BucketCrab
If you can't climb out, drag others down.
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Ancient Greece's culture is one of the main pillar of western civilization, and many aspects of it reflect fundamental truths of the human condition.
One of these is the various types of male beauty represented by their pantheon - there are many gods which are described as attractive in slightly different ways, and many myths revolve around their beauty and romantic pursuits.
Such differences are very reminiscent of archetypes of male beauty discussed in forums such as this, and the tales that have been shared throughout centuries and millennia are plentiful and richly narrated. Looking at these ideas and concepts, even if they are thousands of years old, reveals that nothing has really changed.
I will analyze four major Greek myths which are notable for their importance in matters of attraction, beauty and sexuality.
Zeus' sexual appetite
Zeus was well known for his amorousness — a source of perpetual discord with his wife, Hera — and he had many love affairs with both mortal and immortal women. In order to achieve his amorous designs, Zeus frequently assumed animal forms, such as that of a cuckoo when he ravished Hera, a swan when he ravished Leda, or a bull when he carried off Europa.
This makes him the most sexually successful God in the ancient greek pantheon, although he can easily be depicted as a literal rapist in most of these events; many myths revolve around Zeus having sex with someone he happened to fancy. Many of the other Gods in the Greek pantheon, such as Athena and Hephaestus, are his sons, but he had many illegitimate children from mortal women as well.
Zeus had an eye for ladies from all walks of life, and his affairs with mortals often resulted in mortal children. Some estimates have come up with around 51 children of Zeus who were not divine in nature. Even though they were mere mortals, many of them went on to make history in other ways. These include Minos – king of Crete, Macedon – king of ancient Greece, Orion – the giant who grew out of the earth, Hercules a hero of colossal strength, and Perseus - the man who famously defeated the all-powerful Gorgon Medusa and used her head as a weapon of war. Last, but by no means least, Zeus was father to the mesmerising Helen of Troy, who eloped to Troy with her lover Paris, an illicit affair that led to the outbreak of the Trojan war.
This myth shows how mature men have always been able to easily slay with a combination of social status, authority and power - although in most cases, such sexual encounters are essentially acts of sexual violence.
Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire, is the patron of blacksmiths; born hunched and ugly, his mother Hera cast him from Olympus in disgust, crippling him in the process. Although he eventually returned to Mount Olympus to be wed, he was ill-suited to his bride, the beautiful Aphrodite, goddess of Love.
Ares is the God of war, carnage, and courage. He represents the most brutal and uncivilized aspects of warfare. Because of his barbaric nature, he is generally not well tolerated by other Gods.
Although a few stories of the Aphrodite + Ares marriage exist, the most common is that Zeus betrothed the two at Hephaestus’ request, despite Aphrodite’s distaste. That is because the crippled and ugly Hephaestus had captured and tied up Hera, his mother, in such a way that none could free her but himself; in order to free her, Zeus let him marry Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Yet this marrriage was unsuccessful as Zeus' word was not enough to temper the lust of Ares, God of War. He and Aphrodite would have an affair in secret, enjoying clandestine meetings, much to the shame and rage of Hephaestus once he found out. Hephaestus tricked his adulterous wife and her lover by placing a trap in their bed, a net that could not be broken by anyone but Hephaestus himself.
The trap was successful, and the embracing lovers were caught in the act. Proud of his trap, Hephaestus showed Aphrodite and Ares in bed together to the rest of the Gods, with the intent of humiliating and embarrassing them, but the other Gods ended up making fun of Hephaestus instead - after all, he had trapped his wife's lover in bed, naked with the most beautiful goddess of Olympus! That was not really a punishment, but a rather pleasurable way to spend eternity "trapped". And so, defeated and shamed, Hephaestus released both.
Hephaestus shows how ugly men get no sympathy from anyone and face a life of torment since birth. No matter how hard they work, no matter how intelligent they are, they are bound to face shame and humiliation one way or another. And even if they manage to marry a beautiful woman... such marriage won't be successful in the end.
Adonis, the original Terachad Prettyboy
Baby Adonis was adorable beyond words and since there was no one to look after him, Aphrodite (the goddess of love) took him under her wing. So obsessed was she with him that she began neglecting her duties as a goddess. As a remedial measure, she sent the child to be looked after by Persephone, the Queen of the Dead in the Underworld. It was also a move to keep him away from interfering eyes.
