Monday, April 25, 2011

UNEXPECTED TWIST OF FATES ...


I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and Easter. Today marks the final week in the A-Z challenge. I for one am happy that this challenge has been such a successful one. Over one thousand of us have maintained the challenge posting exciting and usual entries. Today will be another mysterious mythological hero. I hope you enjoy it.

I was destined to be a hero and King of Ithaca at my birth. Protected by the the goddess  of wisdom, Athena, I often found solutions to extremely difficult problems. One in particular troubled my people for decades.
I like so many others was in love with the incredibly beautiful, Helen. After her arranged marriage to Menelaus and giving birth to a child, she fell in love with the handsome and charming, Paris, and was whisked away while her husband visited Crete to attend to a funeral amongst other things. 
After a world-wind romance Helen and Paris eventually arriving in Troy, the city fell in love with her including Paris’ father, Priam. 
Upon returning to Sparta, Menelaus learned of his wife’s infidelity and outraged banded all of Helen’s former suitors to rescue her from the clutches of Troy, vowing to kill her. On our treacherous journey to Troy, it was I who had formed the plan. A plan so simple, yet no one believed it could work. After weeks of convincing Menelaus, we began to build.
Scurrying the terrain for trees, the greek heroes and myself constructed a two story-horse under the watchful eyes of Trojans. In several weeks our mission was complete. 
Offered to Priam as a gift to end this decade long war, the un-penetrable gates of Troy finally opened. 
To their utter surprise and shock, we jumped out from the beast’s belly and rescued Helen. Trying so desperately to have his revenge on her, Menelaus could never harm a daughter of Zeus.
I left to travel back home to Ithaca which took another long ten years. I had many adventures on the way back, which have been immortalized in the pages of Homer’s Odyssey. Of course in his works, I was known as Odysseus. But many know me by my more famous Roman name, Ulysses.



21 comments:

Unknown said...

Ooo I knew this one! I knew this one! Great work... I love these little pieces! So creative and so much fun!

Anonymous said...

Poor Helen. She couldn't catch a break. So much fun to read about these characters!

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Ah, yes...one of my favorite stories. Man, I'm glad I didn't live back then. :)

Lisa Potts said...

How can you not love ancient mythology? This is a favorite of mine. Can't believe April is almost over.

Brenda Drake said...

U is for undeniably interesting, Michael. I love how you're reintroducing us to mythology. Wonderfully done! ;D

Anonymous said...

Nice work!

Johanna Garth said...

I love the creativity necessary for the alphabet challenge. Ulysses is a favorite with me but you are rapidly approaching X. Can't wait to see what you will do with that one.

IanBontems said...

Thanks for that, Michael. I really enjoyed this post (I love mythology).

I've been following the blogging challenge this month and it has been great to see all the diverse and fascinating directions the posts have gone from the participants.

VR Barkowski said...

Ulysses is a favorite (as long as I don't have to read James Joyce).

Brilliantly done, Michael! Not only have you been able to keep up with the challenge, the quality of your posts hasn't wavered for a second. Wish I could say that!

Laura said...

I loved this one - it's one of my favourites too. I can't believe we are in the last week already - Happy Monday
Lxxx

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Ulysses was my favorite hero when I was growing up, so I loved this post. Ulysses is also Victor Standish's favorite hero (big surprise since he is often called the "Ulysses of the French Quarter"!) Have a great new week, Roland

LTM said...

Ulysses inspires everyone, yes? Poets, bloggers, filmmakers... :D It's a great story, though. And your post is excellent. Thanks, Michael~

Hope your Easter was awesome, too!

Linda Gray said...

Love listening to Odysseus talk about Helen! V. cool, Michael.

Southpaw said...

As soon as you said Ithaca I knew it was Ulysses!

Golden Eagle said...

I managed to guess this one!

Great piece.

Heather said...

That's excellent! I didn't know that about Ulysses!

Wellington Artist said...

Just stopping by to say hi from the A-Z Challenge.

Nicki Elson said...

Hey, I enjoyed that way more than studying Homer in high school. Perhaps I ought to give those books another chance...

Trisha said...

The challenge has been great, but I'm exhausted!! LOL.

Sue said...

What a fun series of posts! I've just stopped by from A-Z. I'm trying madly to do a bit of a catch up. We're nearly finished - Celebration on the weekend! Sue@JumpingAground (Alliteration & drabbles)
Sue@traverselife(Workplace bullying)

Unknown said...

I love this story, as I love many of the Greek and Roman stories. I enjoyed the movie too, though I didn't think much of Brad Pitt in his little leather skirt...