Orichalcum: the metal of Atlantis

 In Greek, the term 'Atlantis' means 'island of Atlas' (Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος), and it may very well have applied to the island of Santorini. It was Plato who brought life--and myth--to Atlantis. According to him, Poseidon fell in love with Cleito, the daughter of Evenor and Leucippe, who bore him five pairs of male twins. The eldest of these, Atlas, was made rightful king of the entire island and the ocean--called the Atlantic Ocean in his honor--and was given the mountain of his birth and the surrounding area to rule over. It was also Plato who wrote that Poseidon made Atlantis--a huge island with a volcano at its center--His home after Zeus, Hades and He divided the world.

Plato's description of Atlantis would have fit the ancient hellenic version of Santorini well. It was a large, mountainous, island, with an active volcano at its center. The large settlement on the island was build around said volcano. Poseidon's influence on the island isn't a stretch of the imagination at all; there was sea and ocean all around and from time to time, the entire island would tremble due to the volcano.

The volcano eruption decimated the settlement, but from what archeologists and scholars have been able to piece together, the settlement was a sight to behold while it stood. It had walls eight meters tall, three story houses, beautiful frescos and a rich economic climate. The volcano eruption preserved much of the ancient city of Akrotiri, despite the huge lagoon the eruption left at the center of the island.

One of Atlantis' marvels was the much-praised and highly valuable metal called 'orichalcum'. It was called 'aurichalcum' by the Romans and is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the Critias dialogue, recorded by Plato. In it, he says:

"Some of their buildings were simple, but in others they put together different stones, varying the colour to please the eye, and to be a natural source of delight. The entire circuit of the wall, which went round the outermost zone, they covered with a coating of brass, and the circuit of the next wall they coated with tin, and the third, which encompassed the citadel, flashed with the red light of orichalcum."

The name derives from the Greek ὀρείχαλκος, oreikhalkos (from ὄρος, oros, mountain and χαλκός, chalkos, copper or bronze), meaning literally 'mountain copper' or 'copper mountain'.

In January 2015, a team of divers have discovered dozens of pieces of ancient metal from a shipwreck, aged 2,600 years, off the coast of Sicily island, in the south of Italy. The lumps of metal were arriving to Gela in southern Sicily, possibly coming from Greece or Asia Minor. The ship that was carrying them was likely caught in a storm and sunk just when it was about to enter the port. They were unlike any metal ever found. Analyzed with X-ray fluorescence, the 39 ingots turned to be an alloy made with 75-80 percent copper, 15-20 percent zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

The mining of orichalcum would have made Atlantis (or Santorini) very wealthy as it seems the metal was only mined there, and orichalcum was considered second only to gold in value.

• Thursday, May 27, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis Atlas Mythology 101 Plato Poseidon

Historian claims Atlantis is hiding off the coast of Britain

Please, take this with the uttermost grain of salt, but it was too good not to share. We all knwow hat Atlantis is, right? Atlantis is the (fictional?) island first described by Plato in his texts Timaeus and Critias, said to be an antagonist naval power that besieged Ancient Athens. In the story, Athens repels the Atlantean attack unlike any other nation of the known world, supposedly giving testament to the superiority of ancient Greece. The story concludes with Atlantis falling out of favour with the deities and submerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

In two YouTube video posted on his channel Ancient Architects, the expert claimed that Rockall is the most likely location for Atlantis and there are clear and obvious manmade features that leave no doubt of a lost ancient civilisation.

"The description of Atlantis should be our starting position when looking for it. First of all, to simplify his words, Plato says that beyond the Straits of Gibraltar, in the Atlantic Ocean is an island as big as Libya and Asia put together. From this island, you could pass to yet more islands before ending up at the opposite continents that surround the Atlantic Ocean. The opposite continent has to be the Americans, it is on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean and therefore this piece of information must rule out the Americas as a possible location. 

With this in mind, geologically speaking, there is no huge sunken supercontinent within the Atlantic Ocean, between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Americas that match the description. Therefore, in my opinion, Plato, or whoever this piece of information came from, was exaggerating the size for political reasons. If any specific place fits Plato’s words, I would say that this area is Rockall. For a start, Plato is explicit that Atlantis isn’t a city, but an island, that leads to other islands, then to the enormous opposite continent, which can only be the Americas. The other islands he refers to must be situated between the Americas and sunken continental landmass of Atlantis, close to Europe and Africa as Plato says it is outside of the Pillars of Hercules."

Mr Sibson went on to identify Rockall, an uninhabited granite islet off the coast of the UK, as a possible candidate.

"The only sizeable piece of continental crust under the sea our side of the Pillars of Hercules is Rockall. Furthermore, you can island hop from Rockall to the Americas via Iceland and Greenland. Plato goes on to say that a wonderful empire had arisen in Atlantis, which had rule over the island, as well as many others. I would suggest that the islands that belonged to Atlantis were the ones that connected it to the Americas. Plato says there was a time of extraordinary earthquakes and inundations, and in one terrible storm the warriors of Atlantis were swallowed and Atlantis likewise sank into the sea and vanished. He says this is why the ocean in this part can not be navigated or explored, owing to the great depth of mud caused by the subsiding of the island."

Mr Sibson explained why geological activity near Rockall may have caused it to fall into the Atlantic.

"It is still the case that the sea is too shallow to sail over, with numerous ships in history caught in the rocks. This part of the northern Atlantic has quite a complex geological history and there is clear evidence that Rockall was torn apart through numerous faults. The highly faulted Atlantic Ocean would have been forced into moving geologically both vertically and horizontally, leading to increasing volcanic activity and major water displacement in the form of tsunamis. Interestingly, the northernmost part of the ridge looks somewhat different to the main rift valley, in that there is one enormous fault zone in the ocean crust."

• Wednesday, January 22, 2020
  archeology Atlantis current affairs Plato

High-tech search company claims to have discovered Atlantis

If there’s one archaeological find that would turn the world on its head it would be the discovery of the lost city of Atlantis. Many have looked for the remains of the mythical locale, but nobody has come close to actually finding it, and researchers claiming to have found it in the past have all ultimately been proven wrong. Now, with a suite of high-tech hardware at its disposal, a company called Merlin Burrows believes it might have finally pinpointed the location where the city once stood. Needless to say, you should take everything you read from this point on with a huge grain of salt.

Thousands of years ago, Plato wrote about the civilization, noting that its incredible technological advancements and wealth had no equal, and that the city was ultimately destroyed by some terrible event. Nobody even really knows if Plato meant for his writings to be taken as documentation of the existence of the city or if he was just sewing a yarn to serve as a warning against the dangers of excess, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of people from searching for Atlantis.

Merlin Burrows, which calls itself a land and sea search company specializing in finding “forgotten or hidden” things, is poised to release a documentary about what it says may finally be proof that Atlantis was real.

Speaking with Live Science, Merlin Burrows CEO Bruce Blackburn says his company used satellite data to comb an area that the group believed may have been the location of the thriving city. Their work began years ago and, according to Blackburn, the location was chosen based on Plato’s writings as well as other texts.

The spot, which is located near the coast in Spain’s Doñana National Park, was subsequently searched for clues. Merlin Burrows says it was then that the company found what it believes is remains of temples and towers. Dating of the material, which is thought to be early concrete, suggested it was between 10,000 and 12,000 years old, which would fit the rough timeline of when Atlantis is said to have existed.

This is hardly the first time a group has claimed discovery of Atlantis, and it’s not even the first time that researchers suggested the remains might be sitting in this specific location in Spain. However, Merlin Burrows says its upcoming documentary titled Atlantica will put questions to rest.

With so many false “finds” in the past, the archaeological community at large is pretty worn out on Atlantis discoveries. If this is indeed the proof we’ve all been waiting for it’ll be an incredible achievement, but for now we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed.

• Thursday, December 6, 2018
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis current affairs

Piece of olive tree found on Thirasia changes Santorini volcano explosion date

The dating of a piece of olive tree found on Thirasia will move the dating of the eruption of Santorini’s volcano a few decades later than current estimates, the Ministry of Culture and Sports said on Friday.

The wood was found in the area “Kimissi Thirassias”, the prehistoric settlement which lies on a hillside of the island once connected to Thira, or Santorini, at least up to the Middle Bronze Age, before the volcano exploded.

The settlement is on top of a hill on the southern side of Thirasia, and on the edge of the caldera that existed before the volcano explosion, that is variously dated from 1627 BC to 1600 BC. The wood belongs to the last stratigraphic phase before the explosion, the ministry said.

The University of Arizona at Tucson team that tested the wood show that “the wood dates absolutely to the early 16th century BC, therefore places the Minoan-era blast some decades after the date supported until now.”

In recent years, excavations had revealed a large elliptical-shaped building and smaller constructions “ingenuously built into the volcanic rock face,” the ministry’s statement said. Excavations this year focused in an area where research had shown possible architectural remains squeezed between layers of the explosion levels of the volcano. “From the start of the excavation, lying in the ash and pumice layers were found very strong walls, built carefully and in straight lines, one of which was nearly seven meters long,” the ministry said.

