My Lady Passeth By, Edmund Leighton, 1914

Oh gosh so the only one who's body could be retrieved! And the way he died man he is the real legend isn't he? 😆😆 Poor guy tho asking for his burial like that!

Like I said before I really liked the details of Odysseus cutting his hair like that, since it was the only type of mourning he could do for them... And in his situation it's like he is mourning his own freedom as well while still trying to keep a flame of hope to return home to his family 😢

But man the fact that he couldn't retrieve any of the bodies of his fallen friends... And in your recent writing not even from Argos man it hurts 😭

Elpenor might be the only guy in Odysseus's arduous trip that got a decent funeral 🤔

In my fanfiction "Survivor's Guilt Survivor's Duty" I make Odysseus cut his long hair as a funerary tribute to his men and a sign of mourning:

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Survivor's Guilt and Survior's Duty (P3 + After Note) Continuation from Part 2: Survivor's Guilt and Survivor's Duty (P2) this is dedicat

That was a very common way for ancient Greeks to show mourning and it was mentioned in many literary sources. One of the most infamous examples is Homer's Iliad where Achilles cuts his hair after he kills Hector and places them to the hands of Patroclus in a funerary pyre. The other is Eurypedes "Helen" when Helen cuts her hair and wears black in order to outsmart Theoclymene that she got news from her husband's death

For funerary customs we see generally a combination between burial and cermination depending on the situation. And then it hit me;

Throughout the trip Odysseus lost all his men and crew in most violent ways and the bodies were either consumed by monsters or lost at sea

Elpenor, his comrade that fell off Circe's roof while drunk and later on speaking with Odysseus during his trip in the Underworld, requests a burial and a grave. And this might be the only funeral held by Odysseus during the trip (excluding those who were buried at war).

Odysseus couldn't even give his men funerary rituals! The man just suffered so much! 😭😭😭

This is the cutest thing I can't 😂❤️ Tsayo really is proudly showing him to everyone like:

And Miles' face like "please put me down..." 😂

It warms my heart to see Miles creating a family bond with more characters, and yours are always amazing! 😍

Sketch of my OC Tsayo and Spider (miles) 🥰💜

Coz Tsayo is some years younger than Miles, he looks up to his big brother. 💜 Miles will always be his hero, he will never stop looking up to him!

Coz Miles was already a few years old when Tsayo was born, he was so protective and always helped Ayluna to care for him!

Ayluna did not adopt Miles, but every time the boy came around, she gave that little human boy so much love and took care of him. Ayluna always enjoyed Miles company. Even Tsu'Tey got used to the human child and Ayluna and him became like Aunty and uncle for Miles. They have a close relationship to him 🥰

(on this artwork Tsayo is still a very young teen xD)

Do not repost!

ARCANE | Hexgate Docks Design | Florian Jouet

As always your analysis and theories are such great food for thought and great inspiration as well ✨✨ despite the fact that I'm newer to the depth of Odyssey and Iliad than most people here it's somehow adds to the fun to explore it 😆

Jesus Christ just thinking about spending 11 days without sleep blows my mind! I had to spend a little more than 48 hours awake to finish some deadlines and I was already having blurred distorted vision! So to be in a stressful situation, in an environment that can become dangerous, plus trying to guard the thing that will help them get home from his own men, all that combined with his previous struggles and now extreme sleep deprivation?? Sounds like a special kind of hell! And not only that but almost like a sort of vicious cycle, because it could be indeed that the sleep deprivation itself was getting to Odysseus attitude as you theorize, which in turn could definitely influence his man's behavior as well.

Gosh but as said before the tension after his men opened the sack and they all got sent back must have been like a damn cloud over their heads for days! Someone was struggling not to kill 😂

That is a very good point, by guarding the sack in such a way Odysseus could definitely be making his men feel untrusted and even antagonized by their own leader, which would definitely trigger an hostile response in the form distrust right back at him, and the suspiscion of what he could possibly be hiding from them in such a manner. It did not help at all!

