Epic Eurylochus - Blog Posts

I need anyone who's out there to know that every time I see Eurylochus with his big stupid fat sword I am only thinking about Rose Quartz from Steven Universe.

Like tell me this isn't him at the start of puppeteer I'll wait

Eurylochus, Polites and their Third Wheel (bro was not invited and arguably ruined the party)

Thought of the day: Eurylochus, Polites and Odysseus as Soldier, Poet, King

Odysseus is "There are other way"-ing Zeus This is to everyone in that comment section!

There is a part 2 now...

what???? I did not draw Hermes this time????

+ref

Currently thinking about how the death of Polites fractured the dynamic of the crew which led to quite literally the rest of the Odyssey in EPIC the musical. The entire crew relied on this man and NO, I am not exaggerating.

Polites served as the temperance of Ody; the diplomatic and optimistic council who was a liaison between the captain and his crew. Why? Well, Polites is never acknowledged to hold any power in the crew (we're talking EPIC canon here) but is clearly respected and valued by the captain. This combination is familiar; the crew is comfortable approaching Polites because he's their equal and Polites is comfortable approaching Odysseus with their problems because they're friends. That is his role.

Now I have my own issues with Eurylochus but I do think he's written well. And I also do not think he is fully in the wrong. HOT TAKE I KNOW, but hear me out: Eury was Ody's right hand. Odysseus is clever but he's also pretty humble (excluding the whole "I am the infamous Odysseus" but Bro had a right to crash out there). Odysseus does not surround himself with "yes-men", he surrounds himself with friends who are willing to challenge him. Case and point; Eurylochus and Polites.

Polites challenges his morals and instincts - Polites is always trying to ensure that Odysseus is doing what is best for himself. "You can relax my friend" is not something you tell your leader to do casually. It's what you tell your friend to do when they're working themselves too damn hard. "Greet the world with open arms" is not what you tell your commanding officer who you're trusting to get you home.

Eurylochus challenges his decisions. Always does, in every scene and NO that is not a flaw. He serves as a point of resistance so that Odysseus is forced to consider every option carefully. He makes sure Ody has considered the worst-case scenario and is fully prepared to back him up when that happens. Bro was ready to burn the Lotus island down if his friends didn't come back. Eury is the guy who's willing to strike first and make the difficult decisions, much like Ody is. He is a good second in command.

The point is: the two filled massively different roles in the crew. Eury is supposed to challenge Odysseus and question his decisions - that is his job; to make sure that his captain is making the best decisions for the crew. Polites is supposed to support Ody; he is a friend, a confident, and a source of trust and camaraderie.

What makes them such a well-oiled machine is that they all have specific roles and they are good at them. Ody makes the plans and decides what battles to fight, Eurylochus takes initiative and counterbalances Polites optimism, Polites offers ethical and moral support while counterbalancing Eury's cynicism. That is why the crew works so well.

Odysseus has someone to rely on and someone to challenge him. The crew has someone to confide in and a second in command to consider their needs. They have a captain who listens to both. Eurylochus and Polites have each other to balance out and a captain who values their opinions.

It works. It's balanced. It's a powerful type of leadership.

Then Polites dies, and so does that balance.

Eurylochus finds himself having to fill two roles. He has to question his captain and calm the crew. He has to place complete trust in Odysseus as Polites did, but he can't. His and Ody's relationship has always been based on challenging one another to ensure that they're considering every angle. He has spent his entire life being critical of Odysseus' plans because he knows that's what he's supposed to do. He doesn't have blind faith, he's a realist - optimism and trust were Polites forte.

Odysseus finds himself without that support and line of connection to Polites. He grows disconnected from the crew because of it and flounders when it comes to dealing with Eurylochus.

This is seen clearly in the song: Luck Runs Out

Eury was not in the wrong for pointing out how fucking crazy it is to casually ask the Wind God for some help. Sure let's go knock on a god's door and ask for loose change; HELLO!? There are so many ways it could've gone wrong and it has always been Eury's job to point such flaws out. It's what he's always done - probably what he's done for Ody throughout the war.

But Odysseus? He just lost his best friend and his mentor. His entire support system is crumbling, so being challenged by the one person who he needs to have his back pushes him into a dangerous space as a leader.