The most important excavation area found so far goes down to a depth of two meters, to a platform running along the whole length of the south wall, raising new possibilities about the use of the space in the bronze age.

The large walls and numerous Middle Cycladic pottery found in undisturbed layers indicate a dating of about 2000 to 1700 BC and may incorporate earlier, Protocycladic strong constructions, the ministry said, adding that it is still early to figure out whether the walls were for defence or surrounded housing.

Dating was further clarified this year, bringing the ranges of dates of Thirasia on par with the corresponding Aegean Island communities, both on Santorini (the Akrotiri site), as well as Ios (Skarkos) and Keros (Daskalio).

The excavation is carried out by the Ionian and Cretan Universities, the Cyclades Ephorate of Antiquities, an international research team, the city of Thera, the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) and the General Secretariat for Aegean and Island Policy.

• Tuesday, October 23, 2018
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis current affairs

Olive branch may not settle argument of Santorini eruption date

The Santorini eruption provides a fixed point for aligning the chronology of the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean, yet its exact date has been difficult to determine. Recently, an olive branch found buried under rock fragments at Santorini was used to date the eruption to between 1627 and 1600 BCE, more than a century earlier than the 1500 BCE date suggested by archaeologists. The dating was based on the assumption that the outermost ring of wood was formed just before the branch was buried alive by the eruption.

To assess whether an olive tree’s outermost ring is produced just prior to the tree’s death and can thus be used for reliable dating, Elizabetta Boaretto and colleagues analyzed the radiocarbon concentrations in 20 samples taken from a modern olive tree trunk and 11 samples taken from a living branch cut in 2013.

They found that in both cases individual samples, all of which were taken from the layer of wood nearest the bark, could vary in date by as much as 40 to 50 years. The findings suggest that olive trees do not systematically produce visible growth rings and that growth cessation of individual sections of the same tree well before its death is a common phenomenon.

The findings challenge the interpretation of the results obtained from dating the olive branch found at Santorini, which may be significant not only for the archaeological history of the Aegean, Egypt and the Levant but also for any future studies based on archaeologically preserved olive wood.

• Monday, August 13, 2018
  archeology Atlantis current affairs

Video: "Finding Atlantis"

Atlantis is a legendary "lost" island subcontinent often idealized as an advanced, utopian society holding wisdom that could bring world peace. The idea of Atlantis has captivated dreamers, occultists and New Agers for generations.

Unlike many legends whose origins have been lost in the mists of time, we know exactly when and where the story of Atlantis first appeared. The story was first told in two of Plato's dialogues, the "Timaeus" and the "Critias," written about 330 B.C.

Though today Atlantis is often thought of as a peaceful utopia, the Atlantis that Plato described in his fable was very different. In his book "Frauds, Myths and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology" (McGraw-Hill, 2013) professor of archaeology Ken Feder summarizes the story: "A technologically sophisticated but morally bankrupt evil empire — Atlantis — attempts world domination by force. The only thing standing in its way is a relatively small group of spiritually pure, morally principled and incorruptible people — the ancient Athenians. Overcoming overwhelming odds, the Athenians are able to defeat their far more powerful adversary simply through the force of their spirit.

Archaeology has caught up with much of this documentary already, but there is just something about this myth that will forever speak to me.

• Sunday, July 29, 2018
  archeology Atlantis Mythology 101 videos

More bars of 'Orichalcum' found

Oh goodie! Fantastic(al) news like the sort I have for you today is what I live for. It seems archaeologists last month recovered a wealth of ingots of an unusual golden alloy from the wreck sitting in about 3m of water, 300m off the coast of Gela in southern Sicily. Also recovered from the wreck, which sank some 2600 years ago, were two Corinthian war helmets and containers once used to hold precious, scented oils. But it is the rough lumps of metal still shining with red and gold hues after two millennia on the sea floor that has excited the archaeological world. It could be orichalcum.

I've posted about orichalcum before. It was one of fabled Atlantis' marvels. The metal was called 'aurichalcum' by the Romans and is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the Critias dialogue, recorded by Plato. In it, he says:

"Some of their buildings were simple, but in others they put together different stones, varying the colour to please the eye, and to be a natural source of delight. The entire circuit of the wall, which went round the outermost zone, they covered with a coating of brass, and the circuit of the next wall they coated with tin, and the third, which encompassed the citadel, flashed with the red light of orichalcum."

The name derives from the Greek ὀρείχαλκος, oreikhalkos (from ὄρος, oros, mountain and χαλκός, chalkos, copper or bronze), meaning literally 'mountain copper' or 'copper mountain'. The mining of orichalcum would have made Atlantis (or Santorini) very wealthy as it seems the metal was only mined there, and orichalcum was considered second only to gold in value.

In January 2015, a team of divers already discovered dozens of pieces of ancient metal from a shipwreck, aged 2,600 years, off the coast of Sicily island, in the south of Italy. The lumps of metal were arriving to Gela in southern Sicily, possibly coming from Greece or Asia Minor. The ship that was carrying them was likely caught in a storm and sunk just when it was about to enter the port. They were unlike any metal ever found. Analyzed with X-ray fluorescence, the 39 ingots turned to be an alloy made with 75-80 percent copper, 15-20 percent zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

Another load of the metal was found recently in roughly the same area as the 2015 find. The archaeologists working on recovering the wreck say it went down within sight of safety. Sicilian archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa told Seeker:

"The ship dates to the end the sixth century BC. It was likely caught in a sudden storm and sunk just when it was about to enter the port. The presence of helmets and weapons aboard ships is rather common. They were used against pirate incursions."

The dating rules out Atlantis itself as Plato, writing in the 4th Century BC, implies that legendary city slipped beneath the waves many hundreds--perhaps thousands--of years earlier.

Also recovered was an anchor, remains of amphorae and several smaller containers used for carrying precious oils. The shipwreck, and that of another two nearby, are yet to be fully excavated. Tusa told La Repubblica that protecting the wrecks remains a concern, with looters believed to be exploiting a lack of policing of the archaeologically rich waters.

• Wednesday, March 8, 2017
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis current affairs modern Greece Mythology 101 Plato

New evidence on ancient Santorini tsunamis

New evidence discovered by Greek scientists concerning the cataclysmic volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini 3,600 years ago suggests a new narrative for the disaster that crippled the Bronze Age civilisations that had thrived in the prehistoric Aegean for more than 2,000 years. A new theory says 'pyroclastic flows' caused the devastating Bronze Age tsunamis that smashed into Minoan Crete, reports the Archaeology News Network.

Santorini (Σαντορίνη), classically named 'Thera' and officially Thira (Θήρα), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast of Greece's mainland. Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic eruption that destroyed the earliest settlements on a formerly single island and created the current geological caldera.

The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (68 mi) to the south, through a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis. That is the old theory anyway.

Now, Geologist-Oceanographer Dr. Paraskevi Nomikou and her colleagues from Athens University's Geology and Geo-Environment Department have now suggested an entirely different time line for these tsunamis, based on new seismic and ocean floor data, combined with modelling. According to their theory, published in Nature Communications, the tsunamis were the result of 'pyroclastic flow'--the hot ash, rock and lava that was spewed into the ocean before the crater's collapse.

The new data from their study seems to indicate that the caldera was not open to the sea during the main phase of the volcanic eruption but flooded afterwards, when the eruption was over. The Greek scientists have discovered a submarine channel measuring one kilometre across and three kilometres in length that links the caldera with the sea. They said that this was initially blocked by ash and other material from the explosion, acting like a dam. This subsequently gave way and filled the previously dry bed of the caldera with sea water in less than two days, or possibly even hours.

Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Dr. Nomikou said that scientists have been studying the morphology of the Santorini volcano for years to discover which sections sank and which remained on the surface after it erupted.

"The new study shows us that there was a channel between Oia and Thirasia that was filled in by the explosion, so that the main caldera collapsed without causing a tsunami. Afterward, when the dam in the channel between Oia and Thirasia broke, sea water entered the caldera in two days at the most. Something like this, however, did not cause a tsunami. This was caused because, during the third and fourth phase of the eruption, huge quantities of volcanic ash were blown up into the air, and pyroclastic flows then entered the sea. These were what caused the tsunami that affected northern Crete and all the eastern Mediterranean."

While the main eruption was in full swing, the Greek scientists suggest, there may have been little of no water inside the crater, which was cut off from the surrounding sea. They believe that a shallow caldera may have already existed in the north section of the island's volcanic field, created by a previous eruption 18,000 years ago. The major volcanic eruption in 1610 B.C. then made this more ancient caldera deeper and wider until it was flooded with water.

In support of this theory, researchers have found deposits of pyroclastic material up to 60 metres thick on the seabed around the shores of Santorini, in quantities sufficient to cause a tsunami-like wave. This also agrees with later studies on the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which identified pyroclastic flows as the culprit for the tsunami generated at that time.

