#alkmene

[ninoofficial123]

"Ares is weak!"

Okay, uh...? What makes you think that?

Is it because of his combat with Heracles, after the son of Alkmene killed Cycnus, the son of Ares?

Well, guess what? In most versions, Zeus throws a thunderbolt between them to avoid a fight, since he didn't want Heracles to die (yet, they still needed him alive so he could help them later in the war against the giants. They don't say this, but we can get an idea of it).

Is it because of his combat with Diomedes in the Iliad? Well, Diomedes only won because Athena had helped him. He literally ran away from him when he first saw him and only dared combat him when Athena showed up.

Is it because of his combat with Apollo in the first Olympics? Well, the other game described in this myth is a race between Hermes and Apollo, in which Apollo also wins. So we're comparing winning a race against Hermes (literally one of the, if not the fastest god) to winning a battle against Ares. That doesn't sound like they were calling him weak? But rather that it was, in fact, very difficult to win against Ares in a wrestling match, just like it was difficult to win against Hermes in a race, and Apollo did both so he was praised for it (I'm pretty sure he even got the epithet "champion" for that, but I couldn't check it because my internet is somewhat failing rn).

Is it because he lost to Athena? Bro, the whole point of Athena's birth myth is that she's powerful. Literally everyone else (expect Zeus) would lose to her.

[sarafangirlart]

How come so few ppl recognize that Alcmene’s story is absolute nightmare fuel?

[bebemoon]

alcmene, the granddaughter of perseus and andromeda and the mother of heracles by zeus (her great-grandfather) .

[mossdftba]

Greek Mythology

Zeus: Fucks around

Hera: Finds out

[gwennafran]

Hedge Wizard - Alkmene

Practical Guide to Evil Book 3 fanart. 

Alkmene with a little bluebird that probably is soon to die in her service. All her cute animals seem to suffer that fate. :O

Hedge was interesting, I usually totally miss she's wearing a patchwork robe of many colours reading the story. Like she's making up for her ashen themed sister.

[deathlessathanasia]

"There was another woman, Alkmene, daughter of Elektryon who was his people’s champion. She left home and hearth for Thebes, this bride of warlike Amphitryon. Unrivaled in all the land for her beauty and stature, she was second to no mortal woman whose child was sired by a god, in the sharpness of her wit. Her face and dark eyelids wafted the charms of Aphrodite the golden; she honored her husband from the depths of her heart, and honored him as no other woman of equal beauty." - (Pseudo-)Hesiod, The Shield of Herakles, trans. Athanassakis

Supremely beautiful, tall, intelligent and loyal? Damn!

[deathlessathanasia]

"At that time Alcmene died of old age and the Heraclidae performed her obsequies. They dwelled by the Electran Gate where Heracles led his public life. Zeus sent Hermes, ordering him to steal Alcmene's body and to take her to the Isles of the Blest and give her as wife to Rhadamanthys. Obeying, Hermes stole away Alcmene leaving a stone instead of her in the coffin." - Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses § 33. ALCMENE

[deathlessathanasia]

Hi, where does it say that Zeus wasn’t in love with Alcmene and only used her to birth a son? Somehow this is worse than if he just mindlessly lusted for her…

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4.9.3: "And, in general, he did not effect this union from the desire of love, as he did in the case of other women, but rather only for the sake of procreation. Consequently, desiring to give legality to his embraces, he did not choose to offer violence to Alcmenê, and yet he could not hope to persuade her because of her chastity; and so, deciding to use deception, he deceived Alcmenê by assuming in every respect the shape of Amphitryon."