greek heros & sadness

[icarusburns]

so here's the thing.

i really like greek mythology, but you're supposed to identify with the
good myths, hercules, the illiad, great stories of triumph, and i
don't. i identify with icarus, and with tantalus and sysiphys and all
the other non heroic figures who die badly or suffer. oo, prometheus.
him too. pandora.

icarus died in persuit of beauty,

tantalus was put in hell, surrounded by nourishment, unable to reach it,

sysiphys was put in hell, forced to roll a boulder to the top of the mountain, only to watch it fall over and over again.

promethius was tortured for eternity for giving fire to humans

and pandora brought evil into the world.

but...

icarus saw the sun, and felt its warmth before he fell forever to earth

tantalus had his satisfaction, because you don't have to take what's offered, and ignoring it was brilliantly defiant,

sysiphys had his moment of triumph, when he had reached the top, and even though it all fell back down, he did make it.

promethius, beautiful promethieus brought light and knowledge into the world

and for all the evil introduced by pandora, she also brought hope.

so who's the hero?

maybe i'm selfish, and for me, the hero is the one who wins for themself,

only themself.

that small triumph is worth more than nothing, right?