On the one hand, he cannot afford to have Eury question his every move, especially since Polites isn't there to challenge him for Odysseus. Especially now that he doesn't have Polites instilling trust in the crew - he can't afford Eury's challenges to eroding what trust remains in his disheartened crew.

On the other, pushing Eurylochus away and demanding staunch obedience from him is so out of character for their relationship that all trust between Captain and SOC is suddenly up in the air.

That is why Eurylochus opens the windbag. Not because he wanted "treasure", but because the captain who demanded he "be devout" is not the captain he's followed all this time. The captain who sits awake for four days, eyes following every crewmember with a glimmer of distrust is not the Odysseus Eurylochus knows.

Eury knows Odysseus with Polites. If Polites had been alive, he would've been able to quell the crew's distrust because he would have had full trust in their captain. Odysseus would've been able to trust his crew because he could trust Polites. He cannot trust Eurylochus to have that same blind faith, because Eury doesn't have it; and the crew knows it.

Everything's changed since Polites

It's not a throwaway line; it's what the crew whispers to Eurylochus. He's different. He's changed. Odysseus is not the same. Maybe it is treasure. Maybe he's lying to us. How do we know? How do you know?

And Eurylochus doesn't know. He isn't certain. Odysseus is his friend and his captain; that's a difficult power dynamic to balance.

So Eury opens the windbag, because he doesn't trust Odysseus. It's a different sort of mistrust though - not one of constructive criticism from a friend, but earnest dangerous mistrust of your superior.

Eurylochus leads the mutiny, because that was always his role as Ody's right hand; to question and stand against what he felt was wrong. To speak for the crew as another leader.

But Eurylochus never wanted to be captain. He never wanted to betray his friend. He felt he had to - Yes, he was willing to leave crewmates behind in Circe's lair because he has always been willing to make those hard calls.

Odysseus? He so rarely does what Eurylochus wants to do because they are not the same person. Eury doesn't want Ody to be him (Eury has flaws, but ambition is not one of them. He recognizes he isn't a good leader hence he immediately falls back on Ody's judgment after the holy cow bit) - he wants Ody to listen to him and consider his insights. So for Odysseus to sacrifice six of their crewmates without a word to his friend - without consulting anyone - without leaving space for his right-hand man to question him... that is when Eurylochus loses faith in Odysseus. Because that is not his captain. He doesn't know who it is. But his captain would never.

Hypocritical? Yes. But also rather insightful.

And Odysseus? He loses the last pillar of support he has in the crew, not because Eurylochus changes - not even because he changes. He loses it all because it is doomed to fall apart without Polites. It was all doomed to fall apart when they lost their counterbalance.

It is not Ody's mercy or ruthlessness that kills them. It is not Eury's distrust. Both of those existed far before it all went to shit. It was Polites dying. It was the fact that the three of them were so well suited for leadership as long as it was the three of them.

It had to be the three of them.

It’s me again totally not OJ to bring more illegal questions withhhh CHARACTER CHOICES!!! Ody is an obvious pick I feel so I’m curious more on your favorite(s) side characters!

Ooooo, this is a good one!! Rahhh, there's so many choices lolol. But I think I'll have to say that some of my favorites are Hermes, Eurylochus, and Polites! I feel like these are basic answers, but I like 'em lots :3

I also know you didn't ask for reasons as to Why these folks are my faves, but I wanna yap more, sooo! Here! Yapping under the cut!

Hermes is the only one besides Athena who's actually helpful to Ody, plus he's like a funny little pigeon to me lol. His songs are also super groovy! I'm always drawn to the silly guys of medias I consume, so this is no different- XP

Eurylochus is a very nuanced lad that I like to think about, given that he's the voice of the crew and is someone who could've easily been more mutinous from the start, but wasn't! He's Odysseus' brother, second in command, and someone Ody can trust, which makes his descent into hunger and desperation all the more impactful!! They're excellent foils to each other and show the two sides of what being far away from home for so long will do to a person. It isn't that Ody is more steadfastly devoted to the idea of Home as Eury is (though it is Ody's key motivation and he's willing to do ANYTHING to get there), but that Eurylochus knows with how much they've all suffered it's important to maintain a realistic worldview. And that it's important to not have as much hubris as Ody has shown in the past by thinking he's above consequences and can make any sacrifice he sees fit! Cuz how I see it is that in "Mutiny," when Ody is like, "You would've done the same as I have," and Eury says, "If you want all the power, you also have to take the blame," that's Eurylochus trying in a final, fruitless attempt to get through to Odysseus and warn him that this world is full of dangers and you can't get away with treating people you're supposed to be the leader of like pawns just to get home. EVERYONE was supposed to live, however, as time went on, that simply wasn't feasible anymore given the hardships you've faced, but you wouldn't expect your Captain of all people to cave and become part of your crew's destruction. I dunno, man, I just think he's neat!

