Two hours and five hundred words later... (and a good story)

[aleathiel]

Why is it taking such an incredibly long time to get anywhere with this essay?

More interestingly, I discovered this story yesterday while looking at stuff for the Sparta paper I'm studying.

In 378 a Spartan soldier called Sphodrias led an unauthorised attack on Piraeus. He was put to trial afterwards because he was not given permission for such an action and as such had disobeyed the state and faced execution. There was never any doubt that he was guilty, but he was let off because the King of Sparta, Agesilaos decided that Sphodrias was basically too good a person to face death even if he had broken the law. So Sphodrias was released and his bravery was praised.

However, when you look into this further it becomes more complex. It turns out that Sphodrias's son and Agesilaos's son were lovers.

I adore the idea that the king's son must have gone to his father to beg for the life of his lover's father. So totally romantic. And the fact that we will never know what actually happened all those thousands of years ago, or what became of the relationship between the boys makes it even more poigniant.

Comments

[sweetserene.livejournal.com]

What a sweet tale...

I'm also reminded of that story of Alexander and Haphaestion (am actually quite curious to see how this turns out in that Colin Farrel movie...)

"Alexander's grief over Hephaestion went beyond all reasonable bounds. He crucified the doctor who had treated Hephaestion. He ordered all of the manes and tails of the animals in his army to be cut off as a sign of mourning, and he tore down the walls of the cities nearby. He banned all music. Then he went into the country of the Cossaeans and for no reason massacred the entire nation.

Alexander was only defeated once, the Cynic philosophers said long after his death, and that was by Hephaestion's thighs."

[aleathiel.livejournal.com]

And Achilles's relationship with Patroclus. I doubt we will see much of that in Troy (sadly).
I mean, having seen cast lists I still haven't seen any evidence of Partoclus at all - and he is just a tiny bit vital to the storyline!

[sweetserene.livejournal.com]

I heard the Colin Farrell movie is going to deal with the sexuality aspect of Alexander (there was a news article recently about Colin wanting to handpick which guys he has to make out with in one of the scenes.. hehe), but the Leonardo Dicaprio version is going to avoid it all together. Guess which one I'd rather see....

[aleathiel.livejournal.com]

Really! Now maybe I am more interested in that film...

[sweetserene.livejournal.com]

Thought you might find this interesting:

Irish stud Colin Farrell's all puckered for his next big-screen shocker -- he'll be kissing nude men! Colin plays the title role in Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great bio pic, candidly portraying the conqueror's many male conquests in sex scenes so hot he's demanded the right to handpick the hunky lover-boys he'll be seducing.

:D

[aleathiel.livejournal.com]

Yup, greatly increased interest in this film!!
(the problem I have with Colin Farrell is that I remember him back when he wasn't famous and did family-viewing Sunday night TV. I find it hard to imagine him as a film star. Maybe this will change all that)

[sweetserene.livejournal.com]

Still hoping that when the final product is done they won't cut out all the "controversial" scenes, as big budget productions are prone to do...

[ohiaminagony.livejournal.com]

Hi,
I am a random LJ-sufer...

hope you do not mind me posting this on my LJ (the story of Spartans) I find it very sweet and would like to share this with my friends.

[aleathiel.livejournal.com]

No that's fine. I posted it to share because I thought it was sweet too!