Myth
This tale takes place at a point when the Greeks had long since stopped paying attention to the gods. The lives of heroes, such as Achilles, and not-so-much heroes like the Minotaur, had all come to an end by now. Some of them enjoyed their time in the Elysian Fields, and others in the depths of Tartarus. One fateful day, the gods upon Olympus grew bored, particularly Ares and Dionysus.
The two gods searched far and wide, looking for entertainment. Earth had no such spectacles for them, and neither did Olympus. At last, they decided to give the underworld a visit. Lord Hades had no time to deal with them, citing that he was busy with paperwork. He told the two to figure something out for themselves. Ares suggested that him and Dionysus could set up some colosseum style combat for themselves, and bet on who would win. Dionysus was never as big a fan of fighting as Ares, but he agreed to his proposal.
They decided that the most fair way to choose warriors was at random. Team Dionysus ended up including Theseues, Heracles, Cerberus, and Achilles. Team Ares was made up of Odysseus, Sisyphus, the Minotaur, and Icarus. Dionysus said to Ares, “This actually seems like a pretty fair split! We both have some heavy hitters”. Ares responded to him, “You may think so, but my team has the advantage. Odysseus and Sisyphus were both known to be quite the clever rascals when they were alive. The Minotaur, an incredibly deadly beast. Plus, I’ve got Icarus!” Dionysus looked at him, confused. “What exactly does Icarus bring to the table?” he asked. “He’s got heart”, said Ares.
The battle amongst the chosen warriors began shortly after, and it was not as the two gods expected. Many of the participants just weren’t in the mood to fight. They at least expected all of the Greek heroes to be riling to go, but Achilles seemed to be depressed, so he wasn’t very keen on fighting. However, Heracles seemed to be itching for some action. He immediately began provoking team Ares.
The one who was first swayed by Heracles was Odysseus. The two warriors traded blows for hours, and no one amongst the chosen few had the courage to intervene. After Heracles suplexed Odysseus into the ground for the 15th time, Lord Hades noticed a shift in the shape of the realm. Hell literally cracked open, letting its heat to seep into the mortal realm. The gods noticed what they had done, and quickly sought Zeus’ aid. After he noticed what had transpired, he chose to punish the gods for their irresponsibility. Zeus knew that they loved the mortals on Earth, and therefore declared that he would not undo the damage they caused. He further forbade everyone on Olympus from helping the mortals. Global warming would be a problem they would have to solve by themselves, and the gods responsible were forced to place their hope in them.
Analysis
The Minotaur is described as a “not-so-much hero” in my myth due to the fact that according to ancient myth, the Minotaur was a monster that was known to eat humans and terrorize villages(Diod. Sic., Library of History 4.59-85). The Minotaur is referenced in this manner in my myth in order to communicate the difference between it and someone along the likes of the hero Achilles. The Minotaur was held captive in a labyrinth before it was slain by Theseus, and Achilles spent his afterlife as a renowned hero in the fields of Elysium (Hom., Od. 4.562-564). Even though they are vastly different, they are of the same world and universe. This point is emphasized in my myth in order to showcase the wide variety of personalities that are mentioned in ancient Greek myth, and its expansive narrative and history. This quote is placed in the intro paragraph of my myth in order to set the stage for the various crossovers of iconic mythological personalities that were to come later in the text.
Elysium and Tartarus are both mentioned in the intro paragraph in order to one again showcase how characters in ancient myth are bound to each other as beings in the same world, despite being completely unlike. Heroes such as Theseus and Achilles won their prize of being able to spend eternity in Elysium, due to the honorable lives they led on Earth (Hom., Od. 4.562-564). Others such as Sisyphus and the Minotaur were deemed to reside in Tartarus, to be subjected to reform and torture for the sins they commited during their time alive (Hes., Theog. 116-117). Regardless of who they were in life, they wound up living under the same roof, being the realm of Lord Hades. This is a way to symbolize the connection between all personalities, creatures and gods in Greek mythology, and how that connection exists even between the most unlikely parties.
The reason I mentioned in the myth that Lord Hades was busy with paperwork, is because of
the fact that he is the god of the underworld, who holds power over the realm (Apollod., Bibl. 1.2.1-2). His role as the ruler of the underworld dictates that he is responsible for the containment and treatment of those who have been sent to the underworld. I used a reference to paperwork in order to imply that he is required to document the death of each being that enters his realm, in order to showcase his authoritative position. This facet of Hades is included in order to make his position as hell’s ruler seem more akin to a chore than something that Hades is prideful of. This is done in order to communicate how the responsibility for the underworld was not given to Hades by his choice, but rather the responsibility fell onto his shoulders against his will, and completely by a lack of good luck (Apollod., Bibl. 1.2.1-2).
