Freshman Humanities
Historical Fiction Project\Greece
Athena. The virgin goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, justice, friendship, independence, hunt, and skill.
Athena and the Olympics
By Heidi Williams
“I Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, justice, friendship, independence, hunt, and skill, am known to be the most important goddess in Greece. I am the most treasured daughter of Zeus, King of all gods, whom birthed me from his head. The people of Greece pray to me for protection and enlightenment. I deserve a more sharpened sword, wouldn't you think?!” I say to my lanky servant, Stave, tossing the sword at him nearly ending his life.
“Don’t you ever disobey me again! You ignorant rat. Now be gone before I release the wrath of me upon you!” I say with fused eyes. Stave turned away and ran, whimpering as he went. Anger burning inside me I decided to take a walk in the hot summer air to soothe my tension when I spy my favorite olive tree, a large shady trunk with beautiful brass looking leaves, gives me great protection from the sun. The hot Greek sun beat down on my shoulders and the tree is casting a shadow just big enough to relieve me of my exhaustion. I take a seat under the great tree and lean my head on its massive trunk and let myself slip into a mid-summer slumber.
Meanwhile down on Earth a crowd is gathering around the building of the Greek parliament. The people of Greece are shouting, “Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment!.”
The government officials began to hear the noise on the street so they stride toward the door. When they enter onto the street they couldn’t quite hear what the muffled crowd was saying, so they were silenced by the government officials. The officials then asked, “What is all this chaos about?” One of the citizens shouted from the crowd,
“We work all day long and when we get home there is nothing to do but drift off in sleep, we need some fun filled entertainment so that we aren’t bored all the time. Another citizen shouts,
“We know that you may not be capable of doing something this great, so we were hoping you would pray to the gods for us to see if they could make something great for us, something that will last for a lifetime that we will be remembered by. We all know your prayers to the gods are the most important and you give more to the gods than we could ever give. The gods will appreciate your prayers more than they will all of ours”.
The government officials take into mind what the case is, and they have so many pleading faces standing in front of them that they couldn’t turn them down. So one of the officials steps up and says,
“We will pray to the gods for you, we will take to Athena’s temple and we will offer up a sacrifice telling the gods what is on all of your minds.” The official looks out into the crowd and can see everyone agreeing with his statement, so he and the other officials walk back inside the Greek parliament and shut the door.
My slumber is interrupted by a small owl perched on my olive tree hooting about some urgent news he has for me. The action made a shake of anger arouse me.
“WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY SLUMBER!” I say through gritted teeth with a crack of thunder escaping the sky behind me.
“I-I have urgent ne-news from the gods,” says the little owl with a quiver in his voice and shaking so hard his feathers may fall out.
“Oh!” I say now giddy with excitement forgetting my rude awakening and steam rolling off my shoulders. "Owl? What is this news you speak of?"
"Th-the people, they are wishing for some sort of entertaangment or um maybe it was.."
"Entertainment?" I said with brows raised.
"Yes yes, that is the one. The gods are calling for your gifts"
"I think you mean presence owl." I say over my shoulder, giggling, filling my brain with thoughts about a game, a war, the perfect type of entertainment. I take to the winds until I reach my destination. The entrance to Olympus is a great gate of clouds sealing in a silver glow. The wind is crisp and cool as it kissed my cheeks and combed the wave in my hair. My footsteps and breath is silenced by the wonderful essence of the great mountain, everything was silent except a slight whooshing of the breeze through the great garden and an echo of a distant tinkling bell. I had never been in better spirits to engage in a meeting with the gods. When I arrive at the marble table and sit in my thrown of gold, I'm greeted with the faces of my father, Zeus and my two Uncles Poseidon, the king of the sea, and Hades, the ruler of the underworlds.
"I’m calling you all to this meeting because the people of Greece are asking for some sort of games, some sort of entertainment,” exclaimed Zeus.
“Well of course all of the events will take place under seas” says Poseidon.
“Mortals can’t breathe under water you dim wit,” says Hades. “Of course they would take place in fire.¨
“And have them burn and drown to death, oh that’s smart,” I say annoyed with the bickering.
“Oh what do you want girly?! A bloody battle filled with friendship. If you ask me those are conflicting ideas,” argues Poseidon.
“Don’t call me girly! And who are you to criticize my powers, Mr. water-works.”
“What do you want my lovely,” Zeus questioned, shooting glares at his brothers.
