Just An Ordinary Shepherd

just an ordinary shepherd

Odysseus a yapper confirmed?!

I'll shut up now

The story includes murder / children/, rape, insect, cannibalism, pedophilia,zoophilia, and slavery.

*I won't name names, you know who they are*

Why does every retelling version of Achilles have mommy issues. Thetis is a great mom in the Iliad, she’s so supportive and hands him everything. They always make It seem like she emotionally neglects him and left him, which is kinda true but she visits every time he calls for her. Stop making her seem like the villain, she cared for Achilles greatly and comforted him always.

Sometimes I think I love Menelaus too much then I get reminded of the monstrosity that was the 2004 Troy Movie’s Menelaus, which validates my love for him as my hatred for that depiction can only be rivaled by my hatred for Ovid’s Medusa

The Preparation for Ajax's Suicide (Black-Figure Technique, Amphora by Exekias), Greek 550-525 BC, Château-Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

We know the story, how Aias the son of Telamon (or Ajax the Great) loses his senses because of Athena and attacks a flock of sheep because the armor of Achilles was given to Odysseus instead of himself. Ashamed by his action and horrified he comits suicide by throwing himself on his sword.

Even if the vases depicting his suicide are extremely powerful I think nothing tops this masterpiece! Not only we do have the amazing tecnique of Exekias with the amazing engraved details from the Gorgoneion on the shield till Ajax's hair and beard

but also by the amazing thematic. The tension is so much greater because we see how Ajax prepares himself for the end. He is alone. There is no one around but a palm tree (ironically the palm tree is called "phoenix" in greek, similar sounding to the bird phoenix that signifies death and rebirth) wich is there only to show where he is. His armor is placed to the side and he himself is naked; stripped off anything that made him a warrior. The way even his face shows his tension in this seems great to me. And the way he places the sword to the ground and makes sure that the sword would stay still and steady as he is ready to fall on it!

The methodical way he prepares himself for the end is giving such a tension in the atmosphere! And so much contrasting his madness that brought him there! There is a slow pace here that prepares you for the end! He almost seems to be patting his sowrd with care! The fall of a great warrior that is about to go down ashamed!

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Ajax is mentioned to my analysis here as well as to the third part of my faniction The Death of Odysseus