouses and child just once more). Also, Hera’s actions towards Athena anger me, Athena was Zeus’s first child by his first wife, who was not Hera. Hera acted like Athena was a bastard when she is just as legitimate as Hera’s own children.

also, also, how is Triton—who was a father figure to Athena before Zeus’s actions caused Pallas to be lost (and in all the myths I have read, it was him, not Athena, who caused Pallas’s death by distracting her during a friendly spar)—going to react when he learns Zeus murdered her? I mean, unless there were no witnesses I don’t think it’s likely that by the time Athena dies Triton didn’t know what happened. So now Zeus has brought about the deaths of both of Triton’s daughters.

this whole mess is gonna bring up some bad memories for Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Hades and Hestia

And that's the tragedy of Athena and her children, isn't it? They didn't know their real mother. None of them did. Even the earliest children that she was allowed to be closely involved with only ever knew her through a haze of grief and trauma and brain damage. To see her without all that is something they'll barely even be able to comprehend. And when they realize just how much she had suffered and how hard she had to fight just to present in their lives in even the faintest way, they're going to realize that she loved them so much more than she was ever able to show.

And Athena here actually communicated with her children more regularly than all the other gods. She wasn't allowed to be overt, wasn't able to assist and assure them of her love the way she wanted to. But they still got signs from her that she cared, even if they didn't always understand that that's what they were.

Not a single child of Athena went unclaimed for more than a day, and even that long was often only because of her seizures. Many were claimed as soon as they hit the border of camp. The rest of the campers, and particularly the unclaimed, were always extremely jealous of how all of Athena's kids were claimed so quickly. And Annabeth's Yankee's cap was not a one off in this verse, it was just the one that was the most difficult to hide. All of Athena's children got some kind of gift, it was just a concentrated effort by the rest of the cabin to make sure that went unknown because of how upset it would have made the rest of camp and potentially the other gods.

Apollo and Athena are actually the only cabins that didn't have anyone go over to Kronos in the Titan War in this verse too, because Apollo did pretty much the same thing. He couldn't get away with gifts to the same extent, because he and his children were watched much more closely than Athena, but all of his kids were claimed by the next dawn.

(I promise there'll be an explanation for the Mark Of Athena and Annabeth's treatment in it, it's just gonna take a while to get there because Athena needs to heal first)

And oh boy, are the rest of the gods gonna find out. Apollo is not pulling any of his punches on that front, he is going to show them Exactly how much Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus meant to her. Because he knows how the others viewed Athena, how they saw her as distant and uptight and emotionless. But he knows better than them all that she Wasn't that. That it was all a product of brain damage and all the masks she wore to keep the others from using her love against her like Zeus did.

Apollo is about one more badly timed comment away from hitting them all with a plague that would mimic the worst of Athena's symptoms, just to make them all truly understand how badly she'd been suffering. Because she was suffering, and all he could do was watch as she slowly got worse and worse. Knowing all the while that there was nothing he could do beyond be there for her because none of his treatments ever worked.

And the other gods are going to realize how shitty they were, at least most of them, it just might take a little bit because they're all still in shock at this point.

Hera is... not great in this verse. To anyone really. She's pretty much based her entire life and personality around being Zeus's wife, and Athena is a glaring reminder of both the fact that it Wasn't always her at his side, and the fact that she's replaceable, which is why she's so much more awful to Athena than the others.

And Triton? Boy oh boy is Poseidon having a Rough time with Triton. Poseidon is physically unable to not tell Triton about what happened. He literally could not stomach the idea of not telling his son about Athena's death the moment he got back. He even made sure to tell the rest of the Council that he was going to before he left.

And Triton. Goes. Ballistic.

He is two seconds away from flashing to Olympus and going after Zeus with nothing but his gods-damned teeth.

And he is only being kept from doing so by Poseidon doing the godly power equivalent of sitting on him to keep him in place. The very second Poseidon's attention wavers enough for him to get out, he is going to be in that throne room ripping out Zeus's throat with his bare hands.

This is both of his children that Zeus has now killed, both of his beloved daughters that had been stolen from him by the so called King. And Triton is determined to destroy him for it.

Sorry this took so long to answer, you had me thinking about a lot of things and it took me a while to find the right words

[superscrub323]

On this blog I may or may not have slightly over dunked on Diomedes of Argos...

But that's only because I'm a little disappointed by what people SAY he did and what he ACTUALLY did.

What people say he did was 1v1 Ares, the Greek God of War, in a fair fight and send him crying to his daddy.

What he actually did was be used by Athena as a misdirection so she could get the actual stab in while wearing Hades's invisible helmet which he used to fight Titans followed by Ares calling out Zeus for his favoritism of Athena.*

Sure he wounded the wrist of a chickified Aphrodite but once writers remembered that she's...well...Aphrodite she got her get back because Diomedes just messed with a Goddess who LOVES to be patronized, wounded, and have her children put in danger.**

Still I suppose I forget that Diomedes breathing within spitting distance of Ares without dying of sheer horror and that Athena's willingness to fight dirty against one of the few Gods that's in her ballpark to guarantee a victory is impressive in it's own way just...not in a...snaps fingers...'600 Strike' way but more in a 'Fight Little Wolf' way

