Comments | celzmccelz: The genealogy of Greek heroes is so bizarre

celzmccelz

The genealogy of Greek heroes is so bizarre

Oct 12, 2011 11:23

Remember how in Troy they made Achilles and Patroclus cousins and everyone was like "this is a lame cop-out to make them seem less gay"?

Well, they are actually cousins. Or rather, cousins once removed. Achilles' paternal grandfather's mother is Patroclus' father's mother. If that makes any sense. Basically there was this girl named Aegina that Zeus ( Read more... )

achilles/patroclus

Comments 4

carmarthen October 13 2011, 02:53:09 UTC

So, um, tangentially related, if I were going to try to write a Blood Feud NYR story ASAP, playing off the "For you also, there was a Patroclus" line, do you have any suggestions for a crash course in Achilles and Patroclus without reading the entire Illiad?

celzmccelz October 13 2011, 05:24:09 UTC

These are the really intense Achilles/Patroclus scenes:

Book 16 lines 1-283--Patroclus convinces Achilles to let him go fight in his armor after Achilles refuses to save the Greeks.

Book 18 lines 1-238, 315-355--Achilles reacts to Patroclus' death by flipping the fuck out.

Book 23 lines 61-107--Patroclus' ghost appears to Achilles in a dream and they talk about their feelings.

Some other slashy bits of interest:

Book 24 lines 1-18--Achilles "desires the manliness of Patroclus" (pretty much a direct translation of Πατρόκλου ποθέων ἀνδροτῆτά) while tossing and turning in his bed.

Book 9 lines 185-220--Ajax, Odysseus and Phoenix arrive at the Myrmidons' camp to find Achilles and Patroclus sitting off by themselves while Achilles sings and plays the lyre. Then Patroclus cooks a bunch of meat and they eat it.

Book 11 lines 645-845--Nestor reminds Patroclus that his father told him to look out for Achilles and give him advice because he's older and knows better. Then Patroclus tends Eurypylus' wounds with the super special ( ... )

carmarthen October 13 2011, 05:43:18 UTC

I expect so, thank you so much!

languagegirl October 14 2011, 13:38:08 UTC

LOLZ. Not surprised at all. Mythological families make for are all sorts of related hijinks. Fun fact: mythologically speaking, the Japanese emperor is a descendent of the sun goddess Amaterasu. When someone new becomes emperor, she supposedly shows up to sleep with him. Fun times! Also, in The Tale of Genji, Genji (son of the emperor not in line for succession) totes messes with the line of succession by knocking up his stepmom. Classical literature, everyone!

Oh god, I spilled words all over this comment. Sorry about that.