ACHILLES AND PATROCLUS.

ACHILLES AND PATROCLUS.

This is a story you all know well. Beautiful and tragic this story is. The Greeks loved men and women alike. It did not matter to them a person's gender. Achilles was the prince. The son of a Goddess and a King. The best of Greeks. The best of men.

When Achilles first laid eyes upon Patroclus, he didn't look like much. He was covered in dirt and grime because of his long and excruciating travel. Achilles's father had welcomed him, told Achilles that Patroclus was a prince like him but he no longer was. Achilles did not care for all that, he was more intrigued by the quiet boy.

Becoming friends with Patroclus was easy as breathing for him. Patroclus knew when to pull him back if he should go too far and knew when to encourage him. Peleus didn't bother separating them both, instead, sent them both to Chiron.

The centaur had taken one look at them and knew what would become of them. Achilles who was fast, relentless and unforgiving, and Patroclus who was silent, soft and forgiving, Chiron had looked at them and saw their end even before they had begun. But he had guarded his silence and taught both his students to be great. He knew that they were destined for greatness, like he knew about Jason and about Heracles. He, also, knew that Jason's naive behaviour and Heracles's pride would be their downfall. Just as he knew that Achilles's pride and Patroclus's heart would be theirs.

When Thetis came, Chiron was tempted to send her away, to protect his students who he had come to cherish. Chiron knew that Thetis came with the news of war, the news of death.

Both Achilles and Patroclus bowed to him and promised that they would come visit him after the war was over. Chiron had simply nodded, not telling them that neither would make it back.

Achilles marveled at everything the ships, the soldiers, the sea. After Odysseus had brought him from the island he was hiding as a woman, everyone had told Achilles that he would be the reason for their victory. Not only because, he had taken the oath of Tyndareus, not because only someone with his blood can breach the walls but because he was the best fighter. He was the warrior who was to lead them towards victory. He was the best of Greeks. But Achilles knew that he would win, because Patroclus was beside him.

One thousand ships and fifty thousand soldiers, Achilles thought, but the war will be won by Patroclus and I.

Patroclus didn't join him for the raids around Troy. He chose to stay behind at camp to help the healers. Achilles knew that Patroclus wasn't weak by any measure, he knew that he had also taken the Oath of Tyndareus but he was baffled by the notion of Patroclus not wanting glory, not wanting honor.

When Achilles brought Briseis to their tent Patroclus hadn't said anything. He treated her as he would treat a friend and not a spoil of war. Achilles had like Briseis, he had brought her here to spite Agamemnon but he still had liked her, but she could not be compared to the man who held his heart.

When the war began, Achilles saw a part of Patroclus that he hadn't seen before. A chilling, brutal and a cruel part of him. Patroclus fought like that was his last fight, he killed mercilessly and terrifyingly. Achilles had fought all his fights knowing that he would win, Patroclus fought all his fights like he was afraid that he would die. Achilles did not understand how he could miss this side of his Patroclus, he had mistaken his silence and withdrawal as cowardness when it simply had been preservation. Patroclus had been more deadly in battle than Achilles.

When Agamemnon disrespected him, he withdraws from battle, knowing that without him they can't win and without him Patroclus wouldn't fight. He was content with watching men burn, he didn't care whether they were Greeks or Trojans. He knew that in the end, after Agamemnon has fallen, after Hector has fallen, him and Patroclus would rule everything.

Men come and plead with him, soldiers who are less and great alike. Odysseus pleads for his intervention so that the war would end and he can go to his wife, Diomedes does not want to watch his men getting slaughtered, Nestor wants too see his country before he dies, Menelaus apologizes in the place of Agamemnon and many more come to his tent but he turns them all away.

Patroclus is the last one to plead. He pleads him to join the fight and Achilles is so stunned. Patroclus never spoke against him or his wishes. When Patroclus told that he was wrong, when Patroclus was pulling him back it meant that he was in the wrong. That he was at fault. Achilles didn't want to admit this, instead he tells Patroclus that perhaps he should fight without him. They don't touch or speak with each other throughout the night.

