It starts with Prometheus creating humans. He created 2 women, and Aphrodite suggested that they should be in love because she never had a couple where they’re both the same gender. Zeus didn’t like this idea because he believed that for reproduction, it should be a man and a woman. Aphrodite and Zeus made a bet, they would make two people go on a journey together, experiencing hardship. And then they will see if romance will naturally develop. However, Prometheus had a trick up his sleeve. He asked Dionysus to drive one of them mad while they were on their journey, essentially rigging the situation from the start. The two women were created and lived their lives until Aphrodite brought them together and told them they must go on a journey: they must travel to Tartarus and deliver a message to Kronos. It was a message explaining all of Zeus’ achievements without his father. The two women head off. They journeyed far. Initially, the two women didn’t even like each other at first. Because of their unfamiliarity and abruptness of the situation, they argued often and were quite confused. But after a close call with a Minotaur, they set aside their differences. They encountered various Greek gods and creatures on their journey to Tartarus. When they got to Tartarus, Dionysus’ power reaches full effect and one of them goes insane. She went on a rampage, killing many monsters. She was then facing off against the other woman. She was unable to pull the sword against her and instead pulls it on herself, ensuring that no harm comes to her because of her. While she was dying in the other’s arms, she confesses her love; explaining that because of all the chaos she caused with her madness she most likely will be confined to Tartarus forever. She said that she was confused that she felt this way towards another woman, but it was the truth. She dies, and her soul drifts far into the distance. Heartbroken, the other woman goes to Kronos to deliver the message. Kronos received the message and offered her a device that he created that can manipulate time. He offered it to her and she accepted it, trying again and again to save her lover. But little did she know that she can’t truly change what happened, and Kronos is just tricking her, taking out his frustration of Zeus onto her. She went through several loops, in one of them the device got destroyed by a Cyclops. She left Tartarus, depressed after witnessing everything again with no second chance. Zeus and Aphrodite noticed that she was alone and confronted her. She explained the situation and the gods were enraged. They find out it was Prometheus and punished him. The woman couldn’t bear the loss and wanted death. The gods decided that she becomes a seal to Tartarus, and serving as a reminder to them to never fool around with a mortal’s life. This sacrifice taught the gods that sexuality can go past a man and a woman.
Analysis
In this myth, I wanted to address the creation of sexual orientation, that the bond between two people of the same sex can be as strong and romantic as a heterosexual couple. The gods were arguing about this very topic and in the end, they learned the hard way that it is indeed possible. Prometheus is the god of creating mortals and man, as shown "After creating men Prometheus is said to have stolen fire and revealed it to men." (Greek Lyric Sappho, Fragment 207). While Prometheus was creating mortals, there were also more gods that were mentioned in my myth. Zeus was the god that believed that love between 2 people of the same sex shouldn’t be allowed. I wanted him to think this way because he had a tendency to sleep with many women: Aphrodite was the other goddess. She is the goddess of love: “Goddess of marriage, charming to the sight” (The Orphic Hymn 55 - Aphrodite). Aphrodite also had experience with men and must know that men are attracted to women. While Zeus and Aphrodite are the most prevalent gods, there is also one more god: Dionysus. Dionysus’ role in this myth was to eventually lead one of the women to madness. He has the power to drive mortals to madness with phantoms and hallucinations “[Dionysos makes phantoms appear :] the crash of unseen drums clamoured, and fifes and jingling brass resounded, and the air was sweet with scents or myrrh and saffron, and--beyond belief!