Polites is also a fun one who I feel gets oversimplified by the fandom pretty often just cuz he's not there for long and his worldview is (in a way) too positive for the circumstances, but I believe he, like Eurylochus, contains nuance! Y'know when you've gone through tough times or a bad experience and you're finally at a place where you can feel good again? Yeah, I think Polites is that flavor of lad, and also wants to convince Odysseus of the same! Ody doesn't HAVE to lead with war strategies anymore, because their mission is just to get home now. So, why not greet the world with Open Arms? You can dispense kindness back into your life to make up for the hardships you've faced, cuz you don't want to grow bitter or be consumed by guilt. Too bad the world isn't always as ideal as we hope it is! One bonk later and suddenly you're doomed to haunt the narrative lololol. Regardless, cool dude! Nice dude! :3

More chibi Eurylochus but this time with his chibi friends 💚

BEWARE, long “EPIC: The Musical” rant ahead, [Spoilers] for the Thunder Saga:

I'm surprised nobody has said this, but in Scylla's song she's not talking about Odysseus, about how she and Ody are the same monsters. She's talking about Eurylochus.

Im surprised by how many people think she's talking about Ody since the beginning, but she doesn't talk about him until the last moment, after he's already offered six of her men as an offering for her to let the rest leave in peace

When Scylla says, "you hide a reason for shame", it's just when Eury says that he has a secret he can't keep any longer, one that's been eating him form the shame and guilt When Eurylochus says "I opened the windbag while you were asleep", the animatic focuses on Ody as Scylla says

"leaving them feeling betrayed", because Ody felt betrayed that his best friend, his second in command would betray him in such a way, would be the reason why he couldn't reach his home sooner

"Breaking the bonds that you've made" again with Ody's silence, how he was mentally preparing and planning to make Eurylochus part of the sacrifices, as that was the final straw for him to become ruthless and "a monster"

"There is no price we won't pay", with Eurylochus begging for forgiveness, not because he actually is sorry, but to try and get into his captain's good side because he knows he fucked up. By that moment, he no longer trusted Ody, and I'm sure he didn't felt any actual remorse But he had to get on the man’s good side because 1. He had almost committed a mutiny (I think) when he tried to make Ody abandon their men in Circe’s island. And 2. Because Odysseus was still his captain and King. Who would want to be on their king’s bad side?

It's not until Odysseus tells Eury to light up six torches (six men to sacrifice) that Scylla is actually talking about him. And it's not till the final verse ("We are the same, you an I") that Ody actually admits he's become like Scylla.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

I know damn well Eurylochus was guilty.

Eurylochus was one of the men to open the wind bag, then he slayed one of Helios (or Apollos) cow. I know he feels guilty because he caused the suffering and lose of many soldiers, and made the journey longer to Ithaca.

But let's all be fr here, those soldiers, including Eurylochus, are all human. Just like us, we make mistakes. And we must pay for the consequences of our actions. Because how are we going to learn from our mistakes if we keep running away from them?

And I think that from the Thunder Saga during Thunder Bringer, that Eurylochus understood Odysseus. I'll let you all know that he's married to Odysseus's younger sister, Ctimene. Eurylochus would feel like he would do the same for her as Odysseus would do for Penelope.

Eurylochus isn't really in the wrong, he's sometimes doesn't think of the conquences of his actions, and so does Odysseus. Did Odysseus know that the Cyclops was the son of Poseidon? Possibly not. But I don't think that he didn't think that the blinding of the Cyclops would rage Poseidon and make the journey home difficult.

I Miss Penelope.

I just realised the more Odysseus keeps talking about him missing Penelope makes me miss her too.

Odysseus: I miss my wife...

Me: Yeah me too.