*Homer, Iliad 5. 699 ff :"Then in turn the goddess grey-0eyed Athene answered him : ‘Son of Tydeus, you who delight my heart, Diomedes, no longer be thus afraid of Ares, nor of any other immortal; such a helper shall I be standing beside you. Come then, first against Ares steer your single-foot horses, and strike him from close. Be not afraid of violent Ares, that thing of fury, evil-wrought, that double-faced liar who even now protested to Hera and me, promising that he would fight against the Trojans and stand by the Argives. Now, all promises forgotten, he stands by the Trojans.’ So speaking she pushed Sthenelos [the charioteer of Diomedes] to the ground from the chariot, driving him back with her hand, and he leapt away from it lightly, and she herself, a goddess in anger, stepped in to the chariot beside brilliant Diomedes, and the oaken axle groaned aloud under the weight, carrying the dread goddess and a great man. Pallas Athene then took up the whip and the reins, steering first of all straight on against Ares the single foot horses. Ares was in the act of striping gigantic Periphas, shining son of Okheios, far the best of the men of Aitolia. Blood-stained Ares was in the act of stripping him. But Athene put on the helm of Death [Haides], that stark Ares might not discern her. Now as manslaughtering Ares caught sight of Diomedes the brilliant, he let gigantic Periphas lie in the place where he had first cut him down and taken the life away from him, and made straight against Diomedes, breaker of horses. Now as they in their advance had come close together, Ares lunged first over the yoke and the reins of his horses with the bronze spear, furious to take the life from him. But the goddess grey-eyed Athene in her hand catching the spear pushed it away from the car, so he missed and stabled vainly. After him Diomedes of the great war cry drove forward with the bronze spear; and Pallas Athene, leaning in on it, drove it into the depth of the belly where the war belt girt him. Picking this place she stabbed and driving it deep in the air flesh wrenched the spear out again. Then Ares the brazen bellowed with a sound as great as nine thousand men make, or ten thousand, when they cry as they carry in to the fighting the fury of the war god. And a shivering seized hold alike on Akhaians and Trojans in their feet at the bellowing of battle-insatiate Ares. As when out of the thunderhead the air shows darkening after a day's heat when the storm wind uprises, thus to Tydeus' son Diomedes Ares the brazen showed as he went up with the clouds into the wide heaven. Lightly he came to the gods' citadel, headlong Olympos, and sat down beside Kronian Zeus, grieving in his spirit, and showed him the immortal blood dripping from the spear cut. So in sorrow for himself he addressed him in winged words : ‘Father Zeus, are you not angry looking on these acts of violence? We who are gods forever have to endure the most horrible hurts, by each other's hatred, as we try to give favour to mortals. It is your fault we fight, since you brought forth this maniac daughter accursed, whose mind is fixed forever on unjust action. For all the rest, as many as are gods on Olympos, are obedient to you, and we all have rendered ourselves submissive. Yet you say nothing and you do nothing to check this girl, letting her go free, since yourself you begot this child of perdition. See now, the son of Tydeus, Diomedes the haughty, she has egged on to lash out in fury against the immortal gods. First he stabbed the Kyprian [Aphrodite] in the arm by the wrist. Then like something more than human he swept on even against me. But my swift feet took me out of the way. Otherwise I should long be lying there in pain among the stark dead men, or go living without strength because of the strokes of the bronze spear.’"

**Homer, Iliad 5. 370 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "Bright Aphrodite [wounded at Troy by Diomedes fled back to Olympos and] fell at the knees of her mother, Dione, who gathered her daughter into her arms' fold and stroked her with her hand and called her by name and spoke to her : ‘. . . It was the goddess grey-eyed Athene who drove on this man [Diomedes] against you; poor fool, the heart of Tydeus' son knows nothing of how that man who fights the immortals lives no long time, his children do not gather to his knees to welcome their father when he returns home after the fighting and the bitter warfare. Then, though he be very strong indeed, let the son of Tydeus take care lest someone even better than he might fight with him, lest for a long time Aigialeia, wise child of Adrastos, mourning wake out of sleep her household's beloved companions, longing for the best of the Akhaians, her lord by marriage, she, the strong wife of Diomedes, breaker of horses.’" [N.B. Dione here suggests that Aphrodite use the wife of Diomedes as the agent of her revenge]. (Also I know I probably shouldn't laugh but...it does...way too hard)

[tylermileslockett]

"Athena's Aegis" (#9 in my "Quest for the Gorgon Head" series)

Did you know Athena wore medusas head on top of her torso armor?

PART 10: With justice served and his mother saved, Perseus returned his Adamantine blade to Hermes, and the helmet of invisibility and winged sandals to the nymphs, and of Medusa’s head he offered it to grey-eyed Athena who placed the head upon her “Aegis” (armored breastplate) as a sacred weapon. Later in life, Perseus returns to his original homeland, fulfilling the original prophecy by accidently killing his grandfather with an accidental discus throw. Perseus and andromeda go on to found the great kingdom of Mycenae.

The original Aegis armor was described as a goat hide with golden tassels wrapped over a shield used by Zeus in the war against the Titans. In an alternative account, in the Olympians war against the titans, Athena strips a giant monster, Pallas, of his skin and wears the skin as armor. In ancient Greek vase paintings we can see a metal corselet worn by Athena upon her torso, with Medusas head positioned abreast. In Homer’s Iliad, Apollo borrows the Aegis, and joining in the war, provokes terror upon the battlefield with it, as it was said to produce “…a sound as from myriad roaring dragons.” (Iliad, 4.17)

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in June to kickstarter.  to get unseen free hi-hes art subscribe to my email newsletter

Follow my backerkit kickstarter notification page.

Thank you for supporting independent artists! 🤘❤️🏛😁

[likethexan]

for you, what to you think is the birth order for the 12 Titans? Love to have you back and your reasonings are fun :)

thank you nonnie 🧡 there’s nothing I love more than making lore out of crumbs we have, so here’s my interpretation!