“I want mortals forced to participate in the games, this will be a fight to the death in a dangerous arena, controlled by us. There will be no survivors, now that’s great entertainment,” I say sitting back in my thrown, smiling.
“No, No that’s far too brutal.” Zeus replied.
“I haven’t heard anything out of your mouth. I’m sure the king of the sky has an idea or two.” Hades says taking my side.
“Fine, I’ll plan the games myself. Meeting dismissed” Zeus said.
“Who made you king of entertainment?” Says Hades, Poseidon, and I in unison.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?” Said Zeus making clouds swarm overhead and the ground beneath our feet shake from the thunder claps sending lightning through our vanes scorching our flesh from the inside out and filling the room with an unpleasant burning aroma. I then send my sword and shield slashing threw Zeus’s left cheek leaving a smear of silver blood on the tip of my sword.
“How dare you trash your anger at him,” said Poseidon filling my lungs with icy liquid that freezes me from the inside out choking me, resisting me from my breath. Hades then conceals my body with a burning inferno hot enough to eat away at my granite flesh. I then seize my shield and deflect the torture that is thrust upon me.
Our battle was interrupted by a Demi god by the name Hercules. He told us he overheard the fight from a not so nearby cloud then proposed an idea of him planning the games into something that is a little piece of all of us.
"In three days’ time I will have the whole games planned," said Hercules with a smirk on his face.
“What will then happen to us?” I say, “Will we get any credit?”
“Of course you will, you all will,” Hercules says. “In fact you can help me create the layout of the arena.” We all agree with Hercules, and sooner or later we have a model set up on the table of what the structure of the arena, and the games would look like. Strong pillars, an open ceiling so that we can look down on the people competing. What a great advantage the young Hercules was. After a while we have decided everything. From when it will take place, to what kind of material the chairs will be made of.
“Okay,” I say, “So we are going to have the first games begin in 776 BC, the games will consist of the sprint going to 108 meters in length, there is going to be three trophies represented to the 1st 2nd and 3rd place winners, it will happen every four years, and it is going to be called the Olympics in honor of our arrangement.”
“Yes, agreed,” we all say in unison.
“So let the games begin!” I exclaimed.
Being a man of his word the handsome Hercules proved to be the god of athletics and strength by planning the best games the world has ever seen. The applause of the people of Greece can be heard from miles away, a great first games has been held and the victors have been crowned, the crowd is going crazy thanking the gods for this great gift. This has certainly been a game to remember for the people of Greece, and it will come to be known throughout the whole earth, and the people will always think of the gods and the precious gift we have given them till this day forward.
“Don’t you ever disobey me again! You ignorant rat. Now be gone before I release the wrath of me upon you!” I say with fused eyes. Stave turned away and ran, whimpering as he went. Anger burning inside me I decided to take a walk in the hot summer air to soothe my tension when I spy my favorite olive tree, a large shady trunk with beautiful brass looking leaves, gives me great protection from the sun. The hot Greek sun beat down on my shoulders and the tree is casting a shadow just big enough to relieve me of my exhaustion. I take a seat under the great tree and lean my head on its massive trunk and let myself slip into a mid-summer slumber.
Meanwhile down on Earth a crowd is gathering around the building of the Greek parliament. The people of Greece are shouting, “Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment!.”
The government officials began to hear the noise on the street so they stride toward the door. When they enter onto the street they couldn’t quite hear what the muffled crowd was saying, so they were silenced by the government officials. The officials then asked, “What is all this chaos about?” One of the citizens shouted from the crowd,
“We work all day long and when we get home there is nothing to do but drift off in sleep, we need some fun filled entertainment so that we aren’t bored all the time. Another citizen shouts,
“We know that you may not be capable of doing something this great, so we were hoping you would pray to the gods for us to see if they could make something great for us, something that will last for a lifetime that we will be remembered by. We all know your prayers to the gods are the most important and you give more to the gods than we could ever give. The gods will appreciate your prayers more than they will all of ours”.
The government officials take into mind what the case is, and they have so many pleading faces standing in front of them that they couldn’t turn them down. So one of the officials steps up and says,
“We will pray to the gods for you, we will take to Athena’s temple and we will offer up a sacrifice telling the gods what is on all of your minds.” The official looks out into the crowd and can see everyone agreeing with his statement, so he and the other officials walk back inside the Greek parliament and shut the door.
My slumber is interrupted by a small owl perched on my olive tree hooting about some urgent news he has for me. The action made a shake of anger arouse me.
“WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY SLUMBER!” I say through gritted teeth with a crack of thunder escaping the sky behind me.
“I-I have urgent ne-news from the gods,” says the little owl with a quiver in his voice and shaking so hard his feathers may fall out.
“Oh!” I say now giddy with excitement forgetting my rude awakening and steam rolling off my shoulders. "Owl? What is this news you speak of?"
"Th-the people, they are wishing for some sort of entertaangment or um maybe it was.."
"Entertainment?" I said with brows raised.
"Yes yes, that is the one. The gods are calling for your gifts"
"I think you mean presence owl." I say over my shoulder, giggling, filling my brain with thoughts about a game, a war, the perfect type of entertainment. I take to the winds until I reach my destination. The entrance to Olympus is a great gate of clouds sealing in a silver glow. The wind is crisp and cool as it kissed my cheeks and combed the wave in my hair. My footsteps and breath is silenced by the wonderful essence of the great mountain, everything was silent except a slight whooshing of the breeze through the great garden and an echo of a distant tinkling bell. I had never been in better spirits to engage in a meeting with the gods. When I arrive at the marble table and sit in my thrown of gold, I'm greeted with the faces of my father, Zeus and my two Uncles Poseidon, the king of the sea, and Hades, the ruler of the underworlds.
"I’m calling you all to this meeting because the people of Greece are asking for some sort of games, some sort of entertainment,” exclaimed Zeus.
“Well of course all of the events will take place under seas” says Poseidon.
“Mortals can’t breathe under water you dim wit,” says Hades. “Of course they would take place in fire.¨
“And have them burn and drown to death, oh that’s smart,” I say annoyed with the bickering.
“Oh what do you want girly?! A bloody battle filled with friendship. If you ask me those are conflicting ideas,” argues Poseidon.
“Don’t call me girly! And who are you to criticize my powers, Mr. water-works.”
“What do you want my lovely,” Zeus questioned, shooting glares at his brothers.
“I want mortals forced to participate in the games, this will be a fight to the death in a dangerous arena, controlled by us. There will be no survivors, now that’s great entertainment,” I say sitting back in my thrown, smiling.
“No, No that’s far too brutal.” Zeus replied.
“I haven’t heard anything out of your mouth. I’m sure the king of the sky has an idea or two.” Hades says taking my side.
“Fine, I’ll plan the games myself. Meeting dismissed” Zeus said.
“Who made you king of entertainment?” Says Hades, Poseidon, and I in unison.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?” Said Zeus making clouds swarm overhead and the ground beneath our feet shake from the thunder claps sending lightning through our vanes scorching our flesh from the inside out and filling the room with an unpleasant burning aroma. I then send my sword and shield slashing threw Zeus’s left cheek leaving a smear of silver blood on the tip of my sword.
“How dare you trash your anger at him,” said Poseidon filling my lungs with icy liquid that freezes me from the inside out choking me, resisting me from my breath. Hades then conceals my body with a burning inferno hot enough to eat away at my granite flesh. I then seize my shield and deflect the torture that is thrust upon me.
Our battle was interrupted by a Demi god by the name Hercules. He told us he overheard the fight from a not so nearby cloud then proposed an idea of him planning the games into something that is a little piece of all of us.
"In three days’ time I will have the whole games planned," said Hercules with a smirk on his face.
“What will then happen to us?” I say, “Will we get any credit?”
“Of course you will, you all will,” Hercules says. “In fact you can help me create the layout of the arena.” We all agree with Hercules, and sooner or later we have a model set up on the table of what the structure of the arena, and the games would look like. Strong pillars, an open ceiling so that we can look down on the people competing. What a great advantage the young Hercules was. After a while we have decided everything. From when it will take place, to what kind of material the chairs will be made of.
“Okay,” I say, “So we are going to have the first games begin in 776 BC, the games will consist of the sprint going to 108 meters in length, there is going to be three trophies represented to the 1st 2nd and 3rd place winners, it will happen every four years, and it is going to be called the Olympics in honor of our arrangement.”
“Yes, agreed,” we all say in unison.
“So let the games begin!” I exclaimed.
Being a man of his word the handsome Hercules proved to be the god of athletics and strength by planning the best games the world has ever seen. The applause of the people of Greece can be heard from miles away, a great first games has been held and the victors have been crowned, the crowd is going crazy thanking the gods for this great gift. This has certainly been a game to remember for the people of Greece, and it will come to be known throughout the whole earth, and the people will always think of the gods and the precious gift we have given them till this day forward.