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Hello peoples!
Sorry if you’re confused by the pronouns. I lowkey just didn’t want to say Athena and Arachne every 5 words. But now I've used she/her like a million times!! *sob*
Arachne’s brother is named Phalanx. Despite the same name it is NOT like the original myth where the siblings do incest. Phalanx is just overprotective (I was imagining him as Yuri from Spy Family) so if you know that it might be easier to see his character.
My inspiration is from Ovid’s versions/stories, and chronologically Arachne happens after Medusa (and i’m giving Athena trauma so *cackle*) Medusa will be mentioned as a past event in Athena’s monologue (It's not really important, tho...Fun fact I guess)
I have head-canon’s about gods (like their life/powers) List includes the following: Athena has instant healing/regenerating powers but she can feel pain, gods don’t sleep (since they’re divine), they can go into mortals’ dreams (either as an observers or they can change/control the dream as well), and they have thought conversations (like read mortals’ thoughts and then speak to the mortal through their mind).
Dictionary: (because I’ve done a lot of research to be historically accurate) But these are MY DEFINITIONS so there’s a few holes, but it’s everything you need for the story :P
Lydia - An ancient kingdom in present day Turkey where Arachne is from
Chiton - A long woolen tunic worn in ancient Greece.
Sparta - A city in Laconia (a territory/city-state) in modern day Greece
Gytheio - A port city close to Sparta
Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia - A temple dedicated to Artemis. It’s about 45km away from Gytheio but for purposes of the story I’m just going to…scoot it closer
Agoge - A rigorous education/military training program in ancient Sparta.
Iren - A person in the Spartan education system(Agoge) who was 20-29 years old. These men supervised, commanded, and mentored younger boys in training.
Xenelasia - The practice in Sparta which expelled foreigners and discouraged traveling abroad.
Xenia - An ancient Greek concept of hospitality. Which was an official agreement between a foreigner and a spartan citizen. Used by foreigners to avoid being turned away/enslaved (since it was a xenelasia area).
Helot - A member of an enslaved population in ancient Sparta.
Krypteia - Spartan secret police used to monitor/control the Helot. (To prevent them from revolting) these men were located around the country side/borders of Sparta.
Hiketeia - A sacred ritual which allows vulnerable individuals to plead for protection/asylum. (basically pleading sanctuary). Traditionally: The individual needs to do a ceremony/beg to the god but since Arachne’s TOO COOL FOR THAT I’m just…taking that part out.
Hiketes - A person(suppliant) who was legally and morally untouchable because they were protected by hiketeia. To harm, reject, or turn away a hiketes was considered a sin and an insult to the gods. So…it was the only form of legal protection for illegal foreigners in Sparta.
Notes: (or just more information about ancient Greece)
Okay, since Sparta was a xenelasia city. It had lots of protection to stop foreigners from entering without a xenia. Ephors, were at the top; they were in control of that issue, the government workers. The Mastigophoroi, were state officials who had whips and were typically patrolling crowded areas, but sometimes they were involved with rounding/catching foreigners. The Perioikoi were free, non-citizens who acted as the first line of defense at the borderlands into the valley of Sparta itself; the Perioikoi authorities intercepted foreigners and reported them to the Ephors. The Krypteia focused on the helots, but since they were taught to stop all threats to Sparta, that would also include foreigners (because their society was paranoid!). The real process would involve legal interrogations, but for the sake of the plot (and more fun for me) the Spartan defense will be impulsively violent :)
When women traveled by themselves, they were at more risk of getting taken/propositioned/enslaved/robbed so they dressed in heavy/plain mourning clothes that covered their faces (with veils). There was also no such thing of commercial ships (purely for people to travel) so people had to bribe and negotiate with traders to allow them to ride on their cargo ships. And…since it’s ancient Greece (and frankly a PLACE), women meet gross creeps! Not anything triggering just something that happens in the story.
Also, I’m too tired to research currency so imma just call it “coins” (I’m sorry, I did all of this Greek research for a fan fic and I need to study for spanish finals *sobbing*)
Hopefully, this make-shift history lesson helps you understand the story better. And I hope you enjoy it!!!
Shout out to my beta! Who’s my BEAUTIFUL LOVELY friend!!! Who helped me through this two week intensive process of me being obsessed with Athena x Arachne toxic yuri and writing it aggressively. And she doesn’t know she’s my beta because she’s a book nerd and not a fan fic nerd >:))