In Hesiod’s Theogony, we get this birth order: "She [Gaia, Earth] lay with Ouranos (Uranus, Sky) and bare deep-swirling

1. Okeanos (Oceanus), 2. Koios (Coeus) 3. Krios (Crius) and 4. Hyperion and 5. Iapetos (Iapetus), 6. Theia and 7. Rhea, 8. Themis and 9. Mnemosyne and gold-crowned 10. Phoibe (Phoebe) and lovely 11. Tethys. After them was born 12. Kronos (Cronus)."

EDIT: I missed two more accounts, one from the Pseudo-Apollodorus' Bibliotheca (who listed Dione as a Titaness):

"Ouranos (Uranus, Sky) . . . fathered other sons on Ge (Gaea, Earth), namely the Titanes (Titans) :

1. Okeanos (Oceanus), 2. Koios (Coeus), 3. Hyperion, 4. Krios (Crius), 5. Iapetos, and 6. Kronos (Cronus) the youngest; also daughters called Titanides (Titanesses) : 1. Tethys, 2. Rhea, 3. Themis, 4. Mnemosyne, 5. Phoibe (Phoebe), Dione, and Theia."

and another from the Diodorus Siculus' Library of History (which sites Cronus as the oldest and forgets Theia)

The males were 1. Kronos (Cronus), 2. Hyperion, 3. Koios (Coeus), 4. Iapetos, 5. Krios (Crius) and 6. Okeanos (Oceanus) , and their sisters were 7. Rhea 8. Themis, 9. Mnemosyne, 10. Phoibe (Phoebe) and 11. Tethys. Each one of them was the discover of things of benefit to mankind, and because of the benefaction they conferred upon all men they were accorded honors and everlasting fame."

Of the three accounts mentioned I've noticed some similarities:

All three accounts have the pattern Rhea-Themis-Mnemosyne-Phoebe consistently

Two accounts have Oceanus as the oldest child and one as the youngest brother

Two accounts have Tethys as the youngest daughter and one as the oldest daughter

Iapetus is the closest in age to Cronus in two accounts and the second closest in the other

Koios is often the second or third son

Now, just because I've noticed these doesn't necessarily mean I will follow these "rules" in making my own birth order, especially considering many narrative issues regarding Styx/Pallas and Atlas/Pleione being second-generation Titans with fully grown children during the war (as well as well, who I think would fit more into the role of older/younger).

So, here is my own version (sprinkled in with headcanon):

BIRTH ORDER OF THE TWELVE OTHYRIANS:

1-2. Oceanus and Tethys (eldest son and daughter) - So Oceanus is described by Hera as where “all gods have risen” in the Iliad, and in the same breath describes Tethys as “our mother” and in another account by Homer- “Okeanos (Oceanus) the origin of the gods, and Tethys their mother.” They are also identified with Ophion and Eurynome, the supposed first King and Queen of the Heavens before Cronus and Rhea had them overthrown. Because of that, and because Tethys is often described as a loving mother/nurse, I like to think of O&T as a unit (Oceanus still as the older one but Tethys following shortly after) who once took care of their younger siblings especially when Gaia and Uranus were constantly fighting and fell in love in the process, vowing to have many kids of their own when they got married. Oceanus abstaining from the castration can be because of many reasons, but I believe it had to do with his kind nature, being a father and not wanting to set a bad example towards them (thus disappointing Gaia and prompting Cronus to take action)

3. Crius (second brother)- EDIT: making Crius the second oldest as one of his sons, Pallas, later marries Styx, Oceanus, and Tethys' oldest daughter, and unless they were older woman/younger man I prefer that they were closer in age (and I guess narratively it would Make Sense for Oceanus' oldest to be betrothed to the child of the sibling who came after him). As for loyalty, his sons Pallas and Perses are vaguely dutiful to the Titans during the war.

4. Iapetus (third brother) - As much as I like Cronus and Iapetus being closest in age for brothers, Iapetus being older makes more sense to me. Atlas is his eldest son (with a wife and children) and Cronus’ right hand, rather than Iapetus himself, so I believe that Iapetus thinks Atlas would do a much better, youthful job at it. Cronus could see Iapetus as everything Oceanus should’ve been, the reliable older brother (even if his traitorous other nephew Prometheus joined the opposite side)

5. Hyperion (fourth brother) - no particular reason for this one besides being close to Theia’s age and his children being close to Hestia-Zeus' age.

6-7. Theia & Rhea (second and third sister) - TWINS TIME BABYYY. This is all purely headcanon be warned. As I’ve mentioned before, in my ficverse Theia and Rhea were born as twins destined to have favorable children. Theia eventually becomes close with Hyperion, marrying him and leaving Rhea jealous but happy to see little Eos, Helios, and Selene grow up. Rhea begins sticking closer to Themis, Phoebe, and Cronus after Theia’s wedding. Theia and Rhea’s relationship is still close as they once joked about their firstborns being fire starters (Helios and Hestia) in the short time frame before Cronus devoured Hestia.

