#uncle diomedes

[tootoonz]

Ya’ll asked for some more Uncle Diomedes and ya’ll shall receive >:))

[restlesskeychains]

Uncle Diomedes AU’s are so great

[smokey07]

Talked about Agamemnon and older sibling’s role the other day, so I just finish the whole spiel with younger siblings too, namely Menelaus and Paris.

Both of them are Helen’s husbands, sons of mighty kings and brothers of powerful men. A lot of things, which were not their birthright, were granted to them,e.g the throne of Sparta for Menelaus (by marrying Helen), and Helen herself for Paris. They’re both somewhat pathetic in people’s eyes, especially when compared to their brothers.

But the difference is, Menelaus is willing to step out of the shadow, while Paris comfortably stays in it.

Menelaus in Iliad was active in combat. He agreed to settle scores one on one with Paris. He protected and retrieved the corpse of Patroclus, and volunteered for the night raid, and he had his own voice so to say. He used what was granted and built up an identity for himself. Among the kings and warriors, he was still average at best, but his enthusiasm was very noticeable.

Paris, not so much. When battling with Menelaus, his body armor was borrowed from one of his brothers. Even after being rescued from being killed, he stayed put in the room with Helen, letting his own brothers fight for his behalf as the oath was broken, until Hector dragged him out again.

Younger siblings are raised within the shadow of their older family members, but it’s also their choice to either step out of it or stay. It’s also ironic that Hector actively tried to force Paris to stand up and fight for himself, while Agamemnon tried his best to not let Menelaus loose and run around trying to unalive himself in the process.

[gotstabbedbyapen]

I just realized Apollo and Hyacinthus are also second cousins wtf...

Basically:

Gaia → Phoebe → Leto → Apollo

Gaia → Mnemosyne → Clio → Hyacinthus

[ilions-end]

god the way everyone in mythology turn out to be more related than i thought. NIOBE WAS PELOPS' SISTER??

which means achilles to priam is like "so i have this boss, right? and his great aunt, alllll her kids were killed by the gods, and she still fed herself. i've killed WAY fewer of your kids than that, and you think you're doing WORSE than agamemnon's great aunt? come on"

[le-chevalier-au-lion]

yes the house of atreus is fucked (like, cesspit of curses with multiple instances of rape against family members, incest, kin-slaying, cannibalism and knowing your siblings' and/or cousins' spouses carnally and multiple cousin marriages) and agamenon and menelaus carry like, bucketloads of bagage. but

what the fuck is going on with diomedes' family

[laritamiauu]

HEAR ME OUT-

POST 600 STRIKE THOUGHTS

kay just thought about something real quick

so after Odysseus stabs the shit out of Poseidon, he leaves him there laying in his own blood and goes home, but our guy HERMES was watching, understandably very scared just waits till he leaves to help his uncle.

he called Apollo for help since (correct me if im wrong) i headcanon that he is one of the few who can heal gods (i hc that he healed Ares when he got injured by Diomedes in troy) so Apollo came and was like WHAT THE HELL HAPPEND and Hermes was like 😰 and Poseidon was like 🧀

and that's it, i haven't thought anything else past that lol, maybe ill do a lil comic for this idea

my interpretation of Hermes is that he gets along with all the gods, since his job kinda depends on it, and he is also a great guy so it would be very nice of him to help his uncle Poseidon. He truly has no enemies

[dootznbootz]

To add to that... Telemachus as Hiccup and seeing this romantic and loving side of his parents for the first time like Hiccup does

And Athena as Gobber >:) because that's funny and she's OdyPen's #1 shipper.

hey. hey. odypen but it's "for the dancing and the dreaming". hey.

[hunterofartemis7]

AU where Athena adopts both Odysseus and Diomedes.

Athena: *flies back to Olympus after snatching up Diomedes after his father died (or whatever happened to him. Something with cannibalism)*

Diomedes: *6 years old clinging to Athena for dear life*

Athena; *lands in her room* Odysseus! I’m back!

Odysseus: *6-7 years old popping out from under the bed* mama! *runs over and hugs her leg*

Athena: *sets Diomedes and ruffles Odys hair* Odysseus this is Diomedes, he’s going to be your new brother

Diomedes: *hiding behind Athena, small wave*

Odysseus: hi! Wanna see where my uncle hides all the good snacks?

