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Home , Ares, Ares (Marvel Comics), Atlantis in comics, Charon, Hades (DC Comics), Hercules (Marvel Comics)

CASCADIA JCL

Vox Latina Vol. 73 No. 1 | February 2020 Edited by Kenji N.

Salvete Omnes! The 73rd Cascadia JCL convention is quickly approaching! Be sure to register and plan ahead! April 3-5, 2020

OMNES SVMMA OPE NITI DECET, … NE VITAM SILENTIO TRANSEANT

“It befits all to strive with greatest effort, lest they pass their lives in silence.” –Sallust Bellum Catilinae 1.1 ​ Our Creed: We the members of the Junior Classical League, covenant to hand on the torch of classical civilization in the modern world. We believe an acquaintance with the civilization of and Rome will help us understand and appraise this world of today, Which is indebted to the ancient civilization in its government and laws, literature, language and arts. We affirm the JCL experience develops responsibility, fosters brotherhood, promotes enthusiasm, encourages competition, inspires dedication and enriches our total growth.

CJCL Catalogue: Represent Cascadia JCL with sweatpants, 12-oz water bottles, long sleeve ​ shirts, sweatshirts, and quarter zips, available for purchase at this year's ​ upcoming convention! Clothing is available in sizes S, , L, XL, and XXL. N.B. ​ Actual appearances may differ from pictures.

(Actual water bottle will be purple on white.)

favorite comic with is when he is Essay & Modern : being The following are four outstanding crowned king, and riding a pulled by submissions from last year’s Essay giant sea turtles! Namor has a huge heart for Contest and Modern Myth Contest. his subjects, but feels little loyalty to the For more information on how to people on land. He won’t hesitate to attack the ‘surface world’ if he feels they are a threat enter visit: www.cascadiajcl.org to the sea and his people. The only human person he cares about is Susan a.k.a Emma A., CLC , a member of the Fantastic Heroes Inspired by Four. His mother was a princess of and in love with a man on the surface a.k.a Greek have been passed land. Namor, however, chooses to stay loyal from generation to generation. Created to his mother’s people, and rules the sea, by the ancient Greeks, and sometimes though he is capable of surviving on land. Like Romans, they portray divine and Neptune, he wields a gold . The only interacting with themselves question here is should he ditch the speedo? and sometimes humans. Blah, blah, blah, The answer in my opinion is yes...yes he you already know this don’t you? Okay, should. good, that means we’re all on the same DC PResents...Shazam! The goofy but page, literally. (LOL) But seriously, I’m not dangerous hero Shazam is not just based after here to talk about stuff you can read in a a Greek god, he was given the power of six school book, (BORING)! I’m writing this Greek gods! (Warning, reading this may ruin essay (and breaking a ton of writing some of the details of the movie Shazam, so if essay rules, such as mentioning that this you’re planning on watching you may want to is and essay) to show the Superheroes skip this one.) Ok, now that that’s out of the inspired by these Greek myth legends. way let’s continue. Before Shazam Why? Because it’s an exciting an became...well...Shazam, he was a young awesome way to learn about the Greek delinquent named Billy Batson. Running away gods and sound amazing around from many foster homes, Billy never expected nerds. Warning: not all of to magically be teleported to a who these superheroes are well known, and gave him the powers of Shazam. The wizard for some of these you have to be a comic was dying and had no choice but to pass on book nerd to have heard of them. Okay, his powers to the unlikely hero. He gave the here we go! boy the powers of the gods Solomon (fame), First Up... Namor! Ruler of the Undersea (physical strength), (flight), realm of Atlantis Besides looking like Spock in (lightning), (endurance), and a speedo, Namor is quite obviously based (speed). This not only made him after the Greek god Poseiden, or the Roman incredibly powerful, but gave him the form of god Neptune. Like Neptune, he is ruler of the an adult when he said the word “SHAZAM”! seas, and can control their power, along with Instead of using his powers to be a hero, like the creatures in it. Despite what some people most boys dream of, Billy used them to think, Namor is NOT an ripoff. disguise himself as an adult so he could sneak Namor was created by Marvel before out of school, and escape punishment from AquaMan. In fact he was one of the first comic his delinquent activities. However, when Billy book characters to be created. My personal gets sent to a foster family that doesn’t give up on him despite his behavior, Billy becomes

