Alexa Downing
Pastiche Writing Assignment
October 10, 2014
Zeus, of Mount Olympus, had neglected to call a meeting of the gods that night. He was too drunk on mortal wine to remember. With the satchel of lightning bolts bouncing from his hip he lurched across the peak, threw open the marble doors to his bedchamber, poured himself a glass of ambrosia from the bottle he kept by his door and made his way to his bed, where Hera was already sleeping.
As soon as Zeus's thundering snores could be heard, there was a rustling all throughout the palace. Word had gone round during the day that Chiron, the wisest of the centaurs, had had the strangest premonitions from the Oracle at Delphi the previous night and wished to share it with the other gods. It was agreed that they should all meet in the great hall, where the twelve thrones sat empty for the night. The hall was still lit, of course by Hestia, perched on her stool stoking the fire.
Chiron, was the first tame centaur, and it was said he had more knowledge than all the gods combined. He was well liked amongst the minor deities and highly regarded, therefore all the gods were quite ready to hear what he had to say.
At one end of the hall, sitting on one of the grand thrones, Chiron was already curling his horse's legs behind him, lit mythically by the glow of the eternal flame. He was immortal, like the rest of them, but his eyes had this twinkling intelligence that betrayed all sense of age.
Before long, the rest of the gods began to arrive and make themselves comfortable in their different fashions. First came Cerberus, in a foul mood as usual. Then came Ares and Athena, who both sat in their designated thrones, glancing icily at each other.
The satyr's perched themselves upon the grand marble steps and Aphrodite's doves uttered up to the rafters. Next came Hephaestus and Thetis, Thetis walking slowly to keep up with Hephaestus and his limp. Thetis was a gentle sea goddess, who found Hephaestus after he was hurled from Mount Olympus by Zeus. Hephaestus had never quite got his ability to walk back after being shoved off a mountain, and was therefore assisted by his two metal robots.
Hephaestus was an enormous god. It was said he weighed so much his legs could not support him. The soot always powdering his face gave him a somewhat unattractive appearance, and in fact he was not handsome, but he was greatly respected by all the gods for his steadiness of work and character.
After those two came Apollo and Artemis, the twins. Apollo was the most narcissistic of the gods (except for perhaps Ares.) He often talked about himself and his exploits with the mortals, bragging about the young men and women he had snared from earth for his romantic escapades while the other gods shook their heads in disapproval. All except Hephaestus, and though they would never admit it, the two of them were close friends. They usually spent their free time together in Hephaestus's forge or deking about on earth in disguise.
At the last moment, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, came mincing daintily into the hall, her mane of blonde hair flowing behind her. She took a place near her husband Ares and proceeded to braid and re-braid her long mane, hoping to draw attention to the fact that she had just rejuvenated herself at the island of Cythera.
Last of all came Dionysus, who, drunk as usual collapsed into the warmest throne by the fire.
All the gods were now present except for Hermes, the messenger god who was busy on earth delivering messages for Zeus.
When Chiron saw that they had all made themselves comfortable, he cleared his throat and began:
State of Intent: (re-submitted because Alexa was stupid and can't read directions)
My intent in writing this piece was to show how similar animals and gods can be. While reading the book, I continually saw parallels between the Greek gods and the animals in animal farm. Any group of beings, no matter how big or how small can be affected by corrupted power and lack of leadership.