Odysseus: What.

Me: What?

Me to Odysseus before Zeus thunders the shit out of his crew: Tell Penelope.........that I miss her!

Odysseus: What?- wait- I didn't tell you-

Me: Shut the hell up we all know you talk about missing Penelope. Hell the whole world knows. You take about her in. Your. Sleep. Now I'm starting to miss her too.

Me: *Looks up at Zeus* Ya know- you can kill these other men, just not me and my pal Ody.

Eurylochus/Crew: WHAT?!

Me: *Turns to Odysseus*: I miss Penelope too. I dibs on the first hugs tho-

Odysseus: HEY

A Eurylochus pov: playlist

Just a Eurylochus playlist bc I love him

01_ Way Down We Go - Kaleo 02_ Game Of Survival - Ruelle 03_ Glitter & Gold - Barns Courtney 04_ Like a tattoo - Sade 05_ Non-Stop - Hamilton 06_ My Body is a Cage - Arcade Fire 07_ Who are you, really? - Mikky Ekko 08_ Backstabber - Kesha 09_ Blood in the Water - Grandson 10_ Unfair - The Neighborhood 11_ Eventually - Tame Impala 12_ Black Out Days - Phantogram 13_ YKWIM - Yot Club 14_ Fourth of July - Sufjan Stevens 15_ To build a home - The cinematic orchestra 16_ Brother - kodaline 17_ See You Again -Wiz Khalifa ft.Charlie Puth

Something I've been thinking a lot about recently

Would be Eurylochus's line in mutiny, "If you want all the power you must carry all the blame!" Because even though he sings it to Odysseus, it's not about Odysseus at all. That line perfectly encapsulates Eurylochus's own arc, and foreshadows his death.

I'm sure other people have talked about this as well, but I had to comment on it and how clever it is. Because Eurylochus did want all the power. For a while now, I think. That isn't to say he's been power hungry, but throughout the course of the musical he has grown increasingly dissatisfied with Ody's decisions. Especially from Ocean saga onwards, when Polites isn't there to keep the peace, I get the vibe that he feels that if only he was the one in charge, he could get them home. He would never have gotten them into these dangerous situations they find themselves in. It's his coping mechanism - blaming Odysseus helps keep his own guilt about the wind bag at bay. It's probably why he feels he can tell Odysseus about the wind bag, because he feels that it isn't entirely his fault.

Odysseus doesn't agree, of course, and all of this pent up anger and frustration finally comes to a head in Mutiny. Eurylochus yells this line to him, fully believing that Odysseus doesn't deserve to be in charge anymore and he has a point but that's a post for another day. What Eurylochus doesn't realise, though, is that when he takes Odysseus's power from him and becomes the leader, he will be held to the same standard.

So when he chooses to kill those cows, his words become a self fulfilling prophecy. For a moment, he had all the power. He made a choice. And he had to carry all the blame.

HSJSHD, LET'S GOOO!!!!

Orcarylochus and Sea Bunnites for my Epic Fishy au!! 💚💙

I am making Telemachus and Penelope next 💙💜

HI IM EPIC BUDDY!!!

Hey there! First time posting anything here.

I decided to make an Epic au where everyone is just… sea creatures. I am currently working on designs for the others, but here is Ody along with Poli and Eury! ❤️💙💚

Thanks to my Epic Buddy @papaseidon for help with the designs!! 💖

Eurylochus perhaps?

what if odysseus never took polites’s headband off, it just got more and more buried in his growing hair as his mercy was not yet gone, just hidden?

what if after the crew was struck by lightning in thunder bringer, zues doesn’t vaporize them completely, and just leaves a little scrap of all of their capes left, so now little colored scraps of fabric dot the battlefield of all of the men odysseus just chose to have die?

then, what if, after that, he takes the scrap of eurylochus’s cape and ties it around his wrist? (edit: what if odysseus gave it to citemine after he got home and she wears it as a hair tie…)

what if, during 600 strike, odysseus only has the strength to stab a god because polites, eurylochus, and the other 598 men are all holding the trident with him, he just can’t see it?

what if, instead of attacking odysseus along with the others in thunder bringer, eurylochus runs up and stands in front of odysseus, protecting his brother one last time before he dies? (hehe got that one from a fanfic)

…what if?