8. Themis (fourth sister) - besides the constant of Themis being younger than Rhea, my main reasoning with this is simply that Zeus marrying his aunt who is younger than his mom is more palatable than marrying an aunt older than her (then again both Titanesses are older than his father but Zeus isn’t close to his dad anyways). Narratively her getting the oracle makes much sense too as her older sisters have their roles (Tethys is the mother of the ocean deities, and Theia and Rhea are destined to have favorable kids), it would make sense for Gaia to give her the Oracle and become her prophetic successor (before giving it to her younger sister Phoebe as she establishes herself as the goddess of divine law)

9. Phoebe (fifth daughter) - being the younger to Themis, she gets the Oracle of Delphi from her and is the third goddess to hold it before giving it to her grandson Apollo (Aeschylus, Eumenides 1 ff). Besides that, she’s renowned thanks to her grandchildren. I still want her to be older than Mnemosyne as I imagine her kind of mature while Mnemosyne more youthful.

9. Mnemoysne (Melete, Aiode, Thelixonoe, Arche, Mneme) (sixth-tenth daughter) - OKAY so I had this idea when reading about the Elder Muses, who were said to be daughters of Ge/Gaia according to Mimnermus. There are two accounts, one with four muses (Thelixonoe, Aode, Arche, and Melete) and one with three (Melete, Aiode, and Mneme). Mneme is said most likely to be Mnemosyne as her name means “Memory” but honestly, what if they were all Mnemosyne? What if Mnemosyne was like Garnet in Steven Universe, a combination of close Muse sisters to make up an entire deity? Seems cooler than just forgetting about these Muses. Making Mnemosyne the younger makes sense too since Muses are said to be youthful/have the least amount of responsibility.

10. Dione (eleventh daughter) - yeah actually why not make Dione a Titaness too? Most have her as a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys but there are accounts of her being the child of Gaia and Uranus, also I like the little headcanon of him and Phorcys being Titans as Plato wanted. (Albeit in most canon Phorcys is cited as a son of Gaia and Pontos which is. close enough!)

11-12. Coeus and Cronus (fifth and sixth brother) - I still wanted Coeus and Cronus to be twins/close the age gap, mainly because alliterative names are cool and should be highlighted. Coeus is allegedly the Titan of Intellect, so To Me as an older brother who gives advice and not really proactively fights like their older brothers (also, I like to think Asteria and Hestia are within the same age group), and Cronus’ birth order is fixed as the youngest.

EDIT: Aside from their main family tree, they also have the three Cyclopes and three Hecatoncheires, the Pontus-Gaia family tree of Eurybia (Crius' wife), Thaumas (Iris and Arke's father), Ceto (The Gorgon's mother), Nereus (father of the Nereids), Aegaeon (ally to the Titans), Phorcys (Ceto's mate) and the four Telchines who invented metalwork and made Cronus' infamous sickle.

[z-eusie]

Below the cut is a first glimpse at the novel I am writing about the titanomachy. this is, of course, unpolished and incomplete so it is subject to a lot of change, but this is a simple moment between Zeus and one of his new allies, as he prepares to free his siblings.

“How does being a goddess of victory work?” Zeus asked curiously, nocking an arrow. It swung to the side, and he frowned, attempting to right it.

“It’s complicated, honestly,” Nike replied in her soft, sing-song tone. She reached over and helped him adjust the arrow, smiling when he was able to hold it in place. “I can’t really influence who is victorious in a conflict. I can only sense a general outcome, and do my best to push the parties towards it.”

“Do you sense victory for me?” Zeus asked, drawing the arrow back. He held his breath, aimed, and let loose.

The arrow missed the target by an impressive margin, and Zeus winced.

Nike laughed, laying a hand on his arm. “Don’t wait so long to fire. Aim with your eyes before you even draw back, and follow through in one smooth motion.”

Zeus sighed, reaching for another arrow. 

“Whatever victory this war has, it feels far off. I do have a good feeling about you, though.” She drew her own arrow, fired, and beamed when the arrow struck her target true - and dead center. 

Zeus shook his head in disbelief. “You make this seem very easy.”

“I have had a lot of practice.”

“Did your mother train you?” Zeus asked. He realized that in the weeks he had known the others, he had not inquired much about their families. He knew Styx was a river goddess of the Underworld, and that they had grown up in the dark away from the other titans. But he had become so focused on his training, he had neglected to know his new allies the way he should. Shame welled inside of him.

Nike paused, biting her lip. “... No. She taught us many things, but it was our father who taught us to fight.”

Zeus frowned. “Oh. Who is your father?”

Nike sighed, dropping her bow to her side. “His name is Pallas. Has Metis taught you much about him?”

Zeus wracked his brain, traversing through the long list of titans he had learned about. “Yes… He is Crius’ son, isn’t he? My uncle?”

Nike would not meet his gaze. “Yes.”

“Does he still ally with Crius?”

Nike shuddered. “Yes.”

“Oh.” Zeus was not sure what that meant. The four of them had a father who served the titans… but had chosen to support him instead. Perhaps his mind should have wandered towards treachery, but instead he was just confused.

“I swear it is not what it sounds like,” Nike insisted. “Our father… He raised us well. He taught us, and loved us. But there came a time he was called away from us by his own father, to fight for the king. We stopped seeing him, and mother was furious. She wanted to tear the titans down for taking him from us.”

“So you fight with me to take vengeance?” Zeus asked slowly.

Nike shook her head. “We fight for you because it is right. We just have an added reason for our anger against your father.”

Zeus saw no reason to forgo trust in her, or her siblings. Whatever their reasons, they were here. They trained him, and they taught him, and they had provided support where no others had. He did not care who their father was.

“Well, I’m grateful you’re here,” Zeus straightened, offering her a small smile. Nike deflated before his eyes, and handed him another arrow.

“Thank you, Zeus. For understanding, and for letting us join you. Now, back to practicing. Shoot the target for me!”