Diomedes:….*nods*

Odysseus: *grabs his hand and drags him to Hermes place*

Athena:….well that went better than expected

[deadbaguette]

Some Athena thoughts and headcanons for the ‘Diomedes goes to Ithaca AU’

Headcanon that Athena moves around completely quietly (like how owls hunt). So, Telemachus meeting Athena for the first time he gets the shit scared out of him. Diomedes by now knows the tells of Athena being here (and he has the magic eyes) so he’s the one basically warning Telemachus if Athena is in proximity

Telemachus: are you even listening???

Diomedes staring intently at the dodgy looking owl (Athena) in the tree: …yeah

Athena is very much still cool aunt. But I wanna characterise her as a little more mischievous (which could be interpreted as cunning ig) than she probably is in the original mythos. She keeps a close eye on both Telemachus and Diomedes. Most specifically Telemachus! While she cannot reveal to him that Odysseus is alive directly (she cannot incur the wrath of her uncle just yet), she does help him in starting his little Telemachy. It helps boosts his confidence and helps reassure him that maybe his father is alive. HOWEVER, the sudden disappearance of Telemachus causes the stress meters of Diomedes and Penelope to exponentially rise. And Athena finds this a little funny, so she still withholds the information from them.

Telemachus: Athena… sometimes I wonder if father is dead :(

Athena in disguise clenching her fists to try not reveal anything: … he’s too stubborn to die, have a little more faith in him

Athena:

Athena: Hey, I have a great idea if you’re worried about your dad

-

Penelope stressed out of her mind: WHERE IS HE???

Diomedes equally stressed: I DON’T FUCKING KNOW?.?.????

Athena: *eating popcorn knowing she’ll make sure Telemachus is safe*

Athena is keeping this family very blessed. She is the patron goddess of both Odysseus and Diomedes, and I like to imagine maybe in a more subtle way to Penelope too (I mean… she’s smart, beautiful, AND she can weave???). She’s much closer to Telemachus in this AU than in the original Odyssey, but not like in the way of EPIC?? She keeps her distance from him nonetheless bcs she’s a god and whatnot, but him being close with Diomedes, I imagine Athena has more of an excuse to be around Telemachus growing up.

Telemachus: so.. you knew my father and Diomedes growing up?

Athena trying to act nonchalant, but she’s so proud of them both: you could say that

[protagaster]

I feel bad that Ruthlessness is taking so long to come about. College Finals and Group Projects do that to ya T_T

So, in the first of what I hope to be more mini-interludes posted between the main song-fics, here's a cute little interlude I made with nothing more than my coffee and pure vibes!

Made with inspiration from my partner in crime - @somereaderinblue

I Need Her to be Mine (EPIC! Swap AU)

Odysseus swoons over the Spartan princess that is unable to leave his mind…

~

Athena tried to be supportive, she really did, but right now all she wanted was to end herself. Nevermind the Gods can’t be killed, she’s the Goddess of Wisdom. She can find a way. 

The reason behind this sudden desire to walk her uncle’s realm: the honey-filled ramblings of her love-struck student. 

“She’s amazing, Athena! Unlike any girl I’ve ever seen!” 

Odysseus paced to and fro in lines across his guest-room, his sparkling eyes and dopey grin never once leaving his facial features. 

“Her bright smile, her intelligent eyes, the way her tongue pokes out when she’s deep in thought and how her nose scrunches up wherever a plan of hers works out…” 

Athena watched as Odysseus wrapped his arms around himself in a single person hug, flopping down on his bed with a light thud.

“The sound of her voice, the witty edge to her words, how her eyes light up and her hair bounces with every skip of her step…”

Odysseus suddenly threw himself up, now sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“Did you see the way she handled her spear!?” Odysseus sighed, recalling their interaction mere hours ago. “Patient, graceful, careful and considerate of the strategy she’d use against her opponent…” 

Athena raised an eyebrow, recalling the scene she watched from her owl form’s eyes.