a full time superhero to save his family, and The Powerful...Phoenix! Phoenix a.k.a Jean have some fun as well. Gray, used to be the only girl on the X-Men Note: Shazam was originally gonna be team. At first she was called Marvel Girl. She called , but Marvel stole the had telepathic powers, and was often title for their own character. considered the least powerful of the Ladies and Gentlemen...Hercules! Yes, this superhero group. But then, dun duh dun, is the god Hercules from the Greek myths, feminism happened! Jean Gray sacrificed but did you know he has a side gig as a comic herself to save her teammates, and crashed a book hero? Fun loving ‘Herc’ is good friends rocket with herself in it. But then she with the , and even fights along with magically emerged reborn as the all-powerful the team when he’s not in Olympus with his Phoenix. She absorbed the atomic power from father. Like in mythology, his father is the the rocket, and was given the power of one mighty Zeus/ and his mother a mortal who has been resurrected. The authors named . Surpassing any skill that based this version of Jean after the involves physical activity, Herc is an amazing . Bia (Vis is her Roman name) is the warrior and Avenger. The first time he met goddess of pure power and raw energy. This the Avengers, he fought them under the spell describes Phoenix very well, as she often of the wicked goddess Enchantress, who tried loses control of her own power. Her powers to destroy the superhero team. QuickSilver are so vast, there isn’t really a limit to them, found a way to break her spell and free her mind being the only limit. When Jean is in Hercules, who apologized and became friends control of her powers, she has a sweet and with the Avengers. He had to live in Tony’s kind personality. mansion for a while, since his outraged father Here She IS folks...! Diana banished him for the incident. Good old Herc Prince a.k.a Wonder Woman, grew up on a loves to enjoy himself on earth, visiting clubs secret island, where “no boys” was the with lots of women and drinks. He is number one rule. Only women lived on the constantly putting a positive spin on island called Themyscria. Diana’s mother was situations, and is more powerful than most of the queen, and she was loved by everyone. his opponents. The princess was tutored and trained by the This Looks Like a job for...! fearsome , , and it wasn’t until SuperMan a.k.a was the first she was an adult that Diana found out who superhero ever created, with the exception of she truly was. She was the daughter of the the not-so-very-famous Dr. Mystic. Believe it mighty Zeus, and sister to Ares. When Zeus or not...SuperMan is based after the god disappeared for hundreds of years, Ares Zeus/Jupiter. Zeus is the first of all gods, the decided to claim the throne, and in doing so most powerful, and often explores the life of to subject earth to his rule. Diana learned of mortals and forms relationships with them. this, and went to earth to save mortals from Superman is from another , but lives on her brother. After a long bloody battle, Diana earth. He is arguably the most powerful defeated her brother, and took up his mantle as well. Since SuperMan is a common to become the new god of war. No longer superhero, I don’t think it’s necessary to go welcome at Themyscria for going to earth, she through his story, but here’s a quick chose to become earth’s protector, and summary: his planet went bang, he crashed eventually joined the . Note: to earth in a pod, and he got adopted and Diana is based after the goddess of war, decided to become a superhero (because why Bellona and sister of Ares. DC just thought not) who conceals his identity with glasses. Diana sounded better than Bellona. You knew that? All right . Well, there you have it! The heroes … based after Greek and . I

could go on listing more...and more...and... After Rhetoricles’ ‘breakfast of more...but then you guys would just get ’, he went outside to enjoy the bored. Anyhow, thanks for reading and morning sun. nerding out with me! As you can tell, I’m a “Ah, is this not a beautiful day?” he asked hard core fangirl of both superheroes and needlessly. greek mythology! To learn more about Then Rhetoricles heard a horse coming superheroes and their relation to myths, down the road. He looked down the road and check out Before saw himself riding in all his glory. Marvel and DC: Superheroes of the ancient Frozen with awe, Rhetoricles stood in the world at www.bbc.com. road unable to move. Heracles did not see Rhetoricles as he was too busy checking out his bulging muscles. Jacob B., CCA “These arms are so big they would rival The Twelfth Labor of Heracles even Ares’!” Heracles said, admiring himself. Starring Rhetoricles Then, since Heracles was not paying It was a bright warm morning when attention and Rhetoricles was unable to move Heracles woke up. He sat up in his bed and at the sight of Heracles, Heracles hit remembered the labor that lay before him: Rhetoricles with his horse. capturing ’ favorite pet, his dog “What are you doing in the middle of the . road?” Heracles yelled. “Well, I better eat a good breakfast,” “Was I not standing in the middle of the Heracles said decisively. road? Did you not see me?” Rhetoricles So he sat down at his kitchen table and asked in pain, having just been trampled by a ate some leftover boar that he had hunted the horse. day before. “Obviously I didn’t see you! Why would “Breakfast of champions!” exclaimed you ask me that?” Heracles asked in Heracles, taking another giant bite of confusion. room-temperature, partially spoiled boar. “Is that not who I am? Is that not how I After breakfast, Heracles got dressed and was born? Am I not Rhetoricles, asker of grabbed his trusty lion skin and was off to rhetorical questions?” Rhetoricles start his journey to capture Cerberus. He got responded. on his horse and started riding to the “Well, I have a labor to get to. I have to entrance of the . capture the great Cerberus from the Meanwhile, a man named Rhetoricles was Underworld, so I better get going.” Heracles also starting his day. Rhetoricles was said, inching away from Rhetoricles. extremely fascinated by all the labors “Oh, would it not be a great honor if I Heracles had already accomplished. Some could accompany you on your journeys? For might say he was Heracles’ biggest fan. am I not your biggest fan?” Rhetoricles asked Rhetoricles got out of bed, got dressed hopefully. and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. “Are you asking to come with me on my Being Heracles’ biggest fan, Rhetoricles knew quest?” Heracles was genuinely confused by that Heracles loved to eat boar. So that is all the rhetorical questions being asked of what he chose to eat for breakfast. him. “Is this not what Heracles himself would “Is that not the very thing I ask of you?” eat for breakfast?” he asked himself, already Rhetoricles asked excitedly. knowing the answer to his question. “Is this “You know—whatever—just get on the not the breakfast of champions?” he said, back of my horse and try to stay out of the again already knowing the answer.

way,” Hercules sputtered, beginning to get “For the sake of the great Heracles, will I irritated. not stop?” Rhetoricles replied. And then he So they were off to the entrance to the sat down quietly. Underworld. The road was long and filled Then Heracles choked Cerberus into with rhetorical question after rhetorical submission, beating and capturing the great question from Rhetoricles. Heracles was and thus ending his last labor. beginning to regret taking Rhetoricles on his quest. Anneka S., CCA They reached the entrance to the Characters: Underworld and descended into it. It was Metano (metanoia, ‘change of heart’): jealous ​ ​ ​ dark and misty and they could hear the groans of the dead already. Eripne (eripne, ‘broken cliff/crack’): daughter ​ ​ ​ “Is this not the scariest place you’ve ever of ; goddess of Rocky Mountain been?” Rhetoricles asked shivering in fear. freshwater They reached and attempted to Ion (ios, ‘poison, rust’): prairie rattlesnake ​ ​ ​ cross the river with him. with venom strong enough to dampen the “Hey man, I’m supposed to capture that power of the gods big three-headed snake dog in there. Do you think you could let us across?” Heracles One sunny Saturday evening a satyr asked. named Metano roamed amidst Engelmann In a quiet low voice Charon answered: spruce and fawn lilies. He walked “No.” quickly and aimlessly, crushing wildflowers “OK, but this is kind of really important with his hooves as he went, indifferent to the so—how about you just let me go in there beauty he was destroying. He muttered really quick?” Heracles tried again. aloud, for there was no one around to judge “No,” Charon answered. him. He spoke about his goals of being “O Charon, who is there that would not let known. Boredom and powerlessness caused us across? Is this not the greatest man alive? his mind to feel foggy, his dreams out of Is this not Heracles himself? Would reach. As the satyr wandered through the you—could you—deny a request from the mountains, a thought entered his great Heracles?” Rhetoricles pleaded with mind—awful, yet brilliant and cunning. A Charon. prairie rattlesnake named Ion lived less than “OK, OK, you can cross! Just please stop a stade away. Ion’s venom was said to asking all those questions!” Charon dampen the power of the gods. Metano could answered, incredibly annoyed. use this venom to capture a god and take the So they crossed the river and went to god’s power for himself. He watched the capture Cerberus. When they found the great sunset over Cliff Lake in the distance and his hound, Heracles laid down his weapons and plan began to form. began to wrestle with Cerberus, with The next day Metano arose and found Ion Rhetoricles unnecessarily narrating in the soaking up the morning sun while lying on a background. smooth yellow rock. Metano promised Ion “Will Heracles not defeat this beast?” strength and power if he assisted him in Rhetoricles exclaimed. pursuit of recognition. Ion, who always “Not right now, Rhetoricles!” Heracles looked for glory and power, agreed quickly panted while holding back one of Cerberus’ and they sat together refining their plan. heads. To the west a beautiful young goddess, Eripne, the daughter of Poseidon, began to sing. Her voice made the magpie dance and

the trout jump from the water in joy. Eripne her regain her powers beforehand and then was the goddess of the lakes and rivers of the let her go afterwards. Metano agreed but first Rocky Mountains. She lived in harmony with made her promise that she would do as she the birds of the sky and the freshwater fish said. As a pure and truthful goddess, she swimming in her waters. Just over the crest would not go back on her word. It took her a of the nearest hill, Metano and Ion crouched, full to regain her strength and power, waiting for the perfect time to make their but getting her power back felt like coming next move. The opportunity arose when home. Eripne left for her daily walk through the Eripne did what she promised and gave forest. Ion slithered down and poisoned Cliff Metano power over the lakes, rivers and Lake where she had been living. Eripne ponds in the small area where she was being returned sooner than she usually did because held captive. He had control of all of the she was filled with dread while she was water except one small lake. In this lake walking. When she arrived, she found her Eripne imprisoned Ion for poisoning her lake fish sick and the feeling of dread did not leave and fish. She named this small lake Old her. Eripne figured she might feel better after Faithful—and made sure the waters would a drink of water. She bent down to drink and faithfully imprison Ion. Metano felt the rush soon after she began to feel drowsy. She of power flow into him and for the first time promptly lay down and fell asleep. he felt relevant, free. Eripne then banished When Eripne awoke, she felt more Metano to the water table under the land disconnected than she ever had before. She where the rocks are yellow and made it so he felt as if a part of her was missing. That was was not allowed to leave. Eripne named the when she realized she was no longer in land where both are held captive control of the lakes or rivers. At first she was “Yellowstone” after the yellow rocks and then perplexed, but her feelings soon turned to promptly left to see what she could do to frustration. She looked around and restore Cliff Lake, her home. discovered she was surrounded by yellow Ion regarded his imprisonment with rock formations. Eripne turned her head bitterness and did everything he could to slightly to find a satyr looking down, watching escape. Metano at first saw his punishment her every move. She asked him who he was. as unjust; his anger heated the water and After Metano gave her his name, he scorched the earth. As the years passed, demanded that she give him her powers. He however, he began to understand why Eripne threatened her and said he would do had banished him and he forgave her. He whatever he had to do to get her powers. devoted the rest of his life to making up for Eripne was outraged that he would poison his bad decision by creating beauty in the her fish and take her powers from her. She ways he could. He now causes the water to again denied him. Metano sighed and walked bubble and he has turned some springs blue away, wishing there was a better way to gain or yellow. Now he heats the water to create power for himself. steam so that one day Eripne might see how Eripne began to come up with a plan. She he has changed and the beauty he has created would give him what he wanted, but she and release him. Ion, however, remains bitter would banish him to the area where the and his constant struggles with Old Faithful stones were yellow and he would have to simply make him angrier. He still tries to spend the rest of there. Eripne also escape every 35 to 120 minutes and his decided to imprison Ion, the rattlesnake who bitterness is so strong, you can smell it all had poisoned her waters. throughout Yellowstone. Eripne complied with Metano and offered to give him powers as long as he would let

Will M., CCA They arrived in the of the city, The Last Labor of Hercules where, to Hercules’ surprise, there were more A long time ago, somewhere between the men gathered than had watched him in the last of his labors and his eventual , field (which he was pretty sure might be Hercules was out in the fields of . It called Noncompliance.) was a sunny spring day, and Hercules was “Hercules of Thebes, though your deeds of spending it the only way he knew how: the past and present are told throughout wrestling large boars and gutting them with Greece, your fame and strength will not their own tusks. There wasn’t much sport in you from our judgment.” it, on account of Hercules being, well, Now Hercules was really sweating, Hercules, but some of the less enlightened of though for the life of him he didn’t know why. Athens had come out to watch the spectacle. He could take out all of these people if he Hercules was just finishing disemboweling wanted to. his thirteenth boar when a man stepped out “Hercules, under the newly instated law of the ring of onlookers. Heedless of of Athens, you have violated municipal and Hercules’ blood-drenched form, and the federal tax code.” steadily climbing pile of boar corpses, the Hercules was a little confused by this. man spoke: Now, he was no dolt, but he had no idea what “Hercules, son of Zeus, strongest of men! a tax code was. Was it some kind of code of He who slew the Lernean and stole the honor? A law against stealing? He had no golden apples from the garden of ! You idea. are found in noncompliance with the law of “Umm what’s a tax code?” Hercules … Athens. You must appear in the agora at once scratched his head rather doltishly. The man or be deemed a criminal and exiled from this leading the proceedings waved his question city.” away. Hercules only understood half of what “We’ve no time for explanations. If you this man said. He wasn’t sure what are to be reconciled with the city of Athens, Noncompliance was and he was pretty sure you must be audited.” He turned to another the field where he was found wasn’t named man. “Bring out the W-4s!” Noncompliance. Not wanting to do anything The sweat was back on Hercules’ brow. disrespectful, so as to avoid having to exile He didn’t understand what was happening himself and wear a dress again, he spoke: and he really just wanted to slay another “Fair Athenian, I will of course follow you boar. Soon, Hercules was beset on all sides to the agora, and I am sure we will be able to with questions and numbers. “And where did sort out this little misunderstanding.” you say you got that lion’s skin? Have you So the two set off to the middle of the city, had its price evaluated yet? What is your leaving the pile of boars in the middle of the primary of income? Adventures? field that might have been named Well, that’s a different form altogether.” Noncompliance. Along the way, Hercules Hercules couldn’t stand it; it took all of his began to wonder what he could have done to willpower not to crush the skulls of these warrant the threat of exile. He hadn’t men. After several days, and an effort that murdered a family in a while, and as far as he was — well — herculean, the Athenians knew, it was he sacked, not Athens. As relented. the strongest man in the world, Hercules “Now, Hercules, you have survived our didn’t get nervous—nerves were for men who trials. The audit is finished!” hadn’t wrestled Cerberus. And still, a single “Praise Zeus,” Hercules said. “This bead of sweat tickled his brow. nightmare is over.” Almost weeping with joy,

Hercules bound to the door, a boy-like smile spreading across his . “Wait, Hercules, the audit is finished, but now you must pay your back taxes, which are approximately twenty-one million, one hundred seventy-five thousand, eight hundred and eighty two drachmas.” The man conferred with his colleagues for a moment. “It seems that this is the price of one adult lion skin, so we will take your lion skin and send you on your way.” And that is the story of how Hercules lost one of his greatest prizes to the Athenian Internal Revenue Service. In his sadness, Hercules returned to the field he was now one hundred percent sure was called Noncompliance. There he killed some Noncomplianean boars, but his heart wasn’t in it.