Over the Wine Dark Sea: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
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{{quote| '''Erinna''': ''Tell me about the voyage. Even if I am a widow, I'm a respectable woman so I hardly get out of the house, except to festivals and such, but you-you get to go across the sea. You know I'm jealous.''<br />
{{quote|'''Erinna''': ''Tell me about the voyage. Even if I am a widow, I'm a respectable woman so I hardly get out of the house, except to festivals and such, but you-you get to go across the sea. You know I'm jealous.''
'''Sostratos''': ''You have less to be jealous of then you think. If you feel crowded and closed in here, imagine spending a night at sea aboard an akatos, where most of the men don't even have room to lie down to sleep.''<br />
'''Sostratos''': ''You have less to be jealous of then you think. If you feel crowded and closed in here, imagine spending a night at sea aboard an akatos, where most of the men don't even have room to lie down to sleep.''
'''Erinna''': ''But you see something new every day, every hour.'' }}
'''Erinna''': ''But you see something new every day, every hour.'' }}


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* ''Owls to Athens''
* ''Owls to Athens''


The series' title is a [[Mythology Gag]] reference to ''[[The Iliad (Literature)|The Iliad]]'', where [[Homer (Creator)|Homer]] uses the famous piece of description "wine-dark sea" several times.
The series' title is a [[Mythology Gag]] reference to ''[[The Iliad]]'', where [[Homer]] uses the famous piece of description "wine-dark sea" several times.
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=== ''Over the Wine Dark Sea'' contains such tropes as: ===


