TIRESIAS | Lost Love

Tiresias is a blind prophet who lived in ancient Greece. Before he died, his life was filled with oddities. When he stumbled upon two snakes mating on a mountain. He struck the two snakes with his staff, displeasure Hera. As punishment, Hera turned him into a woman. Seven years later, he returned to the same mountain and saw the same snakes. This time, he chose to let them be. Satisfied with the outcome, Hera returned his masculinity, and Tiresias was a man once more. This would not be the only time he encountered Hera. One day, Zeus and Hera got into a fierce debate on if men or women felt more pleasure during intercourse. They asked Tiresias for his answer. He told them that women felt more pleasure. Outraged, Hera blinded him. However, Zeus was very pleased by his answer. In return, Zeus blessed Tiresias with a long life and the gift of prophecy. He is often believed to be the first to use Augury, the practice of reading the signs of birds. Even when he was alive, Tiresias was a famed prophet. Prophets were expected to be completely celibate and abstain from sexual activity while serving in their role as a conduit for the gods' messages; they were considered to be dedicated to the deity they represented and thus needed to maintain a pure and chaste lifestyle. However, despite living over nine generations, thanks to Zeus' blessing, he died by drinking tainted water from the well of Tilphussa on his way to Delphi. When he died, his soul was sent to the Asphodel Meadows. That is one of the three realms of the Underworld. The Asphodel Meadows are were mediocre souls go. Tiresias was by no means a mediocre man, but he was neither good or bad. Souls who are sent to the Asphodel Meadows are destined to wander forever until they slowly forget their past, and then themselves. He too would have suffered that fate if not for Persephone, the queen of the Underworld. She allowed him to keep his memories and his powers of prophecy. This ties in with the core themes of his character. Tiresias is presented as a complex liminal figure, mediating between humankind and the gods, male and female, blind and seeing, present and future, this world and the Underworld. His blindness also reflects the metaphorical blindness of whose who hear his prophecies. Though his prophecies are cryptic, they are never wrong.

Tiresias is a lanky, tall man. He has been described by heroes who have seeked him out as boney. Bandages are wrapped around his eyes. He wears a himation, made of heavier drape and played the role of a cloak or shawl. It served as a chiton as well. A himation is not kept in place using pins, unlike other types of Ancient Greek overgarments. A himation is draped over the left shoulder and wrapped around the rest of their body, except for their right arms. However, Tiresias' multiple overgarments layer over the top of the himation, obscuring his body, and face.

He is a enigmatic and cryptic man. However, he is straight to the point. Even if his prophecies are spoken through riddles and often lead to the downfall of heroes, it is all a part of destiny. Those who are searching for him will find that he isn't one to beat around the bush. If one is destined to die by the end of their quest, Tiresias will make it known.