However, Persephone, too, fell dearly in love with Adonis and refused to give him up when Aphrodite came for him. There was a bitter argument and Zeus, the father of the Gods, had to intervene to prevent a disastrous argument between the two. He decided that every year Adonis would spend 4 months first with Persephone, the next 4 months with Aphrodite and the last 4 months he would be left alone, so that he may learn to look after himself.
Adonis grew up to be a very handsome young man and one look at him could make every woman's heart excited with desire. That excited was also the heart of goddess Aphodite, who was extremely charmed at this young man. Adonis loved the great outdoors and was a master of the hunt. Once, when Aphrodite was to go away for a few days, she warned Adonis not to stray too far into the forest while hunting. At the same time, she told him to stay away from any beast that did not run away from him.
However, the heart of young Adonis was audacious and neglecting Aphrodite's warning he plunged deep into the forest. There he came upon a wild boar and, no matter how much he tried, he could not scare it away. The boar, angered, attacked Adonis and with one massive heave of its head pierced the young man with its tusk. It is said that the boar which killed Adonis was no ordinary beast but the god Ares, who was one of Aphrodite's many lovers. Jealous of her passion for Adonis, Ares disguised himself in the form of a boar and attacked the young man. Hearing the screams of his beloved Adonis, Aphrodite immediately headed for the forest, where she found him breathing his last. Kneeling by his side, she sprinkled nectar over the wound and to ease his pain she sang gently to him. A smile caressed Adonis' countenance, as he silently passed away into the Realm of the Dead.
Persephone greeted Adonis with arms wide open as he entered the underworld and her delight knew no bounds. At the same time, Aphrodite, knowing that her Adonis must be in the clutches of Persephone, rushed to the underworld to bring him back. Once again, Zeus had to intervene and stop the women from quarrelling over who would have rightful possession of Adonis. With great patience he told them that henceforth, Adonis would spend half the year with Aphrodite and the other half with Persephone. This last aspect may symbolize the life of a man, who spends half his life with his mother and half his life with his wife.
This myth is self-explanatory; males of extraordinary beauty will enjoy female attention wherever they go, and women will obsess over them to an absurd extent. Still, these men better be on guard: other males, especially stronger ones, will be jealous of the influence they have over their partners, and may retaliate brutally.
Orpheus and the rage of a scorned woman
Orpheus is known as the most talented music player of the ancient times. It is said that god Apollo was his father, from whom took his extreme talent in music, and the Muse Calliope was his mother. Orpheus used to spend much of his early years in the idyllic pursuits of music and poetry. Well into his youth he had mastered the lyre and his melodious voice garnered him audiences from near and afar. It was at one such gathering of humans and beasts that his eyes fell on a wood nymph. The girl was called Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy. She had been drawn to Orpheus enamored by his voice and such was the spell of beauty in music and appearance that neither could cast their eyes off each other. Something inexplicable tugged the hearts of the two young people and soon they feltl dearly in love, unable to spend a single moment apart. After a while, they decided to get married.
Their wedding day dawned bright and clear. However, things would soon change and grief would ensue happiness. There was one man who was despising Orpheus and desired Eurydice for his own. Aristaeus, a shepherd, had plotted a plan to conquer the beautiful nymph. And there he was, waiting in the bushes for the young couple to pass by. Seeing that the lovers were approaching, he intended to jump on them and kill Orpheus. As the shepherd made his move, Orpheus grabbed Eurydice by the hand and started running pell-mell through the forest. On and on they ran and suddenly, Orpheus felt Eurydice stumble and fall, her hand slipping from his grasp. Looking around, he saw no trace of the shepherd for Aristaeus had witnessed the event and had left. Few steps away, Eurydice had stepped on a nest of snakes and had been bitten by a deadly viper. Knowing that there was no chance of survival, Aristaeus had abandoned his try, cursing his luck and Orpheus.
He then ventured into the Underworld to save his beloved, but was unsuccessful. From then on, the heart-broken musician was wandering disoriented, day after day, night after night, in total despair. He could find no consolation in anything. His misfortune tormented him, forcing him to abstain from contact with any other woman and slowly but surely he found himself shunning their company completely, even if many women strongly desired him. His songs were no more joyful but extremely sad. And so it was that a group of irate women, furious for his scorn towards them, chanced upon him. Orpheus was so desperate that he did not even try to repulse their advances. The women killed him, cut his body into pieces and threw them and his lyre into a river.
This myth teaches us that men are not allowed to be too picky - their feelings are irrelevant to women, and if a woman is rejected she can become mad with rage. A man that rejects too many suitors is not treated the same way as a woman, as women rarely make the first move!