The next evening there was screaming, violent screams. The Trojans had a son of Zeus beside them! Prince Hector was leading the charge with the son of Zeus! They are trying to break into the camp! The news stuns Achilles but it alarms Patroclus. He pleads him again, not for him to join the fight but to send him instead. Achilles puts his armour and gives him his sword. Come back, he tells him, come back to me. When the Greeks see Achilles's golden armour shining through the night, they rejoice knowing that they will win now. Messengers run to the camp at varied times, he didn't wish to watch the fight, knowing that he might be tempted to join. He hears their whispers, Achilles has killed the son of Zeus, Achilles has driven away the Trojans from the camp, Achilles is pursuing Prince Hector. After the last one, the whispers stop. Achilles could hear the faint cries of battle beyond the camp.

When the cries stop, Achilles wonders why he doesn't hear the cry of victory and joy. At dawn the soldiers arrive, Agamemnon is the first to enter his tent and before he could tell him to leave Odysseus, Nestor and Diomedes enter and Menelaus enters last. The gently set down a body they had been carrying, Achilles thinks that Agamemnon has killed Briseis and before he can lash out at him, he hears Menelaus say, he fought well. He. It was Patroclus.

Achilles uncovers the shroud. He looks at them and wishes for their death. They leave silently. Achilles washes him, puts him on their bed and slides in next to him. Like this he pretends that they are back in Chiron's camp and that Patroclus is sleeping like the dead because of the hard training they had endured.

And he dreams, oh Gods, he dreams. He dreams of Patroclus, he dreams of his touch, his smile, his kindness. Those dreams leave his body aching in the morning. He goes in and out of consciousness. He dreams of Patroclus dying, he dreams of Hector striking him and finally, he dreams that he is the one who kills Patroclus.

He kills Hector the next day. They fight all day long and Hector runs from him in the hopes of meeting his son for the last time. A river God rose to protect Hector but Achilles's rage is so overwhelming that he defeats the God. The winds murmur, he can hear what they are saying. He has defeated a God! He will kill all Trojans. The war mustn't end this soon! He drags Hector's body around Troy. To show them that this was their Prince but now another dead body. He knows he is angering the Gods further but Achilles doesn't care. What was victory without Patroclus beside him?

The stench of Patroclus fills the tent but he still sleeps there, on their bed. His dreams will either be of their times together or it will be Achilles killing him. He realizes one day- after a horrid dream where Patroclus curses him for his death, although he knows that Patroclus would never do that, he still wishes that he had- Patroclus did die because of him. Not only because of his pride but because Patroclus had no reason in the first place to be here, Patroclus had been a prince when he had taken the Oath of Tyndareus but he hadn't been a prince now. He hadn't had any reason to go to Chiron as well. He had simply followed Achilles wherever he had gone. Achilles did kill him. That thought breaks Achilles beyond repair.

He dreams again, this time he is in their tent and Patroclus walks in and kneels before him. Patroclus places his hand on his cheek and Achilles leans into his touch. You have to let me go, Patroclus says, let me go, Achilles.

No, Achilles clutches his arm, you said you would come back.

Patroclus smiles at him. The smile is clear and beautiful, unlike his previous blurry dreams. Achilles, he calls his name, you have to let me go.

Achilles washes Patroclus again and sets a funeral pyre for him. Whole of the Greek army attends to pay their respects. Patroclus, he says his name like a prayer, the best of Greeks, the best part of me.

After that Achilles fights aimlessly, he doesn't fight to win but he doesn't lose either. Achilles sees Apollo next to Prince Paris- Hector's brother and the man who started this war- Apollo's smile is sick and frightening but Achilles wasn't frightened. To him it was warm and welcoming since it held the promise of death. Paris set his arrow loose while Apollo carried it. Right in his heel. Right where his body is weak. He falls and closes his eyes.

He doesn't care about the Trojans or the Greeks or winning. It had only mattered to him when Patroclus was at his side. Patroclus had followed him all his life, it was time for Achilles to follow him to death. Patroclus smiles at him when he sees him. Patroclus, he says, I missed you and I'm here.

Bucky remembering Steve in the Winter Soldier after years and years of torture and brain frying is equivalent to Percy Jackson remembering only Annabeth Chase (aka the love of his life) in The Son of Neptune after a God taking away his memories.

Andrew's Spiderman caught MJ so effortlessly because in his head, he has caught Gwen more than once. Let that sink in.

I have three theories about the story of Icarus. Mostly its just me ranting at 3 in the morning and making the story gay. So, my apologies.

