#this is going in circles but yeah. Pen is so fucking cool y'all.

[dootznbootz]

This is so important to me, like sincerely. And I know that's gonna sound wild coming from me especially with how I write MY Pen.

Because Penelope shouldn't have to be seen as a violent "Fighter girl" in order for her story to be important to people. Women should not have to be a warrior in order to be respected.

Because like, while yes, she has her violent thoughts and prayers towards the suitors from the Odyssey and such, that doesn't mean she actually will do that as it goes against the laws of Xenia AND even if she could manage to take down 108 men singlehandedly, she'd still have to deal with their families being like "um, where's our son??"

Also, the Odyssey takes place in the Mycenaean Era and women definitely did not learn to fight then. And folks definitely shouldn't be viewing like, "Spartan women" as more "badass" and/or more important than women from other regions and/or do not wish to fight.

In all honesty, like, it's so impressive that she was able to hold the suitors off for three years with her weaving shroud, and who knows if she could have pulled it off longer if Melantho hadn't spilled the beans.

Sorry to prattle on in your post OP <3 It's just that you're right and this is important to me. I'm noticing this pattern of "She's from Sparta! Therefore that means that she is a warrior!" when that's.... not necessarily the case. And even though I do have my Penelope be a lil buff gal, that's not based on that she's Spartan, that's based on some small parts of the text and mostly my own self-indulgent joyous whimsy :3

Can we get something straight here about Penelope and this whole “Spartan” thing?

Sure, we all know Penelope was from Sparta (well, technically), and we’ve all seen enough 300-inspired pop culture nonsense to think that every Spartan woman must be some spear-wielding, leather-clad, muscle-bound badass. So let’s clear that up once and for all: Penelope was absolutely not that type of Spartan. In fact, that vision of Spartan women is more of a modern fantasy than an actual reflection of Spartan society, and Penelope herself would probably laugh in your face if you tried to pin her down to that archetype.

First off, let’s talk about what it actually meant to be Spartan. Yes, Spartan women had a reputation for being strong, but we need to understand that strength wasn’t defined by throwing a spear or taking down enemies with a shield. Spartan women were celebrated for their physical health and were tasked with producing strong offspring to build the next generation of warriors. They were also responsible for the running of the household when their husbands were off fighting in wars, which meant managing estates, controlling property, and overseeing the everyday operations of Spartan life. So, while Spartan women were not helpless, they weren’t exactly wandering around with weapons, challenging every person who crossed them, either. Penelope’s version of Spartan strength was a little more intellectual, shall we say. For twenty years, while Odysseus was “getting lost” (as one does), Penelope faced down a horde of suitors who were camped out in her house, constantly pressuring her to choose a new husband. Did she pull out a spear and kill them all? No. That’s not what spartan women did. Did she start a war? Absolutely not. Instead, she employed the ultimate weapon: patience. She weaved and un-wove a shroud for years as a stalling tactic, keeping the suitors at bay. Sure, there’s no sword involved, but let’s be real: that takes more cunning than any weapon ever could. Spartan women are not known for fighting, but for surviving.

Penelope’s Spartan roots may have given her the ability to endure, to manage her household, and to outsmart the suitors who had overrun Ithaca, but we’re missing the point if we think that means she was out there battling it out like a heroine from some action flick. Her version of strength was mental, not physical. Instead of wielding a spear, Penelope wielded her intellect, her wit, and her ability to play the long game. If you’re expecting Penelope to start slaying suitors left and right, or charging into battle with a sword in hand, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

Pop culture would love to turn Penelope into a spear-wielding warrior queen, but the actual historical context is far more subtle and far more impressive. She was Spartan in the most meaningful sense of the word: resilient, strategic, and damn clever. Penelope did not need muscles at all. She had the power of endurance — something a spear can’t give you.