One of these is the various types of male beauty represented by their pantheon - there are many gods which are described as attractive in slightly different ways, and many myths revolve around their beauty and romantic pursuits.
Such differences are very reminiscent of archetypes of male beauty discussed in forums such as this, and the tales that have been shared throughout centuries and millennia are plentiful and richly narrated. Looking at these ideas and concepts, even if they are thousands of years old, reveals that nothing has really changed.
I will analyze four major Greek myths which are notable for their importance in matters of attraction, beauty and sexuality.
Zeus' sexual appetite
Zeus was well known for his amorousness — a source of perpetual discord with his wife, Hera — and he had many love affairs with both mortal and immortal women. In order to achieve his amorous designs, Zeus frequently assumed animal forms, such as that of a cuckoo when he ravished Hera, a swan when he ravished Leda, or a bull when he carried off Europa.
This makes him the most sexually successful God in the ancient greek pantheon, although he can easily be depicted as a literal rapist in most of these events; many myths revolve around Zeus having sex with someone he happened to fancy. Many of the other Gods in the Greek pantheon, such as Athena and Hephaestus, are his sons, but he had many illegitimate children from mortal women as well.
Zeus had an eye for ladies from all walks of life, and his affairs with mortals often resulted in mortal children. Some estimates have come up with around 51 children of Zeus who were not divine in nature. Even though they were mere mortals, many of them went on to make history in other ways. These include Minos – king of Crete, Macedon – king of ancient Greece, Orion – the giant who grew out of the earth, Hercules a hero of colossal strength, and Perseus - the man who famously defeated the all-powerful Gorgon Medusa and used her head as a weapon of war. Last, but by no means least, Zeus was father to the mesmerising Helen of Troy, who eloped to Troy with her lover Paris, an illicit affair that led to the outbreak of the Trojan war.
This myth shows how mature men have always been able to easily slay with a combination of social status, authority and power - although in most cases, such sexual encounters are essentially acts of sexual violence.
Hephaestus gets cucked by AresHephaestus, the Greek god of fire, is the patron of blacksmiths; born hunched and ugly, his mother Hera cast him from Olympus in disgust, crippling him in the process. Although he eventually returned to Mount Olympus to be wed, he was ill-suited to his bride, the beautiful Aphrodite, goddess of Love.
Ares is the God of war, carnage, and courage. He represents the most brutal and uncivilized aspects of warfare. Because of his barbaric nature, he is generally not well tolerated by other Gods.
Although a few stories of the Aphrodite + Ares marriage exist, the most common is that Zeus betrothed the two at Hephaestus’ request, despite Aphrodite’s distaste. That is because the crippled and ugly Hephaestus had captured and tied up Hera, his mother, in such a way that none could free her but himself; in order to free her, Zeus let him marry Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Yet this marrriage was unsuccessful as Zeus' word was not enough to temper the lust of Ares, God of War. He and Aphrodite would have an affair in secret, enjoying clandestine meetings, much to the shame and rage of Hephaestus once he found out. Hephaestus tricked his adulterous wife and her lover by placing a trap in their bed, a net that could not be broken by anyone but Hephaestus himself.
The trap was successful, and the embracing lovers were caught in the act. Proud of his trap, Hephaestus showed Aphrodite and Ares in bed together to the rest of the Gods, with the intent of humiliating and embarrassing them, but the other Gods ended up making fun of Hephaestus instead - after all, he had trapped his wife's lover in bed, naked with the most beautiful goddess of Olympus! That was not really a punishment, but a rather pleasurable way to spend eternity "trapped". And so, defeated and shamed, Hephaestus released both.
Hephaestus shows how ugly men get no sympathy from anyone and face a life of torment since birth. No matter how hard they work, no matter how intelligent they are, they are bound to face shame and humiliation one way or another. And even if they manage to marry a beautiful woman... such marriage won't be successful in the end.
Adonis, the original Terachad Prettyboy
Baby Adonis was adorable beyond words and since there was no one to look after him, Aphrodite (the goddess of love) took him under her wing. So obsessed was she with him that she began neglecting her duties as a goddess. As a remedial measure, she sent the child to be looked after by Persephone, the Queen of the Dead in the Underworld. It was also a move to keep him away from interfering eyes.