On the other hand the effects of sleep deprivation mixed with previous stress and anxiousness to be so close to home are such an interesting and human reaction from him! That's such a scary list, and I can definitely imagine it impacting Odysseus little by little the more he remains awake! And the more he becomes more violent and irritable yelling and such the more his men would feel like he was becoming a whole different person and get progressively more and more worried, irritated and suspicious in turn! Plus I can definitely imagine them indeed questioning his authority especially as his mental state becomes erratic with hallucinations!

His own insistence to do things alone and putting himself in such a situation definitely bit him back! It was very toxic behavior especially with himself and his health, which passed to his man, and despite his intentions it added to the disaster! Being the leader is definitely not easy since everyone is looking at you as an anchor, and if the anchor fails, everyone can drown pretty easily! Overall both sides had their fair points and their mistakes and flaws and ultimately that makes for an awesome compelling narrative! Awesome stuff girl!! ✨

And gosh for real! This is such brilliant inspiration for Caleb and the rebellion as well! Caleb is definitely the one to want to carry the burdens of his men, and many times he is putting himself through unhealthy toxic situations to do so! Can imagine him also not sleeping for days for many reasons! To keep watch, to protect provisions and his resting comrades, to go on into dangerous missions... And the stress and fear hitting him inside too! And it would definitely mess with his attitude and response to others as well 👀 And it also reminds me of Diego, in the times he was made to take charge, or later when he felt his ultimate sin and plan against Caleb about to be discovered!!

Odysseus not sleeping for 9 days increased suspicion to his men unconsciously (a small analysis based on sleep deprivation and Odyssey)

So it seems that the limits that we know so far is around 264 hours or just above 11 days of staying awake consequently. That is surprisingly just above what Odysseus did who stayed awake for 9 days or approximately 216 hours! That seems ironically accurate on Homer's part that it occured.

According to Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus remained awake for 9 consequent days, guarding the sack containing all the winds blowing over the Mediterannean (a gift of the god of winds, Aiolus). Overcome by fatigue, once the island of Ithaca came on sight Odysseus fell asleep but at that moment his men, thinking that the sack contains rich gifts, they opened it up, releasing all the winds out and pushing Odysseus back to the islands of Aiolus. Aiolus witnessing upon that sign of bad luck, he refused to help Odysseus again.

Now of course one might say why on earth wouldn't his men trust him when he told them not to open the sack and why were they so overcome by not just distrust but also greed? Well, apart from the symbolism of the Iliad, ironically their distrust was perfectly logical even if in a way misplaced. And here's why

Odysseus was guarding the sack

No matter what one says, Odysseus was still acting distrustful to THEM. In a way he felt like his warning was not enough and he needed to take some extra precaution. The fact that he was still feeling the need to guard the sack like a guard dog, because of his natural suspicious nature, made his men feel not trusted and therefore evn more suspicious of his behavior. Why all of the sudden their captain had his guard so high up? Why did he feel like he had to take extra precaution? Didn't their captain; the captain they spent almost 15 years together trust them anymore? What did he have to hide? This behavior drove them suspicious back thinking there was more to that story than what Odysseus was saying.

Behavioral changes due to sleep deprivation

Odysseus was sleep deprived, that much everyone could tell. However interestingly the signs of sleep deprivation might unsconsciously increased suspiciousness to the already tensed atmosphere. Some of the early signs of sleep deprivation are:

drowsiness

irritability

impaired decision-making

impaired judgement

altered perception

memory deficits

vision and hearing impairments

decreased hand-eye coordination

increased muscle tension

tremors

increased risk of accidents or near misses

Therefore already from the first two or three days without sleep, Odysseus's character began to swift due to fatigue. He was expected to become more irritable, more drowsy, having difficulty to concentrate and having tension to his muscles. He would become increasingly more and more aggressive in his reactions. The longer he stayed without sleep and one could expect

mtabolism disruptions

hallucinations

delusions

mood swings

risky behavior

decreased attention

inflexible reasoning

The more Odysseus remained without sleep, the more unpredictable he would become and the more suspicious and aggressive his behavior would be. Imagine if at some point some of his men would want to give him some food or drink and Odysseus violently pushing them away, yelling at them that he needs nothing but to be left alone. He would become more and more irritable by basic things even if those things had the kinder intentions.

He would seem more and more like a tiger in a cage, more and more paranoic about the precious sack he guarded; seemingly getting all the more anxious the closer they got to his beloved home. At some point if he actually got hallucinations (talking to things that aren't there or looking around like a madman) would also make his men suspicious on his capability to lead them if an emergency were to occur.

Conslusion:

Therefore in his zeal to protect the sack at all costs, in his fixation upon doing everything himself, in his obsession with getting anxious and not trusting his own shadow, Odysseus made the bad decision to remain awake for so long that affected his mental and behavioral health, thus leading to more suspicion on his men's part to doubt his words and believing he was lying and that he was hiding gold and gems instead of their salvation. In a way Odysseus's obsession, just like all his plans, turned boomerang against him. Sleep deprivation made him aggressive. His aggressiveness was perceived as suspicious and his men didn't believe in him.

Still stupid on their part but one can understand their thoughts a bit. Having a captain that is slowly breaking guarding a seemingly precious sack rose plenty of suspicion. Of course that mistake costed them not only their home but also their life, but one can probably understand them a little.

A special gift for @signfromeywa ! Her lovely characters Ean'tu and Ana 🥰 I love them so much, can’t wait to dive deeper into their story!

Thank you so much for your stunning art of Dilla (and more) of our ideas and the awesome conversations ❤️ Oh and thank you for the latest rendering tricks you showed me! Absolute game-changer 😆

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Oh gosh girl you always know how to portray emotions so well 😮😢😢

poor Odysseus... His pain is so profound for all that happened... The way he recognized himself in such a state in his reflection and it terrified him 😢

And his extreme guilt of all that happened to the people they attacked, the victims of their rage, murdered and raped... It's clearly too much for him, not even his comrades can soothe and console him.

Flawless written as always girl! But somehow you're getting even better and better at it ❤️❤️✨✨✨

