I always wondered why Pausanias' Orestid kinsmen didn't come to his aid ...
Perhaps with Pausanias having sought justice from Philip and having been refused, it may have seemed to Pausanias' kin there was no way they could intercede without angering the king. Philip had put a stop to the old system of blood feuds, perhaps it was deemed more than the clan's collective hide was worth to be seen to be going against that. Maybe the promotion was just a sop to shut them all up and soothe over the loss of honour, and had nothing to do with Philip's feelings at all. Obviously you're quite right, we can't tell what Philip thought of the whole affair, but I wanted to provide a more sympathetic light here for both of them. Philip is most often cast as being the sort of lecher who didn't care for his conquests at all, and to an extent that's probably true if his reputation is anything to go by. But that's not to say that he did not on some level care for Pausanias ... and in any case, it makes for decent drama.
I haven't seen the film, so can't comment on that. I do remember that scene from Fire From Heaven, though it's been years since I read it ... it struck me too. I have never believed that Pausanias was acting alone or even on his own initiative when he killed Philip, but given the deep resentment and sense of betrayal the man must have been holding on to for years, it's maybe not a wonder that he was the one wielding the knife. And if there ever really was love there, then how much more tragic is that?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-09 05:46 am (UTC)Perhaps with Pausanias having sought justice from Philip and having been refused, it may have seemed to Pausanias' kin there was no way they could intercede without angering the king. Philip had put a stop to the old system of blood feuds, perhaps it was deemed more than the clan's collective hide was worth to be seen to be going against that. Maybe the promotion was just a sop to shut them all up and soothe over the loss of honour, and had nothing to do with Philip's feelings at all. Obviously you're quite right, we can't tell what Philip thought of the whole affair, but I wanted to provide a more sympathetic light here for both of them. Philip is most often cast as being the sort of lecher who didn't care for his conquests at all, and to an extent that's probably true if his reputation is anything to go by. But that's not to say that he did not on some level care for Pausanias ... and in any case, it makes for decent drama.
I haven't seen the film, so can't comment on that. I do remember that scene from Fire From Heaven, though it's been years since I read it ... it struck me too. I have never believed that Pausanias was acting alone or even on his own initiative when he killed Philip, but given the deep resentment and sense of betrayal the man must have been holding on to for years, it's maybe not a wonder that he was the one wielding the knife. And if there ever really was love there, then how much more tragic is that?