Penelope, a name the Goddess now knew due to the sheer amount of times Odyseeus would utter it under his every breath, had challenged her pupil to a friendly duel. Whatever for, Athena had no clue. Perhaps the reason occurred when she was momentarily away from Odysseus’ side, taking notice of a peculiar boy by the name of Diomedes… 

Well, regardless of the reason, Odysseus had accepted Penelope’s challenge. 

Athena arrived in the middle of the duel, which took place in one of Sparta’s many individual training grounds, consisting only of the mortals and their Gods. 

That’s right. THIER Gods. 

Athena did not have to see him to know Ares was near, for a fellow war God’s aura is hard to hide. She could just feel her brother’s presence surrounding her, staining the Spartan palace in very specific zones. It did not to long for Athena to realize Ares’ aura was strongest wherever Penelope would roam. 

Sure enough, after a quick gaze through the girl using her divine sight, Athena saw Penelope was claimed with Ares’ touch. 

Though they were both Gods of War, Ares and Athena had a very different claim of ownership when it came to their students. 

As hers, Odysseus would appear to be surrounded by an elegant cluster of soft to the touch blue and white owl fathers; under his feet with every step, a layer of blue sand that twinkled like the stars in the inky night sky. The sand and feathers showcased the enrichment of the young warrior’s ever growing mind, encouraging him to take in the wisdom that would make him an effective warrior of the mind. 

Penelope, however, appeared very different when gazed at through divine eyes. As she belonged to Ares, the girl’s figure was closely guarded by sharp red and black vulutre feathers; under her feet was a layer of red sand, scorching and dusty akin to the fields of battle that took place many years ago in the exact ground where she now stood. The sand and feathers surrounding her illustrated the girl’s courage-filled drive, fueled by pure emotional passion and determination that made her an exemplary warrior of the heart. 

Just as Ares and Athena embodied the opposite sides of war, Penelope and Odysseus demonstrated the type of soldier one could be when entering the dance floor of battle.

It was fitting, Athena supposed. Odysseus was an emotionally-driven young boy who, despite his naturally genius intellect to those around him, needed someone like Athena to help him hone in on his mindfulness and cunning. 

Penelope, meanwhile, was a naturally patient and bright young girl who was always pondering, more conscious of her decisions than she needed to be. Much as Athena loathed to admit it, the girl needed someone like Ares to help her center on her emotions and be more assertive for her own sake. 

Still, Athena couldn’t help but think of it it as a pity. 

Penelope had an innate wisdom and natural sense of patience to her. Had she been taken under Athena’s wing, the Goddess could have molded her to be a truly competent warrior of the mind. 

Unfortunately, Ares had managed to dig his claws into the girl before Athena could have taken her. And so, instead of fully utilizing her cunning, Penelope tried to rely on a quick strikes and bouts of adrenaline to defeat Odysseus in their friendly match. 

However, just like every other instance where Ares tried to defeat Athena, his student was quickly made to yield by hers. Athena thought it to have concluded there, that her and Odysseus’ bout with Ares and Penelope to have been fulfilled in its entirety. 

But, Odysseus proved her otherwise when he continued to gush about Penelope even though it had been hours after their competition-

Oh, he was still gushing about her. 

“-I need her to be mine!” Odysseus yelled out to the world from his window. 

Athena only rolled her eyes at his declaration.

Still, even if she hasn’t a hand for all things romance-related, Athena couldn’t help but find herself wanting to support her pupil in his heartfelt endevor. He had suffered immensely through others telling him he wasn’t even in the young Spartan Princess’ league, ranging from his fellow suitors (a formality, as he had no desire to even entertain a marriage to Helen) to even Penelope’s own father. 

And, despite crying his love out to night sky outside, Athena knew Odysseus was still aching through the anxiety and insecurity of believing himself to be not good enough for Penelope.

…

Athena let out an internal sigh, a migraine already beginning to form. 

If she wanted to help Odysseus in his matters of the heart, if she wanted a more clear understanding of how Penelope felt about him in turn, she needed the help of her insufferable brother…

Athena needed to find a way to privately meet up with Ares…

[tootoonz]

Just had this thought of what would happen if Diomedes visits Ithaca after the war and meet Lil Telemachus :3

[cescalovestowrite]

These days I find myself thinking a lot about Odysseus' relationship with the divine (I listened a lot to "Warrior of the mind" and "My Goodbye" so that explains it)

I remembered a beautiful book, "La mente colorata" (The colorful mind) by Pietro Citati. The author explains that in the generations before the Trojan War, gods and men lived side by side. They fought, challenged each other, mated...