Scientists estimate that the eruption of Santorini took place at around 1610 B.C.--give or take 15 years--and was probably one of the largest the world has seen for the last 10,000 years. According to Nomikou, however, it was not responsible for wiping out Minoan civilisation as popularly supposed. She pointed out that Crete's Minoan civilisation managed to survive for almost two centuries after the tsunami hit--until roughly 1450 B.C.--and finally collapsed due to endogenous causes, though it was made more vulnerable.

Working with Nomikou on the Greek study were Dr. Dimitris Papanikolaou and Danae Lambridou, along with other scientists from France, Britain, Germany, the United States and Iceland.

• Saturday, November 12, 2016
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis current events

Scientifically backed video shows birth of Santorini

Santorini (Σαντορίνη), classically named 'Thera' and officially Thira (Θήρα), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast of Greece's mainland. Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic eruption that destroyed the earliest settlements on a formerly single island and created the current geological caldera.

The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (68 mi) to the south, through a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

In Greek, the term 'Atlantis' means 'island of Atlas' (Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος), and it may very well have applied to the island of Santorini. It was Plato who brought life--and myth--to Atlantis. According to him, Poseidon fell in love with Cleito, the daughter of Evenor and Leucippe, who bore him five pairs of male twins. The eldest of these, Atlas, was made rightful king of the entire island and the ocean--called the Atlantic Ocean in his honor--and was given the mountain of his birth and the surrounding area to rule over. It was also Plato who wrote that Poseidon made Atlantis--a huge island with a volcano at its center--His home after Zeus, Hades and He divided the world.

Plato's description of Atlantis would have fit the ancient Hellenic version of Santorini well. It was a large, mountainous island, with an active volcano at its center. The large settlement on the island was build around said volcano. Poseidon's influence on the island isn't a stretch of the imagination at all; there was sea and ocean all around and from time to time, the entire island would tremble due to the volcano.

The volcano eruption decimated the settlement, but from what archeologists and scholars have been able to piece together, the settlement was a sight to behold while it stood. It had walls eight meters tall, three story houses, beautiful frescos and a rich economic climate. The volcano eruption preserved much of the ancient city of Akrotiri, despite the huge lagoon the eruption left at the center of the island.

Using visual effects, scientists and visual artists have created a video  presents the gradual birth of the volcanic rock island after a series of explosions and earthquakes caused by four separate volcanoes. The data was uploaded by user Nikos Korakakis, based on University scientific research and studies.

• Saturday, October 29, 2016
  archeology Atlantis current affairs Plato

Orichalcum: the metal of Atlantis

In Greek, the term 'Atlantis' means 'island of Atlas' (Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος), and it may very well have applied to the island of Santorini. It was Plato who brought life--and myth--to Atlantis. According to him, Poseidon fell in love with Cleito, the daughter of Evenor and Leucippe, who bore him five pairs of male twins. The eldest of these, Atlas, was made rightful king of the entire island and the ocean--called the Atlantic Ocean in his honor--and was given the mountain of his birth and the surrounding area to rule over. It was also Plato who wrote that Poseidon made Atlantis--a huge island with a volcano at its center--His home after Zeus, Hades and He divided the world.

Plato's description of Atlantis would have fit the ancient hellenic version of Santorini well. It was a large, mountainous, island, with an active volcano at its center. The large settlement on the island was build around said volcano. Poseidon's influence on the island isn't a stretch of the imagination at all; there was sea and ocean all around and from time to time, the entire island would tremble due to the volcano.

The volcano eruption decimated the settlement, but from what archeologists and scholars have been able to piece together, the settlement was a sight to behold while it stood. It had walls eight meters tall, three story houses, beautiful frescos and a rich economic climate. The volcano eruption preserved much of the ancient city of Akrotiri, despite the huge lagoon the eruption left at the center of the island.

One of Atlantis' marvels was the much-praised and highly valuable metal called 'orichalcum'. It was called 'aurichalcum' by the Romans and is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the Critias dialogue, recorded by Plato. In it, he says:

"Some of their buildings were simple, but in others they put together different stones, varying the colour to please the eye, and to be a natural source of delight. The entire circuit of the wall, which went round the outermost zone, they covered with a coating of brass, and the circuit of the next wall they coated with tin, and the third, which encompassed the citadel, flashed with the red light of orichalcum."

The name derives from the Greek ὀρείχαλκος, oreikhalkos (from ὄρος, oros, mountain and χαλκός, chalkos, copper or bronze), meaning literally 'mountain copper' or 'copper mountain'.

In January 2015, a team of divers have discovered dozens of pieces of ancient metal from a shipwreck, aged 2,600 years, off the coast of Sicily island, in the south of Italy. The lumps of metal were arriving to Gela in southern Sicily, possibly coming from Greece or Asia Minor. The ship that was carrying them was likely caught in a storm and sunk just when it was about to enter the port. They were unlike any metal ever found. Analyzed with X-ray fluorescence, the 39 ingots turned to be an alloy made with 75-80 percent copper, 15-20 percent zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

The mining of orichalcum would have made Atlantis (or Santorini) very wealthy as it seems the metal was only mined there, and orichalcum was considered second only to gold in value.

• Friday, July 31, 2015
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis Atlas Mythology 101 Plato Poseidon

"Atlantis" recap (2.13): The Queen Must Die (Part 2)

Here we are. End of the road for Atlantis. in the next 45 minutes of screen time, this story is ending one way or the other. We are at the crossroads: an upcoming meeting with Cilix where both parties seek to commit murder; two romantic relationships ready to crack, one nipped in the bud, the other rushed to marriage; and the bond between a father and son that is fractured, perhaps beyond repair. Pasiphaê is dead. Aeson is dead. Minos is dead. Medea sacrificed herself for the cause. The war for Atlantis has cost thousands of lives already, and tonight, it ends.


Ikaros runs straight to Goran and cilix. He tells them what Pythagoras said about the peace meeting and begs for the release of his father. Goran agrees, as promised. This is the time where Cilix speaks up about his desire to claim the throne. They will kill Jason and Ariadne at the peace talks and that will be that: Cilix will take the throne and Goran will be his general. They will rule together. Goran tells him that Cilic doesn't have the support of the people in political power, but he brushes the concerns off. He who is in charge of the army has the power to lad, after all.

Ikaros goes to get his father out of prison. Daedalos tells him he will never forgive him for what he did and once more tries to send Ikaros off, but Ikaros pushes to take him home and Daedalos--at the gates of Hades--accepts. He lets his son guide him out of the Atlantian prison he willingly went into to aid Jason, Pythagoras, and the efforts to free Atlantis.

The time of the meeting is now. The soldiers checked out the area surrounding the forest and everything looks as agreed. Cilix brought a huge army presence though--and Goran--so I have to admit to being a little worried. Cilix isn't. Not at all. He saunters up to Ariadne and Jason, soldiers on stand-by. He has also hidden a regiment in the woods, though, bows in hand, and doesn't wait long with the betrayal. He says they do both want peace, but that Jason won't be there to see it. That's when Jason's men come out of the literal woodworks and shoot and stab the hiding Atlantian soldiers in the back before they can kills Jason and Ariadne. They do so quietly, though, so Cilix is left calling for an execution that never happens. When that fails, he calls on the guards he brought to finish the job but Goran tells them to stand down. It seems that he who controls the army truly does have the power, and Cilix is left to stand alone.Instantly, Cilix becomes the weasel he is and tries to talk his way out of it. When that fails as well, he runs and Jason throws a knife into his back. Goran finishes him off.

Goran says he has seen too many people die and that Atlantis needs peace. He and the army will stand down in exchange for one thing: that there are no reprisals against his men. They followed orders, that's it. Jason says that all who swear loyalty to him will be spared and the rest will be given the opportunity for exile. It's enough. Goran says he will make arrangements in Atlantis while Jason gets the consent of the Gods for him to take the throne. They will have to trust each other's word on all of it. Jason realizes it's the best deal he is going to get and agrees.

In the camp, everyone packs up. Ariadne is worried and ponderous, but Hercules misinterprets why. Ariadne has Medea on her mind, Herules has Goran. He does give her a valuable piece of advice: they made their choice and they need to put their faith in it. And so they all leave the woods together to go back to Atlantis. Once they arrive, Ariadne is shocked at the sorry state of it, of the torture and cruelty.

Guards await the small group of Ariadne, Jason, Hercules, Pythagoras, and Diocles as they enter the Palace square, and on the steps is Melas, who throws himself at Ariadne's feet. He says he is beyond forgiving for his betrayal and Ariadne forgives him anyway. His loyalty is now bought for life. All the guards here have sworn a similar oath and Goran hands them over to Jason and Ariadne. Diocles remains behind as the rest walk into the palace Ariadne never thought she would see again.

In the woods, Pasiphaê's prayer to Hekate pays off: something large and flying lands and scoops her up.