Zeus nodded, nocked a second arrow and fired. This one soared high above the target, landing in the woods behind. He groaned, running a hand over his face. “This is impossible.”

Nike laughed again, shaking her head. “It is not for everyone. You are much better with a sword.”

Zeus gave her a sideways glance and his frown deepened. “That isn’t comforting.”

[that-cunning-witch]

Reading the works of Clement of Alexandria has been radicalizing me in the fact that Christians have *always* twisted other religions to the point of blatant falsehood out of desperation to make their religion sound better and superior

Like...

"She, too, entered into a rivalry with [Hera] the 'goddess of the large eyes,' in which, for the sake of an apple, the goddesses stripped and presented themselves naked to the shepherd, to see whether he would pronounce one of them beautiful."

"Baubo, having received Demeter as a guest, offers her a draught of wine and meal. She declines to take it, being unwilling to drink on account of her mourning. Baubo is deeply hurt, thinking she has been slighted, and thereupon uncovers her secret parts and exhibits them to the goddess. Demeter is pleased at the sight, and now at least receives the draught, – delighted by the spectacle! These are the secret mysteries of the Athenians!"

This isn't a case of different versions of the same myth spreading around. This is just straight-up fraud, even to the point that modern historians realize that Clement was just making shit up.

"Fragment 52 is preserved in the Protrepticus of Clement of Alexandria, written in the second century CE, who presents the fragment as proof of the depravity of the Eleusinian Mysteries and Greek religion more generally. The context he provides for the quote is that Demeter had rested at Eleusis during her search for her daughter, and Baubo, treating her as a guest, had offered her food and wine. Demeter refused these due to her mourning; the rejection of hospitality was perceived as a slight by Baubo who responded by showing her genitals. However, Baubo's actions are usually interpreted as an attempt to cheer Demeter up, rather than a response to a slight, based on the corresponding scene in The Homeric Hymn to Demeter."

Not to mention that many of Clement's arguments of "they do this therefore it's bad" are so hypocritical that it's laughable!

"These are the mysteries of the atheists. And I am right in branding as atheists men who are ignorant of the true God, but shamelessly worship a child being torn to pieces by Titans, a poor grief-stricken woman, and parts of the body which, from a sense of shame, are truly to sacred to speak of."

Pentecost and Easter... y'know, the Christian holy days that celebrate Jesus Christ's death and resurrection?

Mary, Mother of God! Hello??

That was the whole point... the fact that the action done by Baubo was crass and crude was what made Demeter laugh in the first place!

There's also this whole argument...

"For example, there are some who record three gods of the name Zeus: one in Arcadia, the son of Aether, the other two being sons of Cronus, the one in Crete, the other again in Arcadia. Some assume five Athenas: the daughter of Hephaestus, who is the Athenian; the daughter of Neilus, who is the Egyptian a third, the daughter of Cronus, who is the discoverer of war; a fourth, the daughter of Zeus, to whom the Messenians give the title Coryphassia after her mother. Above all, there is the child of Pallas and Titanis daughter of Oceanus. This is the one who impiously slaughtered her father and is arrayed in the paternal skin, as though it were a fleece. Further, with regard to Apollo, Aristotle enumerates, first, the son of Hephaestus and Athena [i.e. Erichthonius] (which puts an end to Athena’s virginity); secondly, the son of Cyrbas in Crete; thirdly, the son of Zeus; and fourthly, the Arcadian, the son of Silenus, called among the Arcadians Nomius. In addition to these he reckons the Libyan, the son of Ammon; and Didymus the grammarian adds a sixth, the son of Magnes. And how many Apollos are there at the present time? A countless host, all mortal and perishable men, who have been called by similar names to the deities we have just mentioned. And what if I were to tell you of the many gods named Asclepius, or of every Hermes that is enumerated, or of every Hephaestus that occurs in your mythology? But the lands they dwelt in, the arts they practiced, the records of their lives, yes, and their very tombs, prove conclusively that they were men."

The fact that there are many epithets (or "versions") of the Greek gods somehow disproves their godhood? While also conveniently leaving out the three epithets of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), because that's totally different, right?

Anyways... thanks for reading my ramblings about Clement of Alexandria, lol

[mer-acle]

Not an ask but just gotta say your Pallas stuff is inspiring me in how it shapes Epic Athena. So I have an au which I'm developing in which Hephaestus is Laertes and Anticlea was a Titan Of Love. They are hiding their children from Zeus and realise in case of the worse Odysseus and Ctimene will need protecting. Athena doesn't know of her pupils true divine heritage or that he's her nephew.

Laertes has been "stalking" Odysseus throughout the entire time as Anticlea is pissed about the Trojan War. He's already enraged over Polyphemus but when he finds out or watches My Goodbye he's even more pissed because he knows his son will not be safe now. So he spits Athena's own words back in her face vowing to to cut off the second member of his family who ever betrayed him. She knows Anticleas history and her becoming mortal temporarily but she thinks Laertes and Hep are too different people

Then the angst kicks in hard as Anticlea and Hephaestus think the God's are too cruel and have no humanity so when Athena's words are spat back at her he uses Pallas as a tool talking about how her humanity died the day she was forced to murder her.

"You were heartless, selfish at best. That's not what a God should be. You've grown cold, Tritons daughter could a test!"

(sorry i completely forgot to answer this)

woah this is so interesting I'm so intrigued! Heph's just out here throwing trauma at his sister, nice LOL But i absolutely love that he's Odysseus' Dad that's so unique!

