Philotes, Goddess of Friendship & Affection (philotes) wrote in history_dot_com, @ 2012-05-07 15:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | ~eros, ~philotes |
Interpretations [Rome, 48 BCE] (tag: Eros)
She did not like the Romans. In general, at least. On a person to person level, she found those she liked here and there. But the way they listed their priorities was odd to Friendship, and she found herself truly missing the days when she was known as Philotes, rather than Amicitia. It wasn't that the Romans didn't like affection, because they certainly did. That part of her aspect they were more than willing to claim, though they seemed to prefer the physical over the emotional version of that. But friendship? They used it as a tool, and sometimes a weapon, rather than a gift.
It had been a bit of an eye opener for her when she started seeing how they viewed the blessings she gave them. For a time, she'd even considered withholding friendship from them until they learned to appreciate it more. But then she realized that wouldn't accomplish her goal. The only way for them to understand why friendship was important was to let them experience the affection that came with it, and hope that would change their minds. Thus far? It really hadn't. But that might be because they were really focused on war. Ares... no... Mars. Mars must be having a grand old time.
Because war was not just a major occupation throughout Rome and all it's satellites, it seemed to permeate everything. It was part of the very commerce of the country. War and politics were everywhere here. The Olympians must really appreciate that, even if they didn't appreciate being renamed. It still left them with some very powerful, and rather dedicated, worshipers. Amicitia really didn't get a whole lot of offerings thrown her way. But she'd never been about that anyway.
Still, Lottie had to give the Romans credit for one thing: everything they did, they did with style. They loved the pomp and circumstance, they loved putting on a spectacle, they loved a show. Everything seemed to be a stage for them, from the war they loved right down to mundane things like eating dinner. Everything had style and beauty to it, though she didn't always appreciate their tastes. The clothing was rich and lovely, the jewelry intricate and delicate, and the artwork...
Well.
She was actually looking at some of the artwork now, and she wasn't exactly sure what to make of this one. They did enjoy honoring the gods with their paintings and mosaics, and Lottie supposed she really couldn't blame them for getting some things wrong. But she had yet to understand why they insisted on making the erotes, sorry, cupides young and plump. Babies. Babies! How could they do that to gods that were that handsome and verile and... hot. This mosaic didn't have Eros, or Cupid, as a baby, but he was definitely young. And apparently drunk. And riding on the world's ugliest tiger. Which would explain a lot of the drunk part, she supposed.
Tilting her head the other direction, trying to get a better angle, Lottie stood in the triclinium, invisible to mortal eyes and unobserved by the servants going about their business. Unheard as well, because not one of them reacted when she announced, “I don't get it.”