Athena says: This will be my tenth post on here, and to mark the occasion, I wanted to do something a little bit different. I thought that it would be a good time to reflect on the stories that we have read so far, and to present a tidy, bite-size summary of my more generally applicable moments of wisdom.
Normal service will resume next week, but for now here it is: my top five tips for getting by in the Ancient Greek world.
1.) Stay Humble
One of the fastest ways to end up in hot water in the Ancient Greek world is to offend somebody. And the worst thing that you could possibly do is to offend one of the gods. We do not take kindly to mortal boasting and hubris, and have been known to exact terrible punishments on those who deserve them (the case of can’tdoathing_withmyhair being a painfully obvious exception to this.)
There are, of course, a huge number of ways in which you could cause offence, so you must tread very carefully if you wish to avoid being turned into a spider, forced to feed your child to a sea-monster, or having your stepmother fall in love with you.
I have one simple suggestion to help you escape these – frankly bizarre – fates: pausing to think. Think before you speak, is it helpful in any way to compare your children/beauty/weaving ability etc to those of a goddess? Think before you loose that arrow – might that stag belong to a divine hunter? Think before you pray – are you leaving anybody out?
Above all, think of this excellent advice next time you find yourself on the verge of a stupendous brag!
2.) Be open-minded
We can all use a reminder to be more open-minded every now and then. A flexible approach to problem solving is vital, especially when coping with the ups and downs of life in the Ancient Greek world.
Sometimes all that is required is allowing yourself to consider a situation from someone else’s perspective –Not_burying_my_problems and sister_doingit_forherself spring to mind.
On other occasions we have cases like Legcramp_Laurel, where being open-minded involves an enormous leap of faith. I would seriously urge mortals not to rule out the possibility of metamorphosis when facing a seemingly unsolvable problem. It’s such a useful weapon to have in your arsenal when you find it necessary to worm your way out of a sticky situation.
So, no matter the issue before you, I hope you’ll remember to examine it from all angles and to give real consideration to all solutions.
3.) Take the lead in your own story
Very few of those who send questions in to me are the architects of their own misery. Some have been betrayed (back2life_back2reality), some have been deserted (AbandonedonNaxos), some have been bullied (athousandwarships_butnofriendships). Their feelings have been disregarded by “heroes”, kings, and others of that ilk.
My advice to all of these people was to focus on themselves and what they knew about their worth and value. I asked them to remember their own strength and all that they have achieved and to use these memories to direct themselves back to their rightful place: centre stage in their own story.
Some people, like the “heroes” I mention above, clearly don’t need this reminder, but I know that for some of you, this will be exactly what you needed to hear today. Don’t let anybody dim your spotlight.
4.) Have hope
In the Ancient Greek World, there is a very well-known story about the importance of hope and, who knows, Dear Athena may be hearing from some of those involved in this tale in the near future.
In the mean time, I felt that I should draw attention to this legend. There is always something you can do, someone you can turn to, always hope, which brings me neatly to my final point.
5.) Write to Dear Athena
A shameless bit of self-promotion, but honestly, who better to help you out in the Ancient Greek World than the goddess of wisdom?
There is no need for you to deal with your difficulties on your own. Whatever your dilemma, I’m ready and willing to dispense sympathy, suggestions, support, and anything else that you might need to give you a push in the right direction.
Got a question for me? Submit it using the Google Form below!
Dear Athena 