this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2025
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History Memes
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It's actually really interesting that both
"Hades kidnapped and basically coerced a girl into becoming his wife"
and
"Persephone conspired to elope with her boytoy, using legalistic maneuvering to ensure she could stay with her true love against the wishes of her family"
are equally ancient interpretations.
... and that "This MIGHT be holsum" is one of the most positive relationships in the whole Greek pantheon.
Hades also went to the father for permission first before doing anything, which by the norms of the time made him a perfect gentleman (certainly better than Mr. Let-me-secretly-impregnate-you-as-a-golden-shower, anyway). The mother's opinion on the matter was irrelevant.
This has been your periodic reminder that ancient Greece was spectacularly misogynist.
Maybe it's like an inverse of the twice-shy situation; Hades and Persephone were both sweet on each other but neither one knew the other was interested and they both enacted zany romcom shenanigans to get together simultaneously when either one could have just asked the other out.
Dear God(ess) that's a fun take and easily justified, but it was holsum=wholesome that really threw me. It's almost like three millennia old morals have little relevance to the current world, and yet, the kardishans, trump etc say no. Silly apes. Still like Eris best, much fun.
Oh good, it wasn't just me who got stuck on that.