With the heroes of the Trojan War, however, we see a change. Only a few, only the most special, have direct relationships with divinity. Of course, some are deceived by dreams (Agamemnon), others are betrayed at the last moment in battle (Hector), and in general everyone is subjected to the will of the Olympians, who sometimes instill strength (Diomedes) and other times can lead to madness (Ajax). But some, only the most special, can address them directly and receive an answer. Only a few have the privilege of seeing the gods, of recognizing them when they are in front of them, without being deceived by their disguises. Among these I'd say the most relevant are the two demigods (Helen and Achilles of course) and two mortals (Odysseus and Diomedes).

Odysseus in particular has one of the most extraordinary relationships with Athena. He sees her and speaks to her, she advises and reassures him throughout the war. This is why I find it incredibly heartbreaking that in the ten years that separate him from Ithaca, Odysseus complains that he can no longer hear her. He speaks to her but she no longer responds and Odysseus does not understand why, he cannot believe it. When he finally sees her again, now that he has arrived in Ithaca, he is incredulous, he cannot help but ask her why she abandoned him for so long. She answers in an almost awkward way in our eyes: she explains that it was to not disrespect her uncle Poseidon, but assures him that she has always watched over him and his family. Then Odysseus asks why she did not warn his loved ones that he was alive and intending to return. Here too, Athena's answer is evasive.

Honestly, I think everyone can read what they want into this episode, but I personally recognize the coldness and distance of the gods. Being their favorite does not ensure any salvation, because the gods are easily distracted, they lose interest. The fight for the survival of mortals can never be more than a source of entertainment for them, even when they love the players. The Greek gods can be sweet and terrible at the same time.

[wolfythewitch]

Obsessed with BkXXI:383-525 of the iliad actually. This is after Achilles fights a river (and LOSES) before getting rescued by some gods. Then up on Olympus we have a brief little intermission. The girls are fighting

Ares challenges Athena, calling her a gadfly and saying she'll pay for enabling Diomedes stabbing him a few books back. He goes and stabs her shield, and she steps back and knocks him out with a stone. Then she laughs and gloats over his vaguely unconscious body, laughing over how his mom isn't even on his side. Youch. If I were ares I'd just die tbh

THEN. WHILE SHE ISN'T LOOKING. Aphrodite helps ares up and they try to sneak off, but Hera snitches on them both and sics Athena on them. That's so sad actually. Imagine your own mom sending her stepdaughter to body you and your girlfriend. Athena strikes Aphrodite and both her and ares fall to a heap on the ground. Athena continues gloating.

Poseidon sees this and feels left out somehow. My guy turns to his nephew and tries to goad him into fighting, even offering Apollo the first punch because he's older and more experienced. How shameful would it be to go back home without fighting with your nephew. Truly a disgrace. He's me fr. the girls are fighting and so must i. Apollo, smartly, declines this, saying that he'd be insane to fight his uncle over some mortals' quarrel.

And then Artemis calls him a pussy. Calls him spineless. Bitch why are you carrying a bow if you won't even fight. Reveals that he's boasted about beating Poseidon before. This is so sad, this is worse than my family reunions. Apollo doesn't respond but HERA on the other hand.

SHE TAKES ARTEMIS' BOW AND QUIVER AND BEATS HER UP WITH IT?? JUST ABSOLUTELY WHALES ON HER UNTIL SHE STARTS SOBBING AND RUNS AWAY? She leaves her weapons behind, and Hermes sees this. He tells Artemis' mother Leto that he has no quarrel with her, not wanting to get in trouble with Zeus. He offers to let her say that she bested him in combat and she takes her daughter's weapons and leaves to go after Artemis.

Then Artemis goes running to daddy and cries at his lap. Zeus hugs her (and I will say this time and time again. That man is a girl dad it is so funny. He will spit in ares' face and then laugh at Athena's jokes) and asks what's wrong. Artemis says Hera is to blame

Obsessed with "Why, it's as if they had caught you out in public doing something wrong..."

It's giving "is there something you forgot to tell me?"

