Back When I Was Very Little I Used To Watch A Cartoon Titled Mihaela (Michelle In English), Which Was

Back when I was very little I used to watch a cartoon titled Mihaela (Michelle in english), which was initially released in the 70's (b/w) and reappeared in the early 2000's (color). None of the characters were talking and the music was supposed to compensate for it.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Disney's Snow White or Cinderella and realized not only that the animation was WAY better, but that the characters can talk as well.

What Aphrodite did to Helen is horrible, absolutely. Yet I would never be able to get over that one scene where Helen recognizes Aphrodite after "her desirable breasts".

Finding out that I'm not supposed to buy clothes only three times per year and wear pajamas at home was one of the most dissapointing things when I firstly got into high school.

Thinking about Cadmus and Harmonia again.

One thing that I specifically find interesting about it is that the reason why Cadmus got turned into a snake was because he killed a sacred dragon. In a more poetic way of explaining, he as a human abused/defeated nature, and as a punishment for that he lost his human power to control nature. It's also interesting to notice how, while both the animal he killed and Cadmus are referred to as serpents, people tend to imagine the serpent Cadmus killed as a dragon (a symbol of might and power), and Cadmus himself as a snake (a being which usually has a fragile body, that humans instinctually kill in order to protect themselves, wheter or not that snake is actually venomous).

Furthermore, the fact that Harmonia was a goddess and yet she willingly gave up her divine form just so that she could remain together with her husband shows how there are individuals who would choose to suffer as long as they're surrounded by their beloved ones rather than live a good life alone. They two have the bittersweet ending many people would like to see in other couples from Greek Mythology, yet for some reason Cadmus and Harmonia end up being called "boring" most of the time.

Okay but ignoring 99,99% of Zagreus' myth versions (which by extension leads to the erasure of his original relevance in Orphic Greek Mythology) and making him the son of Hades is shallow.

Now, I do understand the fact that fanfiction is here for people's headcanons and reinterpretations. Because what's the point of writing a Greek Mythology fanfic if you're not going to change or add anything new anyway? As long as you're not going to claim your own version of Greek Mythology to be canon (bonus points if you encourage people to read the original ancient written works) then there isn't anything inherently harmful in doing that.

But Zagreus particularly is an interesting case, and that because his relevance resides in his death, reincarnation, and overall his title as the first Dionysus.

By this marriage with the heavenly Drakon, the womb of Persephone swelled with living fruit, and she bore Zagreus the horned baby, who by himself climbed upon the heavenly throne of Zeus and brandished lightning in his little hand, and newly born, lifted and carried thunderbolts in his tender fingers [i.e. Zeus marked him as his heir]. But he did not hold the throne of Zeus for long. By the fierce resentment of implacable Hera, the Titanes (Titans) cunningly smeared their round faces with disguising chalk, and while he contemplated his changeling countenance reflected in a mirror they destroyed him with an infernal knife. There where his limbs had been cut piecemeal by the Titan steel, the end of his life was the beginning of a new life as Dionysos. He appeared in another shape, and changed into many forms : now young like crafty Kronides (Cronides) [Zeus] shaking the aegis-cape, now as ancient Kronos (Cronus) heavy-kneed, pouring rain. Sometimes he was a curiously formed baby, sometimes like a mad youth with the flower of the first down marking his rounded chin with black. Again, a mimic lion he uttered a horrible roar in furious rage from a wild snarling throat, as he lifted a neck shadowed by a thick mane, marking his body on both sides with the self-striking whip of a tail which flickered about over his hairy back. Next, he left the shape of a lion's looks and let out a ringing neigh, now like an unbroken horse that lifts his neck on high to shake out the imperious tooth of the bit, and rubbing, whitened his cheek with hoary foam. Sometimes he poured out a whistling hiss from his mouth, a curling horned serpent covered with scales, darting out his tongue from his gaping throat, and leaping upon the grim head of some Titan encircled his neck in snaky spiral coils. Then he left the shape of the restless crawler and became a tiger with gay stripes on his body; or again like a bull emitting a counterfeit roar from his mouth he butted the Titanes with sharp horn. So he fought for his life, until Hera with jealous throat bellowed harshly through the air--that heavy-resentful step-mother! And the gates of Olympos rattled in echo to her jealous throat from high heaven. Then the bold bull collapsed: the murderers each eager for his turn with the knife chopt piecemeal the bull-shaped Dionysos [Zagreus].

Do not get me wrong, the myth itself is very disturbing and covers a lot of depressing themes which you simply cannot overlook, since they play a major role in this story. But this is exactly why this myth particularly is morbidly fascinating in the first place. It also adds more dynamic to the relationships between the characters and makes a lot of further events and aspects (Hera suggesting Semele to ask Zeus to reveal his real form to her, Persephone raising Dionysus in some versions of his myth, Demeter's panic and desperation when her daughter was kidnapped, Dionysus' violent and dark side etc.) way more understandable.

Now, I know the fact that Timothy Gantz considered Zagreus to be a stand-alone deity who later got sincretized with the Orphic Dionysus, or that Aeschylus identified Zagreus either as Hades' son, or as Hades' himself (which are basically the arguments people who desperately want Zagreus to be the son of Hades and Persephone would choose to go by for the rest of their lives):

Aeschylus, Fragment 124 Sisyphus (from Etymologicum Gudianum 227. 40) (trans. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) : "Now [I came] to bid farewell to Zagreus and to his sire, the Hospitaler." [N.B. In this fragment Sisyphos describes his departure from the Underworld. Haides is the "Hospitaler of the Dead" and as husband of Persephone is the father of chthonic Zagreus.]

However, I'm more inclined to believe that preserving in one way or another Zagreus' myth and Dionysus' background story respectively is way more compelling, and also remains true to the original Greek Mythology. In fact, I can think of numerous ideas just by following this myth:

a) Persephone's whole process of maturizing herself and struggling with her trauma throughout the years would make her a more complex figure compared to the usual Mary Sue/Self-Insert that I've usually seen in many fanfictions featuring her; (though I will be honest and say that this requires great writing skills so that her trauma could be treated with respect instead of turning the entire situation into sad porn)

b) This would also help in portraying Dionysus as a complex, broken character. Imagine him still remembering his past life and perceiving it as an old yet painful memory, or his previous death being one of the reasons why he has a dark, violent side that he's not afraid to show when he's challenged. It would be much better than the shallow drunk party animal he's often depicted as.

c) Persephone and Semele meeting in the Underworld and sharing each other's sufference after losing their child. It would also make the myth where Dionysus goes into the Underworld and receives Persephone's permission of rescuing his mother more nuanced.

d) For those who desperately want Zagreus to be Hades' child: Persephone gives birth centuries later to another son whom she also named Zagreus, in the memory of the one whom she lost a very long time ago.

There are a lot of great headcanons and interpretations to play with. Just have more courage and try to explore more dark themes and subjects, rather than stick to the Vanilla Greek Mythology.