However, Persephone, too, fell dearly in love with Adonis and refused to give him up when Aphrodite came for him. There was a bitter argument and Zeus, the father of the Gods, had to intervene to prevent a disastrous argument between the two. He decided that every year Adonis would spend 4 months first with Persephone, the next 4 months with Aphrodite and the last 4 months he would be left alone, so that he may learn to look after himself.
Adonis grew up to be a very handsome young man and one look at him could make every woman's heart excited with desire. That excited was also the heart of goddess Aphodite, who was extremely charmed at this young man. Adonis loved the great outdoors and was a master of the hunt. Once, when Aphrodite was to go away for a few days, she warned Adonis not to stray too far into the forest while hunting. At the same time, she told him to stay away from any beast that did not run away from him.
However, the heart of young Adonis was audacious and neglecting Aphrodite's warning he plunged deep into the forest. There he came upon a wild boar and, no matter how much he tried, he could not scare it away. The boar, angered, attacked Adonis and with one massive heave of its head pierced the young man with its tusk. It is said that the boar which killed Adonis was no ordinary beast but the god Ares, who was one of Aphrodite's many lovers. Jealous of her passion for Adonis, Ares disguised himself in the form of a boar and attacked the young man. Hearing the screams of his beloved Adonis, Aphrodite immediately headed for the forest, where she found him breathing his last. Kneeling by his side, she sprinkled nectar over the wound and to ease his pain she sang gently to him. A smile caressed Adonis' countenance, as he silently passed away into the Realm of the Dead.
Persephone greeted Adonis with arms wide open as he entered the underworld and her delight knew no bounds. At the same time, Aphrodite, knowing that her Adonis must be in the clutches of Persephone, rushed to the underworld to bring him back. Once again, Zeus had to intervene and stop the women from quarrelling over who would have rightful possession of Adonis. With great patience he told them that henceforth, Adonis would spend half the year with Aphrodite and the other half with Persephone. This last aspect may symbolize the life of a man, who spends half his life with his mother and half his life with his wife.
This myth is self-explanatory; males of extraordinary beauty will enjoy female attention wherever they go, and women will obsess over them to an absurd extent. Still, these men better be on guard: other males, especially stronger ones, will be jealous of the influence they have over their partners, and may retaliate brutally.
Orpheus and the rage of a scorned woman
Orpheus is known as the most talented music player of the ancient times. It is said that god Apollo was his father, from whom took his extreme talent in music, and the Muse Calliope was his mother. Orpheus used to spend much of his early years in the idyllic pursuits of music and poetry. Well into his youth he had mastered the lyre and his melodious voice garnered him audiences from near and afar. It was at one such gathering of humans and beasts that his eyes fell on a wood nymph. The girl was called Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy. She had been drawn to Orpheus enamored by his voice and such was the spell of beauty in music and appearance that neither could cast their eyes off each other. Something inexplicable tugged the hearts of the two young people and soon they feltl dearly in love, unable to spend a single moment apart. After a while, they decided to get married.
Their wedding day dawned bright and clear. However, things would soon change and grief would ensue happiness. There was one man who was despising Orpheus and desired Eurydice for his own. Aristaeus, a shepherd, had plotted a plan to conquer the beautiful nymph. And there he was, waiting in the bushes for the young couple to pass by. Seeing that the lovers were approaching, he intended to jump on them and kill Orpheus. As the shepherd made his move, Orpheus grabbed Eurydice by the hand and started running pell-mell through the forest. On and on they ran and suddenly, Orpheus felt Eurydice stumble and fall, her hand slipping from his grasp. Looking around, he saw no trace of the shepherd for Aristaeus had witnessed the event and had left. Few steps away, Eurydice had stepped on a nest of snakes and had been bitten by a deadly viper. Knowing that there was no chance of survival, Aristaeus had abandoned his try, cursing his luck and Orpheus.
He then ventured into the Underworld to save his beloved, but was unsuccessful. From then on, the heart-broken musician was wandering disoriented, day after day, night after night, in total despair. He could find no consolation in anything. His misfortune tormented him, forcing him to abstain from contact with any other woman and slowly but surely he found himself shunning their company completely, even if many women strongly desired him. His songs were no more joyful but extremely sad. And so it was that a group of irate women, furious for his scorn towards them, chanced upon him. Orpheus was so desperate that he did not even try to repulse their advances. The women killed him, cut his body into pieces and threw them and his lyre into a river.
This myth teaches us that men are not allowed to be too picky - their feelings are irrelevant to women, and if a woman is rejected she can become mad with rage. A man that rejects too many suitors is not treated the same way as a woman, as women rarely make the first move!
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