Back in the palace, Jason comes up behind Ariadne and kisses her neck. she freezes. He asks her what is wrong and she says this place no longer feels like home. They have retaken Atlantis, Jason says, but he realizes there is more troubling Ariadne. She just tells him Pasiphaê said some things to her that she is pondering about. He tells her not to believe a word from that woman's mouth and reluctantly, she agrees. Jason realizes he's loosing her.

The whatever-it-is that took Pasiphaê drops her onto the altar in Hekate's temple and after a few moments, she blinks. Dead people are not supposed to blink, damn it!

Back in the Palace, Hercules is giving in to the temptation of sweet wine, but Pythagoras can't relax. There is something he must do, and that 'something' is talk to Ikaros. Hercules takes out more wine. Pythagoras appears in Ikaros' home and tells Ikaros of what has happened. Ikaros is so happy, so relieved, but Pythagoras can't be. Then he notices Daedalos and Ikoras finally comes clean about what happened to his father. "That's why you betrayed us," Pythagoras whispers and Ikaros swirls back around.

He asks how he knew, when. Pythagoras tells him there could have been no one else who had betrayed the plans to infiltrate the arena prisons and Ikaros realizes they played him from that moment on. He is shocked, ashamed. He tells Pythagoras he would never have done it if there had been another way to save his father, and while Pythagoras understands it, the pain over his betrayal is very real. Other would have died instead of Daedalos. He would have died instead of Daedalos. Pythagoras says he means nothing to Ikaros, and Ikaros breaks down. He takes his hand and holds it. "You mean everything to me," he says into the minimal space between them. Pythagoras, in tears, says he can't say that after almost getting him killed to save his father. Ikaors whispers that he had no choice and Pythagoras, openly crying, says there always is a choice--he just made the wrong one. When Ikaros tries to kiss him, Pythagoras stops him and Ikaros steps back, shattered. Pythagoras says he understands why Ikaros did what he did, but he will never forgive him for it. Then he leaves. Ikaros beg him to come back, but when Daedalos wakes up and gets up, Ikaros just mutters that he had to, that he couldn't see his father die. Daedalos finally offers him the hug he so desperately needs.

Back in the palace, Hercules is staring off in the distance at a fire when Ariadne comes up to him. Hercules asks where Jason is, and Ariadne says he's sleeping. Hercules admits that Jason is a constant worry for him and Ariadne relates. she laments that she wishes she had friends like Hercules and Pythagoras. Someone to talk to. Without missing a beat, Hercules asks her if everything is alright with her. She hesitates a moment, then says she can't sleep. He thinks it's logical to be nervous, but she corrects him, saying it isn't nerves. Just as she needs, he asks her what it is then, and she crumbles a little. She fears that the memory of Jason's with his blackened heart will haunt them forever. Hercules tells her that it's all in the past and suddenly she can't keep it in anymore. She tells Hercules about what Pasiphaê told her. Hercules, too, says she shouldn't put any stock into Pasiphaê's words, but Ariadne knows Jason is hiding something when he talks about Medea. she knows their bond is special. Hercules says that whatever that bond is, Jason married her, not Medea. But Ariadne knows something has changed in Jason and things will never be the same.

Someone really needs to tell me what the flying thing sent by Hekate is (didn't I decide it was a Griffon somewhere in the past?) because it just flew by the palace, just as Goran and a bunch of guards trail the hallways. They either hear or see something because they enter the throne room with their swords drawn. It seems our overgrown stork came to delver a package fit for its size: a very much alive, and worse for wear, Pasiphaê, deposited on the throne.

Goran is shocked, but tells her the throne isn't hers anymore. She doesn't give a shit about what he thinks and her magic is stronger than ever. When he tells the guards to capture Pasiphaê, she makes an example out of one of the guards by tossing him backwards into a wall that he dies instantly. The choice is easy: swear loyalty to her or die. Goran steps forward and asks her how many more will die to sate her thirst for power. "As many as it takes," she hisses. He refuses to kneel before her ever again and she starts to choke him with her magic until he is on his knees. she gloats, but he gets back up again. For his defiance, she snaps his neck. The guards sink to their knees and swear loyalty. They can't stand up against so much power.

By morning, all the palace guards have been recruited and they will strike at Ariadne and Jason before the Gods can give their blessing in a ceremony. The guards guide Ariadne to the ceremonial hall where Jason is already waiting. They walk a whole line of guards who are about to stab them in the back and enter the temple where the priests of Poseidon, Melas, and Cassandra await. Hercules and Pythagoras are also there. The ceremony begins and Cassandra prays to Poseidon. Meanwhile the guards loyal to Pasiphaê kill all the guards they didn't recruit on the steps of the temple. Others guide Pasiphaê to it. Screams and shouts reach inside the temple and Jason and Ariadne look up, shocked. There is a whole regiment of guards behind them that I worry about. Jason reaches for his sword and at that time, the temple doors open and the guards storm in. It seems the regiment remained loyal, though, making the fight moderately fair.

Melas--shocked by the bloodshed inside a holy sanctuary--steps forward slowly, telling the men to put down their swords. No one listens. As Hercules and Pythagoras get an unarmed Ariadne to safety, Jason takes on the guards. Then Melas spots Pasiphaê and a look of sheer terror settles on his face. Pasiphaê stabs him and with his dying breath, he tells Cassandra to run. She does, to Ariadne, who is still being guarded by Hercules and Pythagoras. Then Jason sees Pasiphaê and he freaks the fuck out. Everyone runs from the temple, leaving Pasiphaê in control of it. they cut through guards to get to freedom and hide in someone's home as the guards search the city. Somewhere in the struggle, Hercules got hurt at least enough to draw blood.

Hercules swears to Jason that he killed Pasiphaê. Jason doesn't doubt it, but the fact remains that she is alive and searching the city for them. so they have to wait out the day here and then try to escape the city. Cassandra isn't doing well; Melas' death hit her hard. she impresses upon Jason that what Melas did was to protect her. He was a good man. Jason knows that, too.

Ikaros tells his father about Pasiphaê's return, and that everyone is hunting for Jason and Ariadne. "What about Pythagoras?" he asks, and a very worried Ikaros says he doesn't know what happened to him. He says he has to try to help them and he grabs his sword. Daedalos tells him he will be cut down before he even reaches a guard. He'll help him make an impact, through.

In the palace, a very vengeful Pasiphaê tells the guards that anyone helping the fugitives will be hanged in the streets. Daedalos and Ikaros couldn't care less, anyway. They are carrying a large package through the streets, dodging guards at every corner. By some miracle, the group hasn't be discovered yet, but going out is suicide. They know it. Jason comes to sit with Ariadne and she says that if this is the end, she needs to know about Medea. He comes clean: there was a moment between them in the darkness. But it's over, he is never going to see her again. And then the sounds of the soldiers come closer. They need to arm up. Their talk is cut short and the guards hack down the door.

On the city walls, Ikaros finally gets his mythological wings. While I am no aerospace engineer, I think I can say with absolute safety that there is no way in hell real life wings like that will carry you anywhere but down very swiftly. The show makes a lovely pun about the wax melting if he comes too close to the sun, though, and I have to laugh when Ikaros tells his dad that, uhhh, it's the middle of the night. It seems the wings work, because he glides out over the city like an eagle--after a bit f a rough descend.

The rest of the group has no wings, though. they just arm up and wait for the inevitable--and then Ikaros starts throwing fire powder bombs down on the soldiers and they all die instantly. Ikaros saved Jason, Hercules, Pythagoras, Ariadne, and Cassandra. It's glorious. One of the few surviving guards manages to get an arrow off, though, and rips Ikaros' wing. He crash-lands hard in a courtyard and Pythagoras rushes to see if he's alright, breaking away from the group to do so. When it seems like Ikaros didn't make it, Jason is devastated. But Ikaros opens his eyes, whispers he's sorry, and Pythagoras kisses him as he cries with relief. Yessss!!! I fully admit to yelling that out loud, by the way.

Hercules breaks them up by clearing his throat. They have a city to flee, damn it. Pythagoras and Ikaros claim another moment, then they all leave the city together.

The next morning, the familiar feeling of waking up on the forest floor is back. Cassandra is missing, through. She is praying for Melas a little way's off. Jason asks her if they will ever be rid of Pasiphaê, and she tells him it will be difficult. Pasiphaê will only be vanquished if he can find the source of ehr power and destroy it: the Golden Fleece... in Colchis (Kolkhis), where Medea is. And she is the one person destined to help him.

Jason tells Hercules and Pythagoras and they are not pleased, not even so much because of Medea, but because Colchis is the home of witches and black magic. Well, actually, Colchis was located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, centred on present-day western Georgia. According to the Hellenic mythology, Colchis was a fabulously wealthy land situated on the mysterious periphery of the heroic world. Here in the sacred grove of the war god Ares, King Aeëtes hung the Golden Fleece until it was seized by Jason and the Argonauts. Colchis was also the land where the mythological Prometheus was punished by being chained to a mountain while an eagle ate at his liver for revealing to humanity the secret of fire. Amazons also were said to be of Scythian origin from Colchis. But, of course, I digress again.