All the rest of the gods then sulk back home to Olympus, all but Apollo, who flies back to troy to make sure Achilles isn't causing Too Much damage which is hilarious because that man was on the verge of tears getting his ass beat by a river a few lines back

[kindred-spirit-93]

au-niverse expansion

hello had a thought this morning (i need to stop having them lol) abt a potential new angle of the oikoi au where hermione is sent to live with penelope when helen is abducted!

she knows her 'auntie' penelope and refuses to let anyone else be her primary caretaker. her father tries to reason with her to stay at home where she grew up, where its familiar, and where everyone knows her and will seek to protect her, but she refuses.

he cant stand seeing the tears that well in her eyes, just like helens. he arranges a convoy to send her and a very apologetic letter to the king and queen of ithaca, who have their own newborn to worry about.

shenanigans ensue. idk i really want to explore the 10 years of troy from penelopes perspective esp ruling a kingdom while raising her son (and now niece) and keeping herself together. and also another 10 years that is much darker and heavier and tackles her trauma bc she too became a monster rawr rawr rawr at some point, just differently.

--

and then hermione is sent on her merry way home when menelaus and helen send for her after writing a letter confirming their victory and shipwreck i think it was (diomedes had kindly written to her telling her the war was over and the ships had set sail homewards but she hadnt heard from anyone and the horizons were empty).

anyway now with newfound hope odysseus is merely having sat nav issues lol. she loads hermiones ship with gifts to welcome helen home including plenty of fabric and pieces of her own design

(something i reeeally want to add lol is that telemachus goes with her after winning a bet with penelope to let him go, and well he is his fathers son so he trots off and has a grand week with his aunt and uncle. menelaus tells him of his fathers cunning blah blah tele is even more pumped to meet his dad omg poor bby).

and then when he returns he suddenly finds several guests?? penelope is shook and trying to handle the situation with grace. tele is half hiding behind her and holding onto her robes, a hand is on his head and the other over he heart.

the 'guests' only increase in number and nothing is quite the same. at least his aunt ctimene and cousin eupehmia are still here. only a few years down the line they too are forced away and it really is tele and pen against 108 horrid men whos audacity only grows with their appetites.

AND THEN when tele goes to search for his dad the gut punch is the parallel of menelaus being like son ur father is the most badass lil shit ive ever known to son idk how to tell you but but hes not coming home. idk lots of crying here

the point is its all told through penelopes perspective and several external povs bc those are fun and give u, well, new perspectives XD

currently toturing all my blorbos. let them weep (harder)

@notsolonedesert hi >:3

[ilions-end]

i finished statius' ACHILLEID. thoughts thoughts thoughts:

i knew going in it was a VERY short unfinished epic, but i didn't know it would be FUN?? if i ever get that time machine, FIRST THING i go back and find one publius papinius statius, i lock him in a room, and i'm NOT letting him out until he's finished the achilleid!

achilles is statius' BLORBO in a way neither homer, quintus nor virgil have blorbos. statius likes achilles to be strong and pretty and graceful, but most of all ENDEARING even when he fails. and he fails a lot, because this is him still figuring out how to be an adult, not to mention a prophesied legend literally everyone is waiting for to step up

the one thing that gets tiring is just how many prophecies permeate the achilleid. nothing's left to chance, there are so few unknowns. even ODYSSEUS was aware that from peleus' wedding there would come a child destined to be a central warrior in an upcoming gigantic war.

as it stands, the achilleid is more of a... thetisiad? she is very centered in the narrative (we spend more time looking at things from her point of view than achilles') and there is SO MUCH SYMPATHY for her, oh my gosh!! she loves ONE person, her son, the only worthwhile thing she got out of a traumatizing marriage, and she despairs that he's fated to die young in a silly human war.

also i'm a deidamia defender forever now. so three-dimensional, so clever!

aughhh i love how much characterization statius puts in, even in the small scenes! my favourite example is odysseus and diomedes as they walk up to lycomedes' place (literally just moving characters from A to B). diomedes teases odysseus, and odysseus is delighted to be teased. that night we're told odysseus CAN'T SLEEP because he's too excited about showing off his plan the next morning!