Oh as which of the two is he talking about Pallas? bc either way Athena will be like hang on a) why does Laertes know about Pallas or b) why does Hephaestus care for Odysseus?? poor owl will be so confused (and in pain. lots of pain)

anyway i am invested in this now :D

[citrineandrosmarin]

Myth: The Birth Of Athena

Zeus' first wife was Metis, the titan goddess of wisdom, counsel and cunnning, "wisest among gods and mortal men" who had helped him in the Titan War. But when she became pregnant with their first child, Zeus received a prophecy, from either Gaia and Ouranos or Metis herself, that after bearing a daughter "equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding" there would come a son, "of overbearing spirit, king of gods and men," who would continue the cycle of gods overthrowing their fathers as Zeus and Kronos had.

So Zeus tricked Metis into shapeshifting into something small and swallowed her whole, "for fear that she might bring forth something stronger than his thunderbolt," and "that the goddess might devise for him both good and evil."

Shortly after his marriage to Hera, Zeus developed a splitting headache. Hephaistos or Prometheus struck Zeus' head with an axe, cutting it open, and out sprang the fully-armored (and sometimes fully-grown) Athena, shaking her spear with a war cry. Homeric Hymn 28 recounts how "Great Olympos began to quake dreadfully at the might of Glaukopis, and earth all about screamed horribly, and the sea moved and frothed with dark waves, while foam suddenly burst forth. The brilliant son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses for a long time, until the girl, Pallas Athena, stripped the godlike armour from her immortal shoulders, and Metieta Zeus rejoiced." Only when Athena removed her weapons and armor did the universe return to normal, and Zeus welcomed her gladly.

Susan Deacy, in her book 'Athena' notes some interesting things about this myth, which I will just summarize here in bullet points (go read the book, it's good!).

Athena's birth resolves both the male and female lines of succession and power. Ouranos - Kronos - Zeus - Athena and Gaia - Rhea - Metis - Athena.

Athena's birth involved the temporary mixing up of gender roles. Zeus becomes a mother, Hephaistos or Prometheus become the midwife. From the moment she is born she "confounds gender norms."

"Metis was too dangerous to be permitted an independent existence but polymetis Athena is, as it were, a safe version of her mother, who aligns herself with her father and with the patriarchy over which he reigns."

Athena arrives as a warmonger, Glaukopis, who can shake the very universe, but as she takes off her armor she becomes the peaceful Pallas.

The prophecy given to Zeus is one that remains unfulfilled.

Sources of this myth include:

Hesiod, Theogony

Pindar, Olympian Ode

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca

Homeric Hymn to Athena 28

[apiswitchcraft]

the greek/roman gods

Format is GREEK NAME/ROMAN NAME: description

starting at the beginning,

CHAOS: the void, everything and nothing, sometimes a deity, sometimes a stasis.

then there were the Primordials, that arose from Chaos and were more concepts than gods,

EROS (the elder)/PHANES: love and procreation

TARTARUS: the original deity/representation of the underworld

GAIA/TERRA: mother earth, the ultimate creator

EREBUS: darkness

NYX: night

AETHER: child of Erebus and Nyx, day

HEMERA: child of Erebus and Nyx, light

MOROS: child of Erebus and Nyx, doom

THANATOS: child of Erebus and Nyx, death

KER: child of Erebus and Nyx, violent death

MACARIA: death of the blessed

HYPNOS/SOMNUS: child of Erebus and Nyx, sleep

MOMUS: child of Erebus and Nyx, mockery and blame

GERAS/SENECTUS: child of Erebus and Nyx, old age

OIZYS/MISERIA: child of Erebus and Nyx, misery

NEMESIS: child of Erebus and Nyx, retribution

PHILOTES: child of Erebus and Nyx, affection

APATE: child of Erebus and Nyx, deceit

ERIS/DISCORDIA: child of Erebus and Nyx, strife

MOIRAI/PARCAE: child of Erebus and Nyx, the three fates

CHARON: child of Erebus and Nyx, ferryman of the Underworld

CHRONUS: the elder primordial of time

ANANKE/NECESSITAS: destiny

OUREA: created by Gaia, the mountains

NESOI: child of Ourea, the islands

PONTUS: created by Gaia, the sea

THALASSA: child of Pontus, a sea goddess

NEREUS: child of Gaia and Pontus, god of the sea

CETO: child of Gaia and Pontus, sea goddess

THAUMUS: child of Gaia and Pontus, a sea god

IRIS: child of Thaumus, goddess of rainbows

OURANOS/CAELUS: created by Gaia, the sky

TYPHON: son of Gaia and Tartarus, volcanic forces, the father of all monsters

CRONUS/SATURN: son of Ouranos, god of the harvest, slayed/castrated his father

then came the Titans, the children of Gaia and Ouranos (unless specified otherwise),

RHEA/CYBELE/OPS: goddess of fertility

OCEANUS: god of the oceans, conceived the Oceanids with Tethys

TETHYS: god of the rivers

TYCHE/FORTUNA: one of the Oceanids, goddess of good luck

STYX: one of the Oceanids

HYPERION: god of light, but more in a sunlight sense

THEIA: goddess of light, but in a light of the blue sky sense

HELIOS/SOL: child of Hyperion and Theia, god of the sun

SELENE/LUNOS: child of Hyperion and Theia, goddess of the moon

EOS/AURORA: goddess of dawn

CRIUS: god of the constellations

EURYBIA: child of Pontus, sea goddess

ASTRAEUS: child of Crius and Eurybia, god of stars and planets

PALLAS: child of Crius and Eurybia, god of war

PERSES: child of Crius and Eurybia, god of destruction

THEMIS: goddess of law and order

IAPETUS: god of mortal life

ATLAS: child of Iapetus and Asia (an Oceanid), carried the celestial sphere, god of astronomy

