The Homeric Mediterrean IS beautiful.
I dislike the idea that the ancient Mediterranean is not alive, it is. Not as much but it really is. The trees have not been erased they still exist as before just younger not older. Heck the mediterranean forest is pyrophile and needs wildfires to turn back (natural ones, not human made ones) But we still have forests with the same tree composition as the Homeric ones, different? sure, but still the same core species.
Anyways, back to topic.
What I really start to see is something and is the subliminal reitaration that there is only one type of correct Mediterranean and that is the Thyrrenian and Aegean one when no, it is not. And even then is the type of Mediterranean that is only found in touristic areas such as Liguria, Sicilia, Aegean islands, Attika, etc.
And more so, an specific one of the times of Northern European/American's elite areas for Summer. Because most details that they throw in their tales roughly correspond to the XIX-XX century ideal for tourist destination. Again homegenization and touristification of the area.
Again, it is regurgating an already tired idea and making it look "ancient". Which is funny in itself for they always miss the mark and end up writing stories that only work in their narrative framework, example: kissing.
Kissing in the mouth, cheeks or hands was not seen as purely romantic nor cheeks, hands are. A normal retelling author would write a king kissing a king in the lips with homoerotical subtones when in reality it was just protocol and nothing special (really rough example)
The enviorment they paint is so off, and I will say it, there is this strange obsession with olive trees (Olea europea) that is so distasteful. It is emblematic, it is crucial for our area for it is a bioindicator of mediterranean climate and intrisic part of our stories but, it is not in the way I've seen it done.
Not everywhere is just olive tree groves, there are many many other trees such oak-helm, oaks, beeches, cypress, pine trees (P. maritima, nigra, halepessensis you decide), etc... and we are not going to talk about flowers because only just with the Asteraceae (daisy family).
So the feeling or aesthetic they try to emulate or create is based on a misinterpretation of a really concrete time that it is not even close to the multitude of realities that existed, exist and will continue to exist.