the unveiling of achilles is completely different from the chagrined defeat/"achilles is a fucking idiot" ways i've heard it retold! i love that it's collaborative, it's a mutual triumph. it's just as much achilles (who's been suffering in gender dysphoria hell for a year) longing to be exposed as it is odysseus LIVING for showing everyone (especially diomedes?) how clever he is. it's not just the shield and the spear and the bugle, it's odysseus playing the part of the siren, whispering in achilles' ear that he knows who he is and describing how glorious he will be on the trojan battlefield. it's achilles' grateful relief at being ALLOWED not to pretend anymore as he rips off his own dress even before the bugle calls

also it's very important to me that the moment he's no longer hunching over trying to make himself look small and inoffensive, we're told achilles is taller than both odysseus and diomedes

i KEEP IMAGINING how good statius would have made the rest!! especially because as book ii ends, achilles regards odysseus as a cool uncle; he's the guy who rescued him! i want to think statius would have put in the big mystery quarrel achilles and odysseus are said to have had early in the war, something to drastically change that affection. i want to know how statius would have handled troilus, and the gods. augh statius you roman BLUEBALLER

an assortment of story beats still revolving in my head:

chiron is such a sweetheart!! he's SO gallant with thetis, he's so affectionate with achilles. he HIDES HIS TEARS when achilles leaves, awww

statius writes out phoinix completely. as a phoinix stan i object. sure chiron can raise young achilles, but i NEED phoinix to tend to him as a baby

i enjoy how achilles EXPLODES into a mess of teenagerly hormones when he first sees deidaima. it's so funny that thetis is looking on (and we get my favourite simile of the achilleid, of a herdsman delighting in a young bull snorting and foaming at a beautiful heifer) like "aaaaand there's my son's sexual awakening. i see! well, we can use that" and THAT explains why achilles is so willing to commit to the female disguise

(listen. listen. few things mean more to me than the love between achilles and patroclus. but achilles is a teenage boy at the age when a fucking breeze will give him a boner, and deidamia is the most beautiful and the cleverest of her sisters. i really enjoy a story where achilles and deidamia are neither "fated eternal true love" or one's a sneaky opportunist. it's much more compelling that they're both knots of budding emotions and bodily feedback)

i notice that statius never uses the name pyrrha, he doesn't seem to have a fake name at all, just "achilles' sister"

lycomedes is SO honoured and proud that thetis is entrusting her daughter to him. i feel sorry for lycomedes, he seems so earnest and hasn't done anything to get tricked

the one thing i can't forgive statius for is that after spending SO much time establishing that achilles and deidamia (who knows he's a guy) are genuinely into each other, it feels like statius goes OUT OF HIS WAY assuring us that their first sexual encounter is rape. sure they talk right after, deidamia forgives him, AND i understand there are social rules that makes deidamia more "honourable" and "worthy" when she resists, but like. sigh.

aLONG with the previously mentioned interplay between odysseus and diomedes as they walk up to lycomedes' court, there's a simile where they're both starving wolves on the hunt. so sexy it's almost illegal

the feast scene is SO FUNNY omg. all of achilles' careful feminine training dissolving because odysseus and diomedes are there with their boundless masculinity for him to feed off of. deidamia practically WRESTLING achilles back down on the couch every time he forgets himself and behaves too much like a man. odysseus chatting with lycomedes SPECIFICALLY trying to rile up achilles, and then after the women have left (achilles dragging his feet and looking back, YEARNING for their male company) odysseus specifically praises the maiden's "almost masculine" beauty (because ohh he suspects. he just needs to prove it in the morning. he can't SLEEP for it)

when they depart, achilles earnestly swears to deidamia that no other women shall ever bear his children. i find it interesting as a reminder of the social rules of its era. neither of them expect achilles to be sexually exclusive, just not fathering potential heirs. which again makes me wonder about the contraceptives in ancient greece

on the ship towards aulis, diomedes begs achilles to tell them all about his feats and training with chiron, and achilles is so shy about it! who can blame him! diomedes has a WAY more impressive track record

odysseus is SO good at firing up achilles' outrage at paris even as he's just catching him up on what the war's about. and he's so pleased at how easily achilles' outrage can be directed! you KNOW that would have developed in such an interesting way AUGH THE REST WOULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD.