Lore Olympus: Volume One

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Episodes 1-5

Episodes 6-11

Episodes 12-17

Episodes 18-20

Episode 21-Bonus Episode

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Themes

Toxic Relationships

Lore Olympus interrogates the causes and dynamics of toxic relationships that are romantic, platonic, and familial. Smythe suggests that unhealthy relationships are abusive and degrading, but the cycle of abuse makes it difficult for an individual in such a situation to leave. Eros, for example, has an unhealthy relationship with his mother, Aphrodite. They love each other deeply, but Aphrodite uses his lover Psyche to threaten Eros into enacting her revenge on Persephone. This tugs at his conscience, but he is powerless to refuse his mother. Hades has a somewhat unhealthy relationship with Zeus, who occasionally bullies him, such as when Hades attempts to get out of going to family brunch. Persephone also has a somewhat toxic relationship with her mother, Demeter, who loved her daughter but refused to let Persephone have any sort of independence growing up. Demeter’s greenhouse embodies this tension, as Persephone finds it both comforting and restricting. Persephone wants independence, but finds it difficult to establish on her own after years of overprotection. Her lack of confidence directly contributes to her hesitancy in her budding relationship with Hades.

The primary toxic romantic relationship explored in Lore Olympus is between Hades and the nymph, Minthe. Minthe constantly disappoints Hades with her behavior, including standing him up as his plus-one for the Panathenaea party. Minthe frequently verbally abuses Hades and takes advantage of his generosity. She is generally disliked by the other gods; Hera, for example, is relieved that Minthe does not attend the party, telling Hades, “‘Well, I for one, am grateful! I don’t have to spend the evening with that nymph trash’” (Episode 1, Page 8). The nature of their relationship is well-known to Hades’s friends and family. Zeus and Poseidon are particularly vocal about their dislike for Minthe, groaning loudly when Hades brings her up. When Hades mentions that he had been planning on proposing to Minthe, Zeus tells him, “What you want is an excellent Queen of the Underworld…not an ‘okay’ one” (Episode 19, Page 9). Zeus reminds Hades of his self-worth. It was Hades’s lack of self-confidence and self-esteem that caused him to stay in a toxic relationship for so long. After meeting the kind Persephone, Hades crushes the ring, and, later on, deletes voicemails from Minthe, indicating that he is on the path to standing up for himself and seeking a relationship that validates his self-worth. Through this dynamic, Smythe suggests that feeling loved or valued can help a person recognize that they are worthy of respect from their romantic partners. Persephone and Hades’s past experiences in unhealthy intimate relationships inhibit their ability to be honest and open with one another, but Smythe indicates that their shared experiences with self-doubt will ultimately make them well-suited as partners and facilitate mutual understanding.

The Power of Rumor and Reputation

The urbane world of Olympus in Lore Olympus is rife with scandal and gossip. This is partially a nod to Smythe’s source material: Greek mythology is populated with many stories of the gods’ exploits negatively affecting the world around them. Smyth uses these well-known myths to inform the anachronistic (though recognizable) actions of her gods. Instead of myths written by mortals, rumors about the gods’ behavior circulates in Olympian society. There is even evidence that the gods are hounded by paparazzi, as embodied by the satyr, meaning that their lives are similar to real-world celebrities and suggesting that celebrities are viewed as akin to gods in modern life: The stories told about their lives have power and significance in the lives of others.

The three Olympian Kings, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, are the main focus of the rumors that circulate in Olympus. Persephone makes Hades painfully aware of his reputation when she brings up his brothers’ scandalous exploits and assumes he must have a similar temperament. Though he tries his best to appear respectable, there are times when Hades is unable to escape the power of rumor and reputation; this threatens to harm his relationship with Persephone before it even begins. These rumors are shown to be unfounded in the scene at the strip club in Episode 18. Hades and his brothers are banned for their bad behavior, but there is a distinct contrast in the reasons that they are banned. Zeus is banned for sexual assault—“butt pinching” (Episode 18, Page 3). Poseidon is banned for destruction of property. Hades, on the other hand, is banned for hiring one of the performers due to her feedback on an introductory speech he wrote, thereby costing the club an employee—a decidedly more innocent and professional reason than his brothers.

Unfortunately for Hades, negative gossip often obscures good intentions. He is disliked by many gods, such as Artemis, Apollo, and Demeter. He worries that the negative associations with death and the Underworld make him unfit for Persephone. Hades’s self-confidence is impacted by the rumors that surround him, as well as being associated with death. Despite all of this, Persephone’s perception of him is largely untainted by his reputation. Instead of the lascivious scoundrel that rumors by characters such as Artemis make him out to be, Persephone sees Hades as a respectful, charmingly roguish god. Persephone’s ignorance of Olympian society makes her both more vulnerable to rumors shared by trusted friends like Artemis, and more open to new people for whom she lacks context. Hades’s genuine personality also helps him break through the negative impact of rumor, making room for the hope of a romantic relationship with Persephone.

Sexual Assault

Smythe adapts the Persephone myth to critique the prevalence of sexual assault among young adults, especially on college campuses. Smythe specifically chooses details that connect Persephone’s experience to instances of real-world sexual violence: Like Persephone, those who experience sexual assault in educational settings are often adjusting to new social environments; a significant number of these crimes are committed by an acquaintance of the survivor; these crimes frequently involve drugs or alcohol. These experiences are paralleled by the situations Persephone is put in by Eros and Apollo. Both of these male characters use Persephone’s social inexperience and trusting nature in order to isolate her. The Panathenaea is presumably Persephone’s first party; she does not know the dangers of being alone in such situations, and because she does not know any better, she allows Eros to isolate her. Not knowing her own alcohol tolerance, she drinks too much and passes out. While it is not confirmed, Eros’s actions (personally handing Persephone her drinks) also imply that he has drugged her. Though he does not sexually assault Persephone, it is implicit in Aphrodite’s plan that Hades will, and Eros participates in making her even more vulnerable.

Apollo’s behavior is much more direct. He sets his sights on Persephone from the moment he sees her and spends the evening making advances and sulking when Persephone does not immediately reciprocate. This indicates that he feels entitled to Persephone in the same way that Hera accused Hades of acting. To deflect Persephone’s suspicions, Apollo appears to project his ill intentions onto Hades, introducing doubt for Persephone about Hades’s intentions toward her. Ultimately, it is Apollo’s appeal to Persephone’s wish to feel like an adult that coerces her to allow him into her bed. Preying on Persephone’s insecurity and refusing to back down even when she is obviously uncomfortable are examples of dangerous and unethical sexual behavior. Smyth’s depiction of sexual assault emphasizes the importance of communication, especially the importance of consent during sexual activity. Apollo would not take no for an answer, and Persephone was consequently unable to verbalize her withdrawn consent. Smythe is careful to make Persephone’s feelings unambiguous: at no point does she consent enthusiastically, her physical posture is drawn consistently awkwardly, and Persephone dissociates for much of the sexual act. Apollo’s nonconsensual photographing of the assault is a further violation of Persephone’s agency and personhood, and is meant to reference both modern concerns regarding sexual intimacy and privacy and suggest that the harm done will extend beyond the present moment. At the end of the volume, Apollo’s assault has ended her chance of becoming a sacred virgin, and, like many who experience sexual assault, she feels alienated from her friends and family. Though this volume ends with Persephone in crisis, her outreach to Hades—the last person who took care of her—suggests that she will find healing through establishing her own agency and surrounding herself with people who truly care for and respect her.