Kinda a prequel to

Originally for @prompted-wordsmith so yeah something I have been working for ages. April 1st for our poor tormented little liar Odysseus 😆

~~~

Guilt (P1)

The noise was deafening. It was a sea of people cheering and whistling; a sea dressed in bronze, leather and blood. Odysseus was pacing among these people keeping his head low. He was trying very hard to avoid gazing someone in the eye. He could hear their praise and yelps of excitement. On occasion he could feel a pat on his back.

"Huzzah! Hooray for Odysseus!"

"Man of Many Ways!"

"The one Equal to Gods! Hooray!"

"Sacker of Cities!"

"Sacker of Cities!"

His ears were buzzing. All sounds around him were silenced or blended together in a mass of unknown origins. His head was throbbing painfully and the helmet adorned with boar tusks seemed to be weighting more than all metal in the world upon it. Just a little longer...just a bit further... Blood had become one with his skin and hair. He could feel it running down still even if it was long now clotted upon him. How weird! Normally every person would be delighted with this triumph. Why couldn't he?

"Sacker of Cities!"

Just a bit further...

"Sacker of Cities!"

His previous noble prancing became a half-run now. He was almost pushing his way through the mixed people of triumph and of woe. Eventually he reached his hut and felt like breathing in relief as he ran in with his close friend coming right behind him.

"Close the damn curtains, Polites!" Odysseus ordered

He half-collapsed over the bronze bowl containing fresh water they had picked up off the river. He remained there for a few seconds, supporting his body over the metallic water container. He looked down. What he saw scared him; it was a warrior staring back at him through the dark depths of the vessel. His head was adorned with a helmet of boar tusk, stained with blood and scratched by some sword. His expression was hard and had sunken eyes in their sockets. The beard was shaggy and splattered with blood. His onyx eyes had a worrying sheen of death, of triumph and of guilt...

"Gods help me...that's me!" He thought in terror

The ambitious, flamboyant and somehow a bit arrogant young man was long gone. He had given his place to this bloodthirsty killer, the face of that man was reeking of sweat, blood and tar from weapons and smoke; the Sacker of Cities. How had they come to this?!

*

A few days before...

The room was buzzing by the men talking almost at the same time. All the Greek kings were supposed to discuss their plan on their next move but it ended up being a buzzing hive of angry bees that fought for a better place in the sun. Neoptolemus was still thirsty for revenge for hi ls father, wearing his armor proudly. The kid seemed to be one with the damn thing! Odysseus was still cursing the moment he decided to bring him from Skyros. This boy seemed less and less like a good idea for his expedition. Agamemnon was there for the glory of his nation, Menelaus wanted his wife back, this time time from a new suitor that took her as a wife, after the murder of Paris. Nestor was trying to keep them all in check, Diomedes still held a grudge against Paris even long after the mutilation of his corpse. Odysseus thought his head would split by this cacophony of tired and frustrated kings that each one of them wanted something different!

"ENOUGH!" Odysseus bellowed

The silence that followed was deafening as the king of Ithaca practically pranced through the crowded hall and grabbed the bronze scepter, pushing it to the ground.

"EVERYONE KEEP QUIET AND LET ME SPEAK!"

His voice had echoed long enough for everyone to understand that there was no stopping this man now. Odysseus took some raspy breaths as if he tried to collect himself before speaking.

"How much longer must this go on? How much longer should we keep this siege? Can't you see it? It's been a decade already! Troy won't fall! Trojans get new allies and we grow weaker by the year. Year after year after year after year we held this city and for what? How much longer will we stay here? Another 10 years? 20? I do not know about you, my lords, but I refuse to stay here that long! My wife and child waited way too long!"

"Do not wish to be king among kings, son of Laërtes!" A voice was heard over others, "you are not the only one with home and family to return to!"

"My lords, I can speak of no one else but myself. However I believe you shall agree with me that this siege lasted way too long. I have no doubt that there are many people; younger people in this council that can withhold this for the decades to come, but I have long stopped being young, my lords, and I do not intend going back to my home when I reach the age of Nestor and pass the crown to my adult son to retire. There are other kingdoms that require our attention, my lords! Not just this one, but our own!"

A series of hums passed around but Odysseus could feel it already there were some objections or some hesitations. They obviously didn't know what he was talking about.

"The war won't last much longer, Odysseus" Agamemnon the son of Atreus spoke, "we have already cut the tree of succession to the Trojan throne. Both Paris and Hector are dead, you managed to capture Helenos. Troy is losing already. I highly doubt we will stay here much longer"

