[image description: several drawings of the greek hero achilles as a catboy. in the first, a cartoony achilles in a helmet with cat ears says “there are no oaths of faith between catboys and men.” beneath in a similar style are two helmeted catboys with the caption “hektor stole my helmet so now we have catboy mimesis.” underneath are two more realistically rendered drawings, in one achilles makes cat paw gestures with his hands, and in the other he looks down smugly whilst surrounded by swords and arrows, like the meme of the cat with the knives.]
В моих фантазиях я изучаю древнегреческий эпос в огромной тёмной библиотеке старинного замка, окружённого зачарованным туманом. Он подкрадывается к тяжелым дубовым дверям, щекочет окна костлявыми узловатыми пальцами и поёт жуткие колыбельные.
Но мне некогда спать. Я в упоении читаю легенды о монстрах, кровавых битвах и страшных родовых проклятиях. Я представляю себя в роли разъярённого бога, храброго героя или кровожадного чудовища, охраняющего узкий пролив.
Читая, я примеряю тысячу лиц и проживаю тысячу жизней.
the battle of the frogs and the mice! it’s an ancient greek parody of the iliad (some ancient sources even claim that homer himself wrote it, which is impossible but also incredibly charming to imagine)
the plot is that crumbsnatcher, the prince of the mice, stops for a drink of water and meets the king of the frogs, who offers him a tour of his kingdom. but when crumbsnatcher is riding the king’s back through the pond, a snake appears! the frog king goes under the water to avoid it, drowning crumbsnatcher in the process, so the mice declare war on the frogs
it features all the things you’d expect in an epic (epic language, scenes of putting on armor, and even an aristeia for the mice), and it has the most delightful conclusion when zeus prevents the mice from killing all the frogs by throwing a thunderbolt at them and, when that doesn’t work, sending crabs to scare them
sententia antiquae has a delightful translation of it here!
Greek Tragedy. Electra (Ηλέκτρα) film by Michael Cacoyannis, 1962.
~ Clytemnestra: “Father, father, father! Your perpetual excuse—Your father got his death from me. From me! That’s right! I make no denial. It was Justice who took him, not I alone. And you should have helped if you had any conscience. For this father of yours, This one you bewail, This unique Greek, Had the heart to sacrifice your own sister to the gods.” Electra by Sophocles.
Undeniably this is one of my favorite films, with splendid cinematography, the actors are also very charming, a must for all lovers of ancient Greek mythology and drama.
![clytemnesrta:Sappho [34]. If Not, Winter trans. Anne Carson](https://64.media.tumblr.com/a38206f029b3bead6bc812af3fd68283/tumblr_pmmsna9R8z1x4n7zwo1_1280.png "clytemnesrta:Sappho [34]. If Not, Winter trans. Anne Carson")