Hercules tries to convince him not to go, but Jason won't be dissuaded. He goes to tell Ariadne who--naturally--is not pleased. She offers to go with him, but he won't let her. she says she is coming, that someone needs to protect him from himself. Cassandra watches the proceedings with sorrow and guilt. she has to tell the truth, that is the curse that comes with her amazing ability. But it deeply hurts her to hurt others.

We get a few more shots of Atlantis being brought to its knees under Pasiphaê rule. She has claimed the throne and her rule of the city is like an iron grip, choking the life out of it slowly but surely. Our group of heroes reaches the coast and out at sea awaits them the ship that will carry them to their destiny: Argo, carrier of the Argonauts.

During the night, while everyone sleeps, Cassandra prays for a vision of the future. She sees the Argo, plowing through the waves. Medea and Jason, kissing passionately against the bars of a cell. Ariadne, standing in the gull of an island, abandoned.

And Medea, in Colchis, knows Jason will be heading her way soon.

That's it, my lovely readers: the end of Atlantis. It was a wind ride, and I would have loved to have seen a third season. I still hold out hope for one (because you never know, right?). Until then, here is the pretty much complete account of the mythological journey of the Argonouts for you to work into fandom. It was a pleasure recapping this show for you. Thank you for reading, it will be missed.

• Tuesday, May 19, 2015
  Atlantis current affairs recaps

"Atlantis" recap (2.12): The Queen Must Die (Part 1)

Things are rapidly spiralling out of control in Atlantis. Pasiphaê is still on the war path, Jason just lost his dad, Ikaros ratted them out to save his father, and--oh yeah--Jason and Medea kissed. I am sure that is not going to come back to bite you in the ass, my friend *cough*. This episode is the series finale, and was thus an hour and a half long. I'm going to spread the recap out over two days, so you get part two tomorrow.


Ikaros is meeting with Pythagoras in an Atlantian back ally. They duck away for a patrol. Atlantis most definitely is not a safe place yet. Ikaros guides them through the street but the patrols are everywhere and they have to flee. Eventually they escape by climbing onto a roof. I have no idea which side Ikaros plays for, but he helped Pythagoras here, anyway.

Back in some shed, Hercules is pacing and Jason is sulking. Pythagoras should have been back by now and Hercules is worried. It seems the errand Pythagoras is on ha to do with Diocles, the fighter who Jason bonded with last week when he was tossed into the arena. Hercules--obviously--is not a big fan of the plan.

Pythagoras asks after Daedalos, and just like before, Ikaros lies. They are lying on their back, looking up at the sky, stargazing as they wait and it's all very cute. I swear they were about to kiss there for a moment. Too bad Jason's father is dead because of Ikaros. They eventually make it back to the shed and Jason makes sure they weren't followed by asking very sternly. They leave for a suicide mission.

The suicide mission takes them down into the sewers--another thing Hercules is not at all amused about. Now he will be dead and smelly. The two lovebirds say goodbye and Pythagoras tells Ikaros to wait for them at the hunting lodge in three days time.

In the palace, Pasiphaê is asked about state things in which she has absolutely no interest right now--especially when Goran tells her his informant told him that Jason is heading to the arena prison to break out a prisoner. She hesitates, though. She still doesn't want to kill Jason--not anymore. But Cilix is adamant. Medea pleads Jaosn's case again, but she tells her she has no choice. Medea looks like a woman who doesn't give up so easily, though.

Jason and the boys make it to the arena. It is eerily quiet--and that is never good. The entire arena is empty. The hallways are empty. And then a whole platoon barges in, watched on by a very guilty Ikaros. But Jason is a good fighter, and so is Hercules. They end the fight swiftly and free the prisoners. Goran leads an entire platoon of archers onto the lowest portion of the arena stands where they hide until Jason and the group have to cross the sand below to get back to the sewer entrance. They wait until the group is in the centre and bring on the rain. Needless to say, it's a massacre. Most of the prisoners die on the spot or are left to be killed later. The soldiers jump down and everyone with fighting skills fights to save their very lives. Jason, Hercules, Pythagoras, and Diocles are amongst the ones who make it, and Jason mentions that the soldiers were waiting for them. Pythagoras puts two and two together...

There are more soldiers waiting for the when they emerge from the sewers. Pythagoras is almost too shocked to move. Jason dispatches with the guards, but more and more and more come. Then Medea appears and magics the soldiers to death. She hides before Jason can talk to her, but Goran saw her and he rushes to tell Pasiphaê. Medea makes it back to the palace, realizing she got herself into major trouble.

At least her efforts helped to get Jason and the boys out of the city. In the forest, they meet up with about a dozen of the ex-prisoners, the rest was killed. Now they should make a camp. Pythagoras is staring off into the distance when Hercules comes over and asks him if he's thinking about Ikaros. "Don't worry," he says. "Ikaros will join them soon." Of course Hercules hasn't figured it out yet.

Ikaros is back in the prison, visiting his very sick father. He offers him some medication. Daedalos wonders--again--why he is still alive. He knows Ikaros is keeping a secret and asks what it is. Ikaros comes clean and Daedalos is shocked and sad--disappointed. Daedalos tells them that he would rather die than have a traitor for a son. He has never been so ashamed. He sends Ikaros away.

In the palace, Medea wakes up and realizes Pasiphaê has been sitting there, watching her. It seems she used to do that when Medea was a child, when she has nightmares. It seems Medea was calling for Jason in her sleep and she says she can't help it, that she is drawn to him, that she can almost feel what he feels, that they are a part of each other. Pasiphaê asks if that is why she saved him and after a moment of hesitation, she says she did. Pasiphaê sighs. She underestimated the bond between them. She should have protected Medea more. But Medea doesn't want to be protected: she's in love. Pasiphaê tells her to banish her feelings. He has turned her. If she sees Jason again, Pasiphaê will have no choice but to kill Medea as well.

Ariadne sits by the fire and makes arrows. I think that by now, she could supply an entire army. The princess has definitely turned into a warrior, and this life in the woods suits her well. Jason tries to surprise her, but her reflexes have become too good. They hug and then Ariadne realizes she is being watched. All the ex-prisoners look on, mightily embarrassed and fall to their knees. Right away, she tells them to get back up. They shouldn't kneel for her: Jason is the rightful heir. Aeson was king before Minos and Jason is his son. The ex-prisoners are all shocked, but very willing to accept Jason as their king. He did right by them, after all.

A little while later, Hercules realizes Pythagoras worried about something. And Pythagoras is. He walks off to 'stand guard' (read: pout and ponder). Meanwhile Ariadne tells Jason he ha a new army and that he 'inspires loyalty'. She brings up the wedding proposal and Jason says he would say yes again. At that, she proposes again and says she wishes to be married right now, here in the forest. And they are. In a quickly--but beautifully--put together ritual with Hercules presiding, Jason and Ariadne are married.

At that moment, Medea wakes up and flees the palace, eluding a guard to do so--and then killing him. Medea really is a bad enemy to have. And she is very crafty and lethal. She dispenses of every guard that stands in her way.

Cilix and Goran have a pissing contest about who is more loyal to Pasiphaê while trying to see if--should they betray her--the other will follow. I get the impression they both would in a heartbeat.

The next morning, Jason and ariadne wake up on a blanket on the forest floor. Their wedding night was cosy but not very private. It's only Jason who wakes up, though: he senses Medea. She found him easily--they always find each other. She wanted to see him before she left for home. She has realized Pasiphaê has been grooming her and she can't do it. She can't become like Pasiphaê. But she couldn't leave without seeing Jason one more time and that tonight, the night of the winter solstice, Pasiphaê must travel and while she will be well protected, she will be vulnerable when she prays at the temple of Hekate. Only those touched by the Gods may enter. She gives him another gift: the nectar of the passion flower. It will bind Pasiphaê's power.

She says she should leave and she valiantly holds back her emotions. But when Jason pulls her back and tells her that part of him doesn't want her to leave, she cracks. She kisses him and for a long moment, he drowns in her before pulling back. He can't, he's married. She gasps when she hears, and tells him this is goodbye. Heartbroken, she flees.

Ariadne is not stupid. We all know that. When she woke up alone in the morning, she knew something was up. So she asks Jason if something is troubling him. To his credit, he tells her that Medea came to see him. Hercules overhears and freaks out. The last time Jason trusted her, Ariadne got stabbed. Jason goes to bat for Medea, saying she is not who she thinks she is. It becomes an argument where Hercules and Ariadne refuse to be convinced by Jason who says that Medea has seen Pasiphaê for who she really is and she wants nothing more to do with her. He tells them about the plan Medea presented her with and Ariadne demands to know why Jason puts so much stock in her words after Medea nearly killed her. He doesn't have an answer.