"With all due the respect" Odysseus interrupted, "as long as there is the line of Priam Troy is not finished. Helen has now joined in matrimony with a new husband. Undoubtedly the widow of Hector will do the same when her period of mourning is done. And line or no line, the walls are still there, my lord, they are mocking us. We cannot break them from the outside"

"Odysseus..." Menelaus now spoke, the man who still believed in him blindly, "What else is to be done? We are not gods to transform ourselves to birds and get in"

Odysseus's eyes sparkled in a determined way as if he managed to hypnotize everyone in the room with just his fiery gaze, his voice sounded clearer than ever.

"I could take Troy in one night if the plan works!"

The seer audacity of his words was greeted with a silent shock and then a wave of chuckle.

"I believe you lost your mind FOR REAL this time, Odysseus son of Laërtes!" Neoptolemus called out arrogantly

Odysseus shot him with a warning glare. He had no idea how that insolent boy had heard about his attempt to avoid that war in the first place pretending to be mad but that was not the time for quarrel.

"I am pretty sure that the black ships of the Acheans rest in this place over a decade for nothing! We could obviously have asked you! I am sure you can also guide us inside the city yourself!"

"I have already infiltrated Troy!" Odysseus claimed.

The wave of exclamations that passed among the kings of the Greeks was delightful as it was annoying to Odysseus!

"We were protected by the gods, Diomedes and I. We disguised ourselves as beggars and walked about the city, I found their secrets, I know the passages! I plundered their temple according to the prophecy!"

With a determined move he threw the palladium of Athena to their feet; proof to his words. The silence he earned was delightful.

"I have a plan...if you choose to accept it!"

"That is not fighting with HONOR!" Agamemnon pointed out, "We do not do that Odysseus!"

"We fought with honor, Agamemnon...10 years now! And where did it lead us? We are still here; debating whether we shall live and die to the foot of Troy when the price is right there before us! If you want results, hear me out!"

As his onyx eyes stared deeply into his audience, he knew he had them now.

"I shall uproot the line of Priam from the city! We can throw them all out of the castle walls of the holy city of Troy! So, my lords, long-haired Acheans, if you want results, hear me out!"

Their silence was his confirmation.

"Here's the plan, then..."

*

Odysseus growled and snapped out of his flashback. How easy had he made that sound at that time! Even in his own ears such a promise wouldn't appear nearly as horrendous as it was proven to be! He felt a drop of sweat rolling down his chin but it was thicker. He could still feel blood... He grunted in annoyance as he removed that helmet that was crushing his head and sank his hands in the water, brushing them intensely. The water took a reddish sheen almost immediately. Blood was sticking way too much... Odysseus splashed water all over his face maniacally, even passing water over his matted with blood head. It was still there...the memory was still there... he felt dizzy almost. He rushed to the wine jar resting at the side. He broke the wax seal and filled a cup for himself without watering it first. He downed it quickly before having the chance to feel the burning sensation down his throat.

"Odysseus..." Polites started, alarmed

Odysseus didn't hear him. He filled a second cup that was gone the same quickly. He was still shaking.

"Blood..." he whispered, "Blood and death everywhere... plunders and rapes...everywhere..."

He clenched the cup in his hand.

"What have we done, Polites! What have we done?"

"What have I done?!"

"Sire..." Polites began, "this is war..."

A dry laughter escaped Odysseus's lips.

"That was no war, my friend...that was a massacre...a slaughter..."

He drained yet another cup. He was feeling dizzy and he wasn't sure it was the red wine at fault.

"Priam is dead..." he whispered as if in delirium, "...killed upon the altar of Zeus where he sought sanctuary... Cassandra raped right outside the sanctuary at the xoano of Athena...and Astyanax...the child is..."

His voice broke. He covered his face with his free hand as if that could stop the sobbing that was coming out of his thick chest.

"We're cursed, Polites..." he whispered, "Cursed...doomed! The gods won't turn the blind eye in this hubris..." he finished the cup he was holding

"Odysseus...please!" Polites exclaimed concerned, "Even so...what you say is right but still...it was war..."

"I gave them the key to this, Polites..." Odysseus ignored him, "it was MY plan that put them in..."

"Please, Odysseus...you...you didn't know..."

Odysseus chuckled. It was a dry, humorless one...

"Yes I did, my friend...I did...I just chose to ignore it..."

He refilled his cup.

"Odysseus I beg of you at least...at least put some water to your wine...don't do this..."

He placed his hand upon Odysseus's large shoulder.

"And no, that was what you feared...not what you knew. There was no way you would know the magnitude of it...you gave them the city just like you promised. What they did with it it was their responsibility."

If only it were that simple, Odysseus thought.

~~

Soon comes part 2. It will be probably 3 parts plus a footnote section!