PROMETHEUS: child of Iapetus and Asia, god of foresight, creator of man and giver of fire to humans

EPIMETHEUS: child of Iapetus and Asia, god of hindsight

MNEMOSYNE: goddess of memory

COEUS/POLUS: god of the celestial axis

PHOEBE: a moon goddess

LETO/LATONA: child of Coeus and Phoebe, goddess of motherhood

ASTERIA: child of Coeus and Phoebe, goddess of falling stars

HECATE/TRIVIA: child of Asteria and Perses, goddess of magic, ghosts, and necromancy

ZEUS/JUPITER: god of sky, weather, and kingship

then the "modern" Pantheon,

ATHENA/MINERVA: sprung from Zeus' head, goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts

APOLLO: child of Leto and Zeus, god of the sun, healing, prophecy, music, and poetry

ASCLEPIUS/AESCULAPIUS: son of Apollo and a nymph, god of medicine

ARTEMIS/DIANA: child of Leto and Zeus, goddess of the moon, hunting, and the wild

HERMES/MERCURY: child of Maia and Zeus, messenger of the gods and patron of thieves and travellers

PAN/FAUNUS: child of Hermes, god of nature and shepherding

DIONYSUS/BACCHUS: child of a mortal and Zeus, god of wine, festivity, and madness

DIKE: child of Zeus and Themis, goddess of justice

EUNOMIA: child of Zeus and Themis, goddess of good laws

EIRENE: child of Zeus and Themis, goddess of peace

HERA/JUNO: goddess of women and marriage

ARES/MARS: child of Hera and Zeus, god of war and courage

EILEITHYIA: child of Hera and Zeus, goddess of childbirth and midwifery

HEPHAESTUS/VULCAN: child of Hera and Zeus, god of blacksmithing and fire

HEBE/JUVENTIA: child of Hera and Zeus, goddess of youth, cupbearer of the gods

DEMETER/CERES: goddess of agriculture

PERSEPHONE/PROSPERINA: child of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of springtime and queen of the Underworld

POSEIDON/NEPTUNE: god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses

TRITON: child of Amphitrite and Poseidon, messenger of the sea

HADES/PLUTO: king of the Underworld and god of the dead and wealth

HESTIA/VESTA: goddess of the hearth and home

APHRODITE/VENUS: sprung from the sea foam created by Ouranos' body being thrown into the sea, goddess of love, beauty and pleasure

HERMAPHRODITES: child of Aphrodite and Hermes, god of androgyny

EROS/AMOR/CUPID: child of Ares and Aphrodite, god of love

NIKE: child of Styx and Pallas, goddess of victory

ZELUS: child of Styx and Pallas, god of zeal

KRATOS: child of Styx and Pallas, god of strength

BIA: child of Styx and Pallas, goddess of force

[boymanmaletheshequel]

A god to consider: Nike 🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅

The winged goddess of victory, in both war, and peaceful competition, Nike is the conquerous daughter of Pallas and Styx, known for her fierce competitive spirit, and penchant for victory. When Zeus was accumulating Allies at the beginning of the titan war, Styx, goddess of the river of death, brought her three children to him to join the battle, Nike (victory), Kratos (strength), Zelos (Rivalry), and Bia (force). Nike was appointed his charioteer, and together, the four became the sentinels of Zeus’s throne. She would later go on to fight and defeat alongside Zeus the monster typhoeus as it launched a siege upon Olympus, even using her shield to save Zeus’s life from its attack at the peak of the battle as it knocked all the other Olympians away like flies! Truly a brave and selfless goddess, the epitome of victory.

Sources:

- Theoi.com

- Wikipedia.org

- Hesiod

Relevant Greek Stories:

• Nike and the war of the titans (Hesiod)

• Nike, Zeus, and the giant typhoeus (Dyonisiaca)

So? Did you learn anything about Nike, and if so, would you consider this god? If you enjoy my posts, and wish to learn more about the gods of Hellen, consider giving me a follow! Blessed be your day 🏛️💙

🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅🪽🏅

[masteryoftheseas]

continued from @tragillary

  While the rumblings of war enticed his wife and even himself as it was his domain and purpose, he had to find some levelheadedness about the situation. It wasn’t his strong suit; he didn’t inherit his father’s coolness but everything else that made the ram who he was. Perses was his voice of reason, even Astraeus despite being polar opposites. He could see the future shining in Styx’s dark eyes; she would feed off the hate. The stronger the better. The complicated the better. 

  “Perses and Astraeus, you mean?” Pallas snapped at her, making her remember both of her brothers. Perses represented destruction: the necessary evil of it. They worked side by side at times and he would hate if his brother would turn into his enemy. Their common enemy was their father, not each other. Not when they spent years protecting them and their mother from the ram. “You’re my wife. I came to you first with this news. And soon, I will locate my brothers. And my mother.” He stated.  

  “Your father didn’t exactly help with the last coup. And I reckon that same mentality will apply to this war. Maybe he will surprise us but I’m not betting on it.” Pallas offered his wife a logical conclusion. The rest of the titans; the great pillars of the Earth, they would side with Cronus. How could they disrespect their king and brother? The one who gave them their power and influence? “But he’s your father and along with your mother, you have a better chance of getting something out of them than I do. Focus on your parents and I will focus on my mother and brothers.”