--the weaving all turned green, the hanging cloth grew leaves of ivy, part became a vine, what had been threads formed tendrils, form the warp broad leaves unfurled, bunches of grapes were seen, matching the purple with their coloured sheen.” (Ovid, Metamorphoses). In this story, Dionysus would slowly make her insane overtime, rather than all at once. This is a difference between the Greek myth and the myth that I created. As thought, this will rig the outcome no matter what. Prometheus is also known as a god of trickery and deceit, so I believe that it’s reasonable that he would want to mess around a little bit, even if it may be dangerous. One example of Prometheus’ trickery and comedic behaviour is when Prometheus conceals his identity and talks with Pisthetarios (Aristophanes, Birds 1494). The 2 women are tasked to journey into Tartarus to deliver a message to Kronos. The choice to make it two women rather than two men have no significance, it just had to be a homosexual couple. The two women initially do not get along, if this were a more fleshed-out story I believe this would lead to some interesting development between the two women, but also some banter between Zeus and Aphrodite regarding their ‘deal’. Zeus may believe that it is impossible while Aphrodite telling him to just give it a chance. The two women’s encounter with a Minotaur is also a reference to Greek mythology because they were common creatures in them. Minotaurs were “tyrannical, harsh, and an exactor of tribute, representing in tragedy the story of the Minotauros” (Strabo, Geography 10. 4. 8). After the violent experience with the Minotaur, the two women now formed a different comradery. They realize that they cannot keep fighting, and they must work together. This would be the start of a different type of relationship, one that’s not entirely on hate nor romantic love, but of teamwork. As they travel, meeting various figureheads and monsters, they learn to trust each other more and more. They slowly open up more and silently continue to pine for each other. Zeus and Aphrodite would continue to see these two until their descent to Tartarus. Because Tartarus is the deepest part, I would believe that the gods couldn’t see what would be happening down there. In Tartarus has Kronos, Zeus’ father. This happened in Greek Mythology as well, "The cavernous gloom (melanbathês) of Tartaros now hides ancient (palaigenês) Kronos (Cronus) and his allies [the Titanes] within it." (Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 200). Kronos was imprisoned in Tartarus because he and Zeus had a fight. Zeus overpowered him and Kronos was imprisoned in Tartarus. The two women continue their descent downwards, but then one of them goes mad. She goes on a rampage and eventually ends her life in order to protect the other. Here we see an attempt at a love confession. I added the part where they were confused they felt this way to show that it wasn’t necessarily a ‘normal’ thing that occurred at that time, but she still had no regrets whatsoever. I wanted to show the main point of the myth, the concept of sexuality, being developed and created naturally. After this, the remaining woman went to Kronos to deliver the message. Kronos received the message and then offers her the device. Kronos is actually the god of time in Greek mythology, but he can’t control time. His name means ‘time’ “By Saturnus [Kronos] again they denoted that being who maintains the course and revolution of the seasons and periods of time, the deity so designated in Greek, for Saturnus' Greek name is Kronos (Cronus), which is the same as khronos, a space of time.” (Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2. 24). While this means that time travel isn’t necessarily possible, none of the events actually change and the woman just sees her lover die over and over. Eventually, the loop was broken because the ‘device’ was broken by a cyclops, which were common prisoners in Tartarus. "Ouranos (Uranus) bound these [the Kyklopes (Cyclopes) and the Hekatonkheires] and threw them into Tartaros--a place in Haides' realm as dark as Erebos (Erebus), and as far away from the earth as the earth is from the sky.” (Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 1 - 3). It could even be argued if she was even going back in time at all, or just hallucinating the entire thing. The reason why Kronos did this is that he was spiteful of his son Zeus locking him in Tartarus and living life above. He decided to take out his frustration on the mortal instead. After the woman’s return, she got confronted by the gods, and Prometheus was punished. The woman expresses that she can’t live without her lover, showing again, the possibility of sexuality being outside of just males and females. The gods notice this and she ends her life by becoming a seal to Tartarus. The gods then respect this decision and learned that not only can love exist between the same sex and develop naturally but also that mortals should be treated with more respect.
Bibliography:
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound. 200
Aristophanes, Birds. 1494
Cicero, De Natura Deorum. 2.24
Greek Lyric I Sappho, Fragments. Trans. Campbell.
Ovid, Metamorphoses. 4. 389.
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca. 1.1-3. Trans. Aldrich
Strabo, Geography 10. 4. 8 . Trans. Jones
The Orphic Hymn 55 - Aphrodite. Trans. Taylor
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