Pasiphaê, meanwhile, gets ready to travel, with a boatload of men. The ex-prisoners and the boys travel to the temple behind them. Hercules takes the opportunity to inquire after Pythagoras' state of mind. Pythagoras tries to shake her off, but Hercules is like a dog with a bone. He drops Ikaros' name and Pythagoras looks up in shock. Hercules says he remembers how he felt when he fell for someone the first time. Again, Pythagoras brushes him off, saying he has no idea how Pythagoras feels right now.

By nightfall, they reach the temple of Hecate and the small group stays behind. Jason has to go alone just like Pasiphaê has to go alone. He drops the potion into the basin at the temple and waits as Pasiphaê prays and drinks. She sacrifices her blood and afterwards, she washes the cut with the water. Jason steps into the light. He says he pities her, that everyone she has ever loved has deserted her. He drops Medea's name and Pasiphaê asks if he has seen her. He says that she realized the extent of Pasiphaê's darkness and that she told him he would find Pasiphaê here, alone. She tries to bewitch him, but the potion worked. She says he can not kill her and he agrees. He knocks her out instead. Jason carries her out of the temple and while his men quickly clear a path for him, they escape into the woods with Pasiphaê for luggage.

Back at the camp, everyone gathers around an unconscious Pasiphaê. Ariadne can't believe the day has come. Cilix and Goran can't believe the day has come either.  Well, Cilix can and says that if Pasiphaê ever returns, she will have Goran's head on a stick for failing her. Maybe it's time he jumps ship. He says he is a soldier and  leaves the politics to people like Cilix.

in the camp, Pasiphaê has been put into a makeshift cage. When Ariadne comes to visit, she is sure the former queen is there to gloat, but Ariadne isn't. With one to the ex-con's, she gets Pasiphaê to swallow down another potion. Pasiphaê asks if Ariadne loves Jason, and she says she loves him more than Pasiphaê will ever understand. Then Pasiphaê taunts her by telling her Jason has been unfaithful. She asks what Pasiphaê means and Pasiphaê asks her if Jason hasn't told her about his feelings for Medea. Ariadne says that isn't true and Pasiphaê asks if she truly believes that. Medea wouldn't betray Pasiphaê for anything other than love.

Jason and Hercules sit close together, and tearfully Jason says he must ask something important of Hercules. Hercules takes up his sword. Jason doesn't have to ask, he knows. Jason requests a moment with Pasiphaê first and says it's over. It's never be open, Pasiphaê replies instantly. He comes to say goodbye to her. She says the Gods won't allow it, but he says she doesn't serve the Gods. He says a part of him will love her forever and he hopes that she will find peace in death. She sobs and tells him he will regret it forever if he goes through with this and he agrees. He will. They are both crying now, and when Jason gets up and leaves, she starts to beg and scream for him not to go through with this. It's heart-breaking. Gods, I am going to miss this show.

The next morning, Pythagoras and Hercules take Pasiphaê out of her cage and into the woods. Jason is crying as he watches her go and Ariadne supports him. The men force her onto her knees and she begs to pray to Hekate. Pythagoras says they have to let her or risk angering Poseidon. As she prays, the scene cuts to Ariadne, who ponders what Pasiphaê told her. Then Pasiphaê finishes praying and Hercules quickly and quietly runs her through with his sword. She dies instantly. They leave her on the forest floor. Once they return, Ariadne and Jason wait for the confirmation and they are both equal parts sad and relieved.

The conversation topic changes quickly, though, to Jason and his claim for the throne. Jason thinks he can just walk into the city and claim it, but Hercules knows that the people in power will never go for that. Ariadne agrees. Cilix is the key, they need to get to him. So they will try to lure him out... through Ikaros. Everyone is shocked by the reveal that Ikaros is the mole. They won't believe it at first, but they see how sure Pythagoras is--how heartbroken--and they have no choice but to believe.

When Ikaros gets to the lodge, Pythagoras is already there, waiting. They hug and it's painful for Pythagoras to touch the man he loves. They eat and talk. Pythagoras is open about pretty much everything, including that Jason and Ariadne are alive and that Pasiphaê isn't. When Ikaros brings up that he heard Jason and Ariadne want to make peace with Cilix, Pythagoras agrees with that as well. The trap is set and they walk part of the way to the city together. They exchange another hug and Pythagoras is dying...

The bait is set, now Cilix just has to take it so the final battle can begin. But will they be able to trick Cilix, or will Cilix get the better of them? Will Ariadne and Jason's relationship survive in the afterrmath of Pasiphaê's words? What will happen to Pythagoras and Ikaros? Find out tomorrow in the second part, and last recap, of Atlantis.

• Monday, May 18, 2015
  Atlantis current affairs recaps

"Atlantis" recap (2.11): Kin

Last week, Pythagoras went on a hunt for Jason's father Aeson to deal with Jason's mommy issues, but in the end it were Medea's lips that ended up the best medicine. Bad move, schmuck. Bad move. No one is going to be happy about that one in the morning.




Pasiphaê's troops are still looking for Jason. When one of the soldiers stumbles upon a bit of plum pit, Goran figures the fugitives must be close by. And he's right--Jason is right there, hiding in the bushes. Just before Goran can find the wounded Jason, he gets called away by a soldier who has found a freshly put out fire. It seems three days have passed--three days n which Medea has returned to the palace and is awaiting news of Jason's fate as much as Pasiphaê, but for entirely different reasons. Even Pasiphaê is having second doubts at this point: she wishes he were her ally so they can rule Atlantis side by side. She doesn't want to allow that type of weakness, but Medea says she feels Jason thinks of the same things; that the bond they all share becomes stronger by the day. She tells Pasiphaê to have patience. That he will come to them.

Aeson, Ariadne, Pythagoras and even Hercules have been trying to find Jason for days now, too. Hercules is feeling guilty he deserted Jason when he needed him most. Pythagoras tells him not to blame himself, and I'm just confused. Wasn't Hercules semi-legitimately angry at Jason last episode? Pythagoras manages to get Hercules' head back in the game and the group splits up: Hercules and Pythagoras will follow the river west, and Ariadne and Aeson the river east.

Back in Atlantis, Pasiphaê and Medea are watching the games. Gladiators hit the snot out of prisoners while Pasiphaê defends the necessity of the practice to Medea while two prisoners get slaughtered and the crowd goes wild.

Ariadne and her future father-in-law are having a heart-to-heart about Jason and his actions as of late. Ariadne always thought she knew everything there was to know about Jason, but now she isn't so sure. Aeson tries to convince her that Jason's actions 'are not his own' right now. At least Ariadne still loves Jason as much as possible. Just wait until you find out who he swapped spit with... Aeson wishes he had been there for his son from the beginning. Ariadne tells him that hopefully, he will be able to rebuild some of their relationship. then they notice the guards are withdrawing: Jason has been caught.

As soon as Jason is tossed into a cell, Pasiphaê is there, hands around the bars. she gets all emotional and motherly, and Jason feels the bond between them too.  He allows her to stroke his face, to kiss him, and says he wants to be with her. He wants to be her son. She promises to let him live. Medea has heard the whole exchange but doesn't let on, not even when Cilix tries to get Pasiphaê to execute Jason for murdering the Oracle--a crime of which he has been found guilty, after all. Pasiphaê makes excuses, but Cilix doesn't buy it. Then Medea speaks up about a completely make-belief sign from the Gods she saw when Jason was captured; a bad omen. They must consult the Oracle about Jason's guilt. Cilix has no choice but to agree.

Cassandra is put to work again, and she huffs away over a bowl of water and rose leaves. The Gods do not want Jason sacrificed (duh!). Cilix is furious: as much as he doesn't think himself above the Gods, he is the one who has to explain the certain turnabout to the people, who have been made terrified by Pasiphaê's reign of terror. He demands Cassandra tells them why Jason must be spared. Reluctantly Pasiphaê agrees, and Melas warns her that Cassandra can only tell the truth. There is no choice, though, so Cassandra speaks: there is no greater shame than a mother killing her child. Cilix is beyond shocked--obviously he hadn't gotten the memo about the family tree yet. Melas either.

Back in the throne room, Cilix has gotten over his shock and tries to reason with Pasiphaê: if the people don't get their culprit, their sacrifice, they with burn the city down once the games are over. So... Pasiphaê has to think quick. She tells Cilix to enter Jason into the games so the Gods can decide his fate right in front of the eyes of the people. If he dies, then so be it (and his blood isn't on her hands), and if he lives, everyone will know the Gods spared him. Cilix agrees and corners Medea, accusing her of meddling. She tells him to fuck off. Politely.

Jason's friends and loved ones have discovered Jason has been captures an are planning to go to the city to free him. Aeson says he should be the only one to take the risk: the oracle was clear, he's his father and only he can 'unlock Jason's heart'. So he returns as the leper that he is--and goes to Ikaros. Seems he hasn't heart the news that Ikaros sold them out to save his father. Ikaros tells Aeson to meet him at midnight.

Meanwhile, Medea goes to visit Jason. Jason is still badly injured--in no shape to fight anyone. she informs him that he is no longer sentenced to death, but that the arena is in his future. She hates to say the words, and he hates to hear them. Aeson hears the news, too, from Ikaros, who also tells Aeson he can't smuggle him in. There may be another way, though: lepers help the corpse bearers who work in the arena...