1. Icarus didn't fly towards the sun, he flew towards freedom.

This is only a slight variation of the actual story. In the actual myth Icarus flies towards the sun and he flies too high which is his ultimate downfall. Greediness that was his fatal flaw. However, in this variation, Icarus who has seen only huge stone walls as long as he could remember, just wanted freedom. That's all. He hadn't flown too high, he had simply wanted to fly from the maze walls that restricted him.

2. Apollo was jealous and Icarus was in love.

If you really know Greek mythology, you would know that Apollo had a boyfriend called Hyacinthus who was killed tragically by a wind God. The despair of Apollo was immeasurable. You must also know the story of Daphne. So yeah, Apollo's love life was quite tragic to say the least. Icarus who had only ever heard his father speak about the outside world wanted to see the Sun. So, when he was free, he flew too see the man he had fallen in love with. Of course Apollo didn't like this too much. He was a God and sometimes Gods were prone to insanity. He punishes Icarus for thinking that his love could succeed. For Icarus, the sea and land were enemies since the men who want to kill him prowl there, while the air, the Sun meant freedom and Apollo in all his bitterness kills him and punishes him in the most cruel way possible. Apollo has done something similar to this in the case of Patroclus and Achilles.

3. Apollo and Icarus are lovers.

If you look at Daedalus- Icarus' dad- he's not a very good guy. Like most inventors, he's a little crazy. He killed his own nephew, helped a queen screw a cow, was very appalled when he found out that there were consequences for his actions, killed a king for a mistake that he made and when Icarus fell to his death it is written that Daedalus mourned for his creation than the death of his son.

So, imagine this, the labyrinth is always easy to get lost into, Daedalus always worked and when he didn't, he was telling Icarus how he must be great and carry on the name of Daedalus.

Apollo who was always good at finding lovers-he just can't seem to keep them-finds Icarus. The nights in the Labyrinth are not lonely anymore. Apollo is thrilled to know that Icarus can leave with the wings his father creates. But Icarus knew, that if he got out, his father would force him to learn his crafts instead of music and art. Apollo and Icarus hatch a plan. His uncle helps him. After he falls Apollo drags him to the shore and takes him home. They say Icarus is dead because they don't want anyone to know that he's alive. His father might come looking for him, anyone whom Apollo insults might kill Icarus, so they lie. The uncle and nephew take the blame. The Sun God and the Sea God. Apollo makes him fall while Poseidon kills him. Enough people believe this. They make it a lesson for their children. While Apollo and Icarus, enjoy watching the world grow old, just happy that they are with each other.

This is just me, making the story of Icarus very gay. But make what you want of it. It could very well be just Icarus wanting to try something cool and dying tragically.

Let me know what you guys think.

Call me by your name and I will call you by mine, is equivalent to, he is more myself than I am, whatever our souls are made of his and mine are the same.

Let's all go cry now.

The story of Hades and Persephone starts like any other love lore.

Hades The Greek God of the Underworld hardly ever leaves his domain. But when he did leave the underworld, he came across the beautiful maiden, Persephone. Born as an offspring between two Gods, Persephone was beautiful both in and out.

And Hades fell in love with her.

Knowing that her mother will never allow to marry him. Hades opens the Earth and takes Persephone away to the underworld. To not frighten the beautiful maiden. Hades created a garden in the underworld and treated Persephone with respect and love like all men should.

Demeter Persephone's mother, Goddess of the harvest roamed the Earth in search of her beloved daughter neglecting her duties as the Goddess of Harvest. When she came to know that Hades has abducted her she demanded justice to the king of all Gods, Zeus.

Knowing that she cannot stay her forever. Hades gifts Persephone one last gift.

A pomegranate.

Persephone eats six pomegranate seeds and leaves the Underworld promising that she would return.

Zeus torn between the decision he has to make came to know of the last gift. In Greek tradition eating something from the host of the household means that you have promised to return.

So the King of the Gods declared that Persephone would be the queen of the Underworld for six months of the year each for the six pomegranate seeds. And spend the rest six with her mother Demeter.

It is told that six months of spring and summer is when Persephone is with her mother. While the next six of autumn and winter, when the world withers away she is the queen of the Underworld.

The story of Hades and Persephone is often misunderstood portraying Hades as the villain and Persephone as weak.

But I think that Hades truly loved her And Persephone loved him back.

What do you think?