  In all the possibilities, he regrettably forgot their own children. They were young still but not young enough to escape the reality of war. “And our children. Do you think they will surprise us?” He questioned Styx with a curious brow. 

[superscrub323]

If the birth of the War Gods we know were to be tied to certain events.

Alright I should probably come upfront and say that even within any classic mythological world or headcanon I come up with these stories these will be treated as myths within myths (if that makes any sense). Basically there's no way I'll verify if they're true in-universe and the only ones who possibly can know or verify if they're true in-universe swore upon the river Styx to never confirm if they are. Besides, a little mystery is fun~...

But having said that, it is interesting that the Gods of War could possibly be tied to the birth of so many divine conflicts. Which is why I'm going to introduce my head canon on which Titan and/or God of War was born during which event.

Pallas the Titan, The Prime Mover of Violence and Titan of War, The Titan Rebellion: Pallas the Titan (not to be confused with Pallas the Giant or Pallas, Daughter of Triton) would be born right as Kronos castrated his father Oranous. From that very day he would be the Prime Mover of Violence among the Titans and Kronos's Victory would also mark the birth of Pallas's and Styx's children Nike, Bia, Kratos (not that one), and Zelus. Unfortunately for Kronos, if one rebellion of the spawn can succeed why can't another? And even more unfortunately...he didn't chew his food after the first one...

Athena, Goddess of Divine Warfare and Wisdom, The Titanomachy: After Zeus ate Metis to prevent his next children from rising against him, he would lead his siblings and sympathetic Titans to he cause and defeat his father Kronos with the Wisdom he gained from eating Metis and unborn Athena. Her birth, inside of Zeus's head, would forever mark the birth of conflict among Gods and the Wisdom of Warfare. Fortunately for humans, they would be spared this fate, unfortunately for them, Zeus really wanted the meat of sacrifices, really unfortunately for them, Zeus caught Prometheus dealing fire and wanted to punish mortal kind and are Hera and Nyx with children?

Ares and Eris, God of Mortal Warfare and Goddess of Strife, The Opening of Pandora's Jar: The whisper among mortalkind is that when Pandora first opened the jar there was the scream like 1000 men dying in pain and chaos but it was actually Ares and Eris taking their first breaths for the first time. Eris would forever be known as a representation of the horrors and evils of Pandora's Jar and be the Winged Goddess of Strife Incarnate, while Ares would be the God who's cries and presence would cause men to fight, to kill, and to die to each other for good or for ill. Ironically enough Ares would go on to befriend Eris and have her limit her influence so wars didn't turn into genocide and both would also still have the unintentional gift of hope inside of them.

Phobos and Deimos, Fear and Terror Incarnate, The Aftermath of the Flood of Deucalion: When Zeus was disappointed in something he asked to have happen on people who had nothing to do with it, he flooded the world leaving humanity to start over, incidentally the God of War would eventually grow up and meet the Goddess of Passion and they would have two children born right as humanity first step foot on the flooded land, Phobos and Deimos, when humanity first walked upon the earth and realized how small and weak they were in the face of true divine wrath, they felt fear and dread for the first time, and that would be when Fear and Terror would breath their first breaths.

Enyo, Goddess of Destruction, The Creation of Typhon: When Gaia created Typhon to first wage war on the Olympians for...several reasons, up to and including the Titans imprisonment, Hera would give birth to another Goddess to give voice to the destruction of the Olympians...Enyo. Born during the Typhon War, when she would grow up she would revel in the bloodshed and hold impartiality between the sides just to see the war go on longer and when Zeus wanted to punish her, Ares stepped in and defended her and made her work with him so that they may revel in the destruction of war and bloodshed.

Enyalius, God of International Warfare, The Dionysis War: When war started to reach beyond the borders of the Olympian's Domain and into other countries like India where Dionysus waged his war, Enyo would give birth to a child of Ares born from Enyo's amorous fever during the deaths of 49 men. His birth would forever mark the day War became something bigger beyond the borders of men and women who paid tribute to the Olympians but also his domain paradoxically he wouldn't be seen much.

Alright I know Aphrodite Areia is missing but considering we know how she was born and what she represents I'd figure it would go without saying.

[tylermileslockett]

"Athena's Aegis" (#9 in my "Quest for the Gorgon Head" series)

Did you know Athena wore medusas head on top of her torso armor?

PART 10: With justice served and his mother saved, Perseus returned his Adamantine blade to Hermes, and the helmet of invisibility and winged sandals to the nymphs, and of Medusa’s head he offered it to grey-eyed Athena who placed the head upon her “Aegis” (armored breastplate) as a sacred weapon. Later in life, Perseus returns to his original homeland, fulfilling the original prophecy by accidently killing his grandfather with an accidental discus throw. Perseus and andromeda go on to found the great kingdom of Mycenae.

The original Aegis armor was described as a goat hide with golden tassels wrapped over a shield used by Zeus in the war against the Titans. In an alternative account, in the Olympians war against the titans, Athena strips a giant monster, Pallas, of his skin and wears the skin as armor. In ancient Greek vase paintings we can see a metal corselet worn by Athena upon her torso, with Medusas head positioned abreast. In Homer’s Iliad, Apollo borrows the Aegis, and joining in the war, provokes terror upon the battlefield with it, as it was said to produce “…a sound as from myriad roaring dragons.” (Iliad, 4.17)

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in June to kickstarter.  to get unseen free hi-hes art subscribe to my email newsletter

Follow my backerkit kickstarter notification page.

Thank you for supporting independent artists! 🤘❤️🏛😁