Jason is thrown in with the other contestants. Well--with prisoners. Right away he sits down and right away Diocles (Henry Garrett) tells him to move. Not keen on getting into a fight, Jason moves. Picking order established.

Vincent Haquin, who plays the gladiator who took out two prisoners before, is a stunt actor with enough muscle mass to wrestle a bull and come out on top. His character Xanthos cuts through prisoners as if they're blades of grass and he tends to taunt them mercilessly before he does. Of course, the fight isn't exactly fair when the poor farmer he's up against is blindfolded... The audience loves it.

Jason and Diocles are chained together by the wrist, with about six feet of chain between them, and given a sword. Then they are put up against Xanthos while Aeson and another leper enter the arena to pick up the remains of the poor farmer. Jason doesn't even see him, but Aeson barely manages not to run to Jason for a hug.

As soon as the fight starts, Jason tosses the sword at Xanthos' feet and refuses to move while Diocles fights for his life. Pasiphaê and Medea are very concerned, especially when Diocles gets knocked down. But just before Xanthos can finish him off, Jason pull Diocles to safety, wraps the chain around his hand, and gives Xanthos a bloody nose. They manage to trip him up with the chain and he goes down like a log. Now the brute is angry--which makes him dangerous, but also stupid. In his anger, he cuts the chain between Jason and Diocles with his sword, freeing them. Now Jason is free to fight--and so is Diocles. Not that Jason needs help: he is still in 'dark Jason'-mode and he overpowers Xanthos easily.

Pasiphaê already gives him the signal to finish Xanthos off when Xanthos pulls out a hidden knife and Jason only survives because Diocles warns him. After another messy fight, Xanthos is dead and Jason has a nasty chest wound for his collection. For a moment, the crowd is shocked their favourite has been defeated by the Oracle slayer, then they cheer. Pasiphaê and Medea are infinitely relieved.

Jason sinks down to the ground and Aeson and another leper carry him out of the arena. when they finally have a moment alone, Jason recognises Aeson as the man who saved his life in the silver mines. Aeson tells him to look beyond the scars, to search his own heart for the truth. then he tells Jason that he is his father. Jason doesn't believe him, and they aren't granted more time, but at least the seed has been planted.

Back in the forest, Ariadne tries to cheer Hercules up with a hand full of sees and gets chewed out for it. Deflated, she heads for the fire where Hercules find her to make an apology. He tells her he's just going stir crazy and she tells him that she thinks she's lost Jason. She doesn't think she can go on if that is the case. Hercules understands the feeling all too well. He promises her that he will do everything he can to bring Jason back alive.

When Aeson gets to bring back another corpse, he goes right over to Jason again and tries to convince him he was telling the truth. He tells him about the necklace around his neck, and that he gave it to Jason for protection. Jason says he does believe him but that he simply does not care. Aeson is dead to him. Of course, Aeson doesn't lighten up. he warns him against giving in to Pasiphaê lure. Jason calls the guards on his ass, so he has to go. Before he does, he begs Jason to remember the people who love him.

Hercules abandons the group in the night to head to Atlantis and make good on his promise.

The morning comes early for Jason, who gets another fight. Diocles helps him up, and they obviously respect each other. Diocles tries to psyche Jason up for the fight, but he is wounded and tired, and his two opponents have better armour, better weapons, and more energy. Jason loses. Then Medea breaks one of the guards' legs with magic and Jason manages to overpower them. He collapses as for dead on the floor.

Aeson tries to get Jason to wake up. He tells Jason about how, when Jason was born, he finally saw Pasiphaê for who she really was. And that beyond her beauty, beyond her power, she was dark. And he saw how alike mother and son were. Pasiphaê gave in to power and magic, and she was lost to him. He tells Jason je couldn't bare to see Jason go down the same road. Again, he reminds him of all the people who love him. Including him. And Jason lets the words in. He cries a little and Aeson gives him a potion that will slow down his heart until he doesn't appear to have one. Aeson tells him to take the potion at midnight.

Ikaros visits his father in jail. Daidalos wonders why he is not dead and he knows Ikaros did something to safe him. He tells Ikaros to leave the city now. Of course, he can't, because Ikaros has made another deal with Goran.

Jason takes the potion and Diocles watches in horror as he collapses. Aeson carries him out on a cart with other corpses and murders a guard when he gets stopped. Jason wakes up again within view of Ikaros, which does not bode well. Once out of the city, guards await them, and Jason has to fight for their lives. In the fight, Aeson gets stabbed in the gut, but Heracles finds them on time to at least take out the remaining guards and help Jason and Aeson get to safety. Hercules wonders how the guards managed to find them, but Aeson blames it on his own actions: he killed a guard.

Hercules and Jason make up, both taking blame for their own parts in the affair. Then they carry Aeson to the camp. Ariadne is happy to see him but Jason has to deal with his dying father for a whie first. Aeson says he failed Jason, that he never should have left him alone. But Jason realizes that all the good in him comes from Aeson. Aeson says how proud he is of Jason--Pasiphaê's beauty but his heart. He makes Jason promise to stick to the light, and then he dies. Jason is beyond devastated.

Meanwhile, Goran has to break the news of Jason's escape to Pasiphaê, who snidely remarks to Medea that Jason chose his father over her. Where is that bond Medea promised now? Medea tries to convince Pasiphaê things will work out, but Pasiphaê sends her away. She will burn her with Jason if she doesn't leave. Shocked, Medea flees the room and a heartbroken Pasiphaê collapses in tears. Meanwhile, Jason and the group make a memorial for Aeson and prepare for the battle to come.

Next on Atlantis: Pasiphaê hardens her heart and sends out the guards to kill Jason. Pasiphaê and Medea's bond worsens, and the true battle for Atlantis begins. Saturday on BBC One, recap on Monday.

• Monday, May 11, 2015
  Atlantis current affairs recaps

"Atlantis" recap (2.10): The Dying of the Light

Last week on Atlantis, Medusa sacrificed herself for the greater good by allowing Jason to cut off her head and use it as a accessory to his combat gear, Ariadne was freed, but Jason learned who his mother is, and he's not happy about it. Which is exactly why the previous Oracle told everyone but Jason to never let Jason find out about Pasiphaê.


There are two people in pain right now: Hercules and Jason. Hercules is grieving his dead girlfriend, so he's allowed, but Jason is feeling that darkness the Oracle warned him for. He's got his girl, he's got his friends, but all he wants is to go one on thirty with the Atlantian patrol combing the woods where the group has been staying. His friends are not amused. Ariadne, especially, is not amused and tries to rally the boys. But Hercules is done: they have risked everything for him, Medusa is dead by his hands, and all Jason does is run headlong into danger. This time, Hercules is not going to help. Ariadne with her bow and arrows, and Pythagoras with his sword do come to the rescue, and they manage to take out the patrol. All but one, who throws himself at Ariadne's feet. Ariadne vows he will not be harmed, and about two seconds later, Jason skewers him like shishkabab.

Needless to say, absolutely no one takes kindly to that. Ariadne calls him out on his shit--not just as his fiancée but also as his queen he tells her: 'who are you to give me orders?'. Not cool, Jason. Not cool at all. Also not a fan: Hercules, who says the sensible thing: all Jason accomplished was kill a bunch of men and give the people of Atlantis--top of all a bunch of grieving mothers--a reason to hate them. also: the bodies will lead Pasiphaê straight to their location. He tells Jason to use his brain, for once, and gets a punch to the face for his troubles. Not backing down, Hercules taunts him into a punch to the gut and then nearly into cutting off his head. Whatever friendship their was between them, Medusa's death and Jason's recent behaviour have withered it to the point of non-existence.

Back in the palace, Medea informs Pasiphaê the patrol has not returned. Pasiphaê is in quite a state: Jason knows she's his mother, and thus that he is the rightful heir to the throne (how does that work, exactly? Midas was king, he is a bastard son of the Queen. Ariadne is the daughter of the King and the first Queen, correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't that make Ariadne first in line, then Jason? All his bloodline grants him is royal blood, which is good for them, but they'd still have to take the palace first in order to get Ariadne on the throne, and then marry with the support of the neighbouring city states now she isn't marrying a peasant anymore. But I digress). Medea says that he now also knows he's touched by the Gods and that that will draw him back to them as it always has. Pasiphaê agrees, after Medea reminds her of the fear they both felt once their powers first manifested. Jason will seek them out for guidance and aid. He will. Anyway, Medea almost convinces Pasiphaê to call off the hunt on Jason, but Pasiphaê won't be convinced. Jason remains a threat.