Ares’ interest in Sisyphus’ cunning mind is due to the fact that he is known to have fooled both Hades and Thanatos in order to cheat death (Hom., Il. 6.154-155). He was sentenced to eternal torture in Tartarus, being forced to push a boulder up a hill that would eternally roll all the way back down each time (Apollod., Bibl. 1.9.2-3). He earned the reputation as one of the most cunning mortals to have ever lived (Hom., Il. 6.154-155). Similarly to Sisyphus, the adventures of Odysseus often recount him overcoming obstacles using his mind more than his strength (Hom., Od. 13.255-257). He was known as someone with a silver tongue; able to talk himself out of anything. In a specific instance, Odysseus inherited the arms of Achilles instead of Ajax, through his use of words alone. My illustration of Ares’ interest in both Sisyphus and Odysseus insinuates that he sees similarities between them. This can be seen explicitly by their shared high intellect, but implicitly through the fact that they have a similar demeanor. Even though Sisyphus was known as a horrible king who cheated death, him and hero Odysseus share the trait of being too smart for their own good. Even when Oysseus was able to trick the Cyclops, he could not stop himself from gloating as he escaped. He also saw no issue with stripping Ajax of his right to inherit the arms of Achilles, even leading him to commit suicide. I portray Ares to see similarities between the two of them in order to highlight how alike they truly are, even though they have been portrayed in extremely different lights.
Achilles is described to be in a downtrodden mood in my myth, in order to pay homage to the point in his life where he was overcome with grief (Hom., Il. 8.22-2). After he refused to fight for the Greeks, his dear friend, Patrocles, entered battle sporting his Achilles’ armour, in order to intimidate the Trojans and motivate the Greek soldiers. However, after hearing the news of Patrocles’ death, a cloud of sadness formed above Achilles’ head (Hom., Il. 8.22-2). He threw dust onto his face and wailed as he tore his hair off his own head. This instance points out Achilles’ personality as a loving friend, and someone who is extremely emotional and caring about others. His demeanor in my myth is meant to reflect a reality where he was never reunited with Patrocles after the Trojan war, and slumps back into his grief. This is the reason he is not keen on engaging in battle with anyone in my myth, as he has already let out all his rage and fury at the expense of Hector, the captain of the Trojan army (Hom., Il. 20.345-350). In an effort to avenge his dear friend Patrocles, Achilles defiles Hector’s corpse by tying him to his chariot, and dragging Hector’s lifeless body on the ground as he drives around the tomb of Patrocles.
Odysseus’ enduring character and Heracles’ extraordinary strength are both referenced in my myth during their exchange in the underworld. Odysseus’ endurance is rather comically showcased when it is not him who suffers damage after getting suplexed by Heracles, but the shape of the underworld. He has been portrayed in ancient mythology to be able to endure much suffering, especially during the 10 years that it took him to return to Penelope, his wife (Hom., Od. 7.1-2). He is dubbed, “the much-enduring goodly Odysseus” by Homer, who recognizes his determination and fortitude (Hom., Od. 7.1-2). Heracles’ otherworldly strength is showcased in my myth when he uses Odysseus’ body to break the underworld. His strength is showcased in ancient myth creatively during his 11th labour, when he trades places with Atlas, offering to hold up the sky (Apollod., Bibl. 2.5.157-158). The two of these heroes are placed in contact in order to showcase their capabilities in a unique way, as it would be unlikely that the two would be in conflict during their lives on Earth. Odysseus’ personality as someone who is prideful is used as a reason to explain why he is susceptible to Heracles’ taunting in my myth. His prideful nature is showcased alongside his tendency to taunt his foes, when he berates the Cyclopes whom he had fooled using his intellect.
Works cited
Apollodorus, The Library of Greek Mythology. Translation by Aldrich, Keith.
Lawrence, Kansas: Coronado Press, 1975.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History. Translation by Oldfather, C. H.
Loeb Classical Library Volumes 303, 377. Cambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press.
Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica. Translation by Evelyn-White, H. G.
Loeb Classical Library Vol 57. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Homer, The Iliad. Translation by Lattimore, R.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Homer, The Odyssey. Translation by Shewring, W.
Oxford University Press.
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