As a good Hellenist, I have to interject here with something that has been bothering me lately. 'Atlantis' is treating magic as a dark force that consumes and overtakes. It's darkness, and it's overtaken Pasiphaê, as well as Medea. It is now overtaking Jason. It's a nice plot point, but while the ancient Hellenes frowned upon, and were quite scared of superhuman powers, they also viewed magic (in mythological people) as divine. Pasiphaê is the daughter of Helios, and Jason is her son. 'Touched by the Gods' literally means that they are part divine. There is no darkness and evil in the source. If anything, it's in the views of others.

Back at his one-man campfire in the woods, Jason continues to be a jerk to Ariadne, who is seriously starting to wonder what she ever saw in Je tells her to leave him alone, that he's tired of taking orders. When she tried to sympathise with him, he sends her away again, and Hercules mutters that 'he doesn't deserve to be loved'. He'd rather join Medusa than endure this any longer. She sacrificed her own life so they might live in peace and nothing good happened. And Jason is lost to them forever.

Jason has nightmares now. Bad ones where he walks through the woods and there are crow calls to guide him to Medea. Ariadne wakes him up, and he gets up right away. I don't know what he's feeling guilty about. The fact that Ariadne still cares enough to keep an eye on him is a miracle.

The corpses have been found, by the way, and Pasiphaê sends another patrol after him.

The boys discuss Jason and his future. Pythagoras and Ariadne are convinced this is not the same man they always knew and that he needs help. Hercules is done, saying he was the old Jason when he killed Medusa. Pythagoras knows this cannot go on any logner and volunteers to go back to Atlantis to get help from Melas. Good, because I could really use a deux ex machina-solution on this whole darkness business.

Atlantis is still a shitty place to be: hanged men and women in the streets, bag searched, patrols everywhere. It's bad. It's really bad. In her madness, Pasiphaê is running Atlantis into the ground. Ikaros takes him under his wing and guides him deeper into the city to a friend who might be persuaded to help. He's the ancient Atlantian version of a garbage man: he scoops up animal dung during the night--so after the curfew. He buries the boys in crap (literally) and pulls them through the city in his cart. Galenos (Stephen McCole), the dung hauler, gets stopped by a patrol. But when he says he's under orders of the queen, he's indeed let through. The plan works.

Ariadne and Hercules talk about Medusa and Jason. Hercules blames Jason for her death--not Ariadne--and Ariadne says she understands but that she hates seeing the two friends so estranged. He mustn't let hate consume him. If that happens, Pasiphaê has already won. Hercules says she already one, and good luck to her. Ariadne realizes just how depressed and angry he is.

Galenos guides our heroes Pythagoras and Ikaros into the city, and to the palace. They scale the palace wall and kill a guard just before he kills them. Ikaros leaves as Pythagoras enters the palace, searching for Melas.

He finds him in the temple, of course, and Melas asks why he is here. He says Jason needs his help and Melas correctly guesses he knows about Pasiphaê. He will be drawn to the dark side now. Melas decides to help and guides him to Cassandra. Cassandra casts rose petals in water and gets a vision (which is not how divination works, but ey...). She feels Jason's pain as he stands on the threshold between darkness and light. She tells Pythagoras he must find Jason's father (whom Pythagoras believes to be dead but which we know, is not). Melas tells him where to find him, and that he is a leper--one who walks amongst the dead.

Ikaros gives Pythagoras supplies for the journey to the silver mines where the lepers live. He ventures through the woods on his own, pushing on as he knows he doesn't have much time. Meanwhile, Ikaros visits his father in prison--after he told Pythagoras his father was just a little ill. Sunrise tomorrow, Deadalos will be hanged for the bomb he tossed into the fire to help the boys. Ikaros promises his father he will get him out and heads straight to Goran, Pasiphaê's general. He has information about Queen Ariadne that he wants to barter with. He tells him everything he knows. Deadalos will not be hanged, but because Ikaros didn't broker a very good deal, he also will not be freed. Unless, of course, Ikaros can discover more...

In the silvermines, Pythagoras tries to find the lepers. They are still there, and no one seems disturbed by an outsider wandering in. Aeson, Jason's father, is indeed still there. Pasiphaê, meanwhile, learns the news from Goran and somehow figures it's good. that it means that Jason drawn nearer.

in the mines, Aeson is livid that Pasiphaê pulled a fast one over him. He trusted her not to tell him, and Pythagoras says she only told him when he was about to kill her. Pythagoras wishes he had, because now he's damned. Aeson agrees that those who are touched by the Gods carry the darkness in them. I still do not get how finding out about his mother actually changes anything--as if the knowledge kick-started his divine powers--but I'm going to let that go. Aeson is not ready to come with Pythagoras. One, he was a strong man and a good father, but now, like this? afflicted? No. He can't have Jason know that.

In the palace, Medea listens as Goran and his men make plans about following Ikaros to Pythagras and then to Ariadne and Jason (and Hercules, but no one mentions him). Although she's on the side of evil, she seems very unwilling to see Jason die.

Back in the land of doom and gloom, Hercules wonders what's keeping Pythagoras and Jason says he's probably dead. Hercules all but rolls his eyes and I don't even bother trying. Aeson, come fix you son, stat! Hercules doesn't believe Jason anyway, he pats his chest and says he'd know if Pythagoras were dead. Ariadne chooses to believe him, it's as good a speculation as any. she asks how long Hercules and Pythagoras have been friend. Long enough to believe it's been forever, Hercules tells her. I like these two bonding a bit more.

Inevitably, the subject returns to Jason and the death of Medusa. Ariadne says he did it to save her. That he thought it was the right thing to do. Hercules says that Jason always thinks whatever he is doing is the right thing, that doesn't make it automatically true. Ariadne asks if Medusa knew what she was doing, and Hercules says she damn well did, and that he is just as angry with Medusa as with Jason. She begs him not to let Medusa's sacrifice be in vein, and for him to not let his anger destroy the living. 'Talk to him,' she says, in hopes that maybe he can find a way through.

in the mines, Pythagoras gears up to leave. He will do what he can to help Jason. 'And I haven't?' Aeson asks. Pythagoras tells him he hasn't, not by any stretch of the word. He holds a passionate speech about being a father and a decent human being, and by the end, Aeson has a lot to think about.

Jason has another dream about the woods and Medea. He follows her through the underbrush until she stops and tells him she means him no harm. then she guides him onwards, only to disappear. Jason wakes up confused.

Pythagoras has left the mines, and through another exist, Aeson has caught up and is waiting for him. He is coming with him to help Jason.

While Ariadne makes breakfast, Hercules talks to Jason. He says he doesn't want to stay angry. He asks if Medusa wanted it to happen, and Jason says she did, that she begged him. That there was no struggle. Hercules asks if there really was no other way. Icily, Jason tells him there wasn't and that he should move on. Hercules does--away from Jason.

 

Pythagoras and Aeson are only a few hours away from the camp, but with Ikaros' instructions, they walk smack into the view of one of Pasiphaê's sentries, who quickly races off to warn the self-proclaimed queen. Pasiphaê saddles up to ride immediately, but Medea is not on board. She runs along with Pasiphaê, Goran, and a bunch of guards, but doesn't let them see her.

Back in the camp, Hercules packs. He can't stay, he is too angry. He wants to kill Jason, and he can't do that. He leaves Ariadne alone with him. Meanwhile, Pythagoras and Aeson find signs of previosu camps. Aeson wonders if Jason will even want to know him, and Pythagoras doesn't have an answer. Instead, he leads him to camp--along with a dozen soldiers, Goran, and Pasiphaê. Ariadne shoots and hits a good few guards, and Jason fights as if his life depended on it--it does, after all. He tries to draw the guards away from the others, but quickly becomes overwhelmed. Ariadne shoots guard after guard, but there are too many. Everyone scatters and Medea keeps a close eye on everything that is happening, keeping well out of sight.

Jason gets injured and is stunned for a moment. When a soldier attempts to make use of that, Medea casts a spell to kill the him. then she helps him get away. Hercules does the same for Ariadne--well, the getting away part. Medea does even more: she uses her magic to heal Jason as she hold him in her arms. She tells him to sleep and he asks her if he should keep an eye open. Medea just smiles lovingly.

Ariadne and Hercules catch up with Pythagoras, who has managed to get Aeson out of the fray as well. Pythagoras tells them who Aeson is, and everyone is shocked, to say the least.

Jason wakes up in the dirt, and for a second, he thinks he's alone. Then he pulls up and Medea is sitting a little way's off, back to him. She asks him how he is as he tries to get up silently. Defeated, he sits next to her and asks her the million drachma question: why is she helping him? She tells him that all who are touched by the Gods are drawn towards each other. That is why they see each other in their dreams: they are more alike than Jason knows. Medea says they have to go, and Jason asks her where they could go. Back to his mother? And how can he trust her? He grabs her by the hair roughly and holds her close as he searches her eyes. Her gaze dips to his lips, and his to hers... and then they're kissing, hard and deep. Desperately.

Next week on Atlantis: Jason gets captured and is forced to fight in the arena again, and everyone--including Pasiphaê--feels really bad about it. Saturday on BBC One, recap on Monday.

• Monday, May 4, 2015
  Atlantis current affairs recaps