{{tropelist}}
* [[Action Survivor]]: Sostratos.
* [[Action Survivor]]: Sostratos.
* [[Ancient Greece]]
* [[Ancient Greece]]
* [[Asskicking Equals Authority]]: And all the warlords around them are trying to gain [[The Empire|said authority]] by [[Rape Pillage and Burn|this manner]].
* [[Asskicking Equals Authority]]: And all the warlords around them are trying to gain [[The Empire|said authority]] by [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|this manner]].
* [[Badass]]: Menedemos.
* [[Badass]]: Menedemos.
* [[But I Read a Book About It]]: Sostratos often knows strange trivia about cities that he had never seen before in [[Real Life]].
* [[But I Read a Book About It]]: Sostratos often knows strange trivia about cities that he had never seen before in [[Real Life]].
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* [[Deliberate Values Dissonance]]: This is a story in which the heros own slaves and think Greeks are better then anyone else, among other things. The author does NOT go out of his way to make Ancient Greeks look like a perfect society. Sostratos at least feels occasional sympathy for slaves, though.
* [[Deliberate Values Dissonance]]: This is a story in which the heros own slaves and think Greeks are better then anyone else, among other things. The author does NOT go out of his way to make Ancient Greeks look like a perfect society. Sostratos at least feels occasional sympathy for slaves, though.
* [[Do Not Taunt Cthulhu]]: Menedemos several times reminds Sostratos that a sailor should watch what he says while at sea, because that is the wrong time to annoy the gods.
* [[Do Not Taunt Cthulhu]]: Menedemos several times reminds Sostratos that a sailor should watch what he says while at sea, because that is the wrong time to annoy the gods.
* [[Do You Want to Haggle]]
* [[Do You Want to Haggle?]]
* [[Family Business]]: The merchant galley Aphrodite is owned by the fathers of Sostratos and Menedemos.
* [[Family Business]]: The merchant galley Aphrodite is owned by the fathers of Sostratos and Menedemos.
* [[Friend On the Force]]: The Rhodian Navy collectively. And the Rhodian navy [[Always Gets His Man|always gets]] it's [[Pirate]].
* [[Friend on the Force]]: The Rhodian Navy collectively. And the Rhodian navy [[Always Gets His Man|always gets]] it's [[Pirate]].
* [[Gentleman and A Scholar]]: Sostratos, sort of. He is a quite nice person but he doesn't relate well to sailors.
* [[Gentleman and a Scholar]]: Sostratos, sort of. He is a quite nice person but he doesn't relate well to sailors.
* [[Global Currency]]: Averted. Everybody uses silver drachmas but each mint has a different value so a bargainer like Sostratos who has a great knowledge about such matters has quite an advantage over those who think that a drachma is a drachma.
* [[Global Currency]]: Averted. Everybody uses silver drachmas but each mint has a different value so a bargainer like Sostratos who has a great knowledge about such matters has quite an advantage over those who think that a drachma is a drachma.
* [[Good With Numbers]]: Sostratos is this. This is what makes him able to compete with all the bargainers in the Mediterranean.
* [[Good with Numbers]]: Sostratos is this. This is what makes him able to compete with all the bargainers in the Mediterranean.
* [[Home Base]]: Rhodes.
* [[Home Base]]: Rhodes.
* [[Honest Johns Dealership]]: They have many bargaining matches with local buyers and sellers all along the voyage.
* [[Honest John's Dealership]]: They have many bargaining matches with local buyers and sellers all along the voyage.
* [[The Dutiful Son]]: Sostratos is very conscientious and gets along well with his father.
* [[The Dutiful Son]]: Sostratos is very conscientious and gets along well with his father.
* [[The Empire]]: Lots of powerful people want to have this, which makes life difficult for unfortunate merchants.
* [[The Empire]]: Lots of powerful people want to have this, which makes life difficult for unfortunate merchants.
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* [[Folk Hero]]: [[Alexander the Great]] is already this, though only dead for about ten years.
* [[Folk Hero]]: [[Alexander the Great]] is already this, though only dead for about ten years.
* [[Handsome Lech]]: Menedemos; honestly he is almost an preincarnation of Tony DiNozzo from NCIS.
* [[Handsome Lech]]: Menedemos; honestly he is almost an preincarnation of Tony DiNozzo from NCIS.
* [[Hired Guns|Hired Spears]]: They transport some of these. One tries to steal the peacock eggs and [[Place Worse Than Death|gets marooned]] because when someone [[Moral Event Horizon|steals from his shipmates]] you can be pretty sure that [[Its Personal]].
* [[Hired Guns|Hired Spears]]: They transport some of these. One tries to steal the peacock eggs and [[Place Worse Than Death|gets marooned]] because when someone [[Moral Event Horizon|steals from his shipmates]] you can be pretty sure that [[It's Personal]].
* [[Historical in Joke]]: A few. For instance, Sostratos comments on Italian cities that "none of them will ever amount to anything". Of course the reader knows that a [[The Roman Empire|certain one]] of these cities will prove him wrong.
* [[Historical In-Joke]]: A few. For instance, Sostratos comments on Italian cities that "none of them will ever amount to anything". Of course the reader knows that a [[The Roman Empire|certain one]] of these cities will prove him wrong.
* [[Intelligence Equals Isolation]]: Sostratos has this problem.
* [[Intelligence Equals Isolation]]: Sostratos has this problem.
* [[Intrepid Merchant]]: The basic theme of the book.
* [[Intrepid Merchant]]: The basic theme of the book.
* [[Jerk Jock]]: Menedemos.
* [[Jerk Jock]]: Menedemos.
* [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold]]: Menedemos.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Menedemos.
* [[Jumped At the Call]]: Deconstructed. The intrepid heros hear that Syracuse is starving under a Cartheginian siege and needs grain. Menedemos decides to go because it sounds exciting and will pay a lot of money. Sostratos hates the idea but Menedemos overrules them. Neither apparently give a hoot about the beleaguered citizens of Syracuse. After all, an [[Intrepid Merchant]] has an honest drachma to make, doesn't he?
* [[Jumped At the Call]]: Deconstructed. The intrepid heros hear that Syracuse is starving under a Cartheginian siege and needs grain. Menedemos decides to go because it sounds exciting and will pay a lot of money. Sostratos hates the idea but Menedemos overrules them. Neither apparently give a hoot about the beleaguered citizens of Syracuse. After all, an [[Intrepid Merchant]] has an honest drachma to make, doesn't he?
* [[Literary Allusion Title]]: To the [[Homer (Creator)|Homeric]] epics.
* [[Literary Allusion Title]]: To the [[Homer|Homeric]] epics.
* [[Little Hero Big War]]: Lots of wars are taking place or imminent; the heroes mainly want to stay out of the way unless the [[Hired Guns|money]] is good enough.
* [[Little Hero, Big War]]: Lots of wars are taking place or imminent; the heroes mainly want to stay out of the way unless the [[Hired Guns|money]] is good enough.
* [[Macedonian Succession Wars]]
* [[Macedonian Succession Wars]]
* [[MacGuffin]]: The peacocks which they have to sell.
* [[MacGuffin]]: The peacocks which they have to sell.
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* [[Merchant City]]: Rhodes. Other cities too.
* [[Merchant City]]: Rhodes. Other cities too.
* [[My Girl Back Home]]: The families of Menedemos and Sostratos. Especially that of Sostratos who has a closer relationship with them.
* [[My Girl Back Home]]: The families of Menedemos and Sostratos. Especially that of Sostratos who has a closer relationship with them.
* [[Not So Safe Harbor]]: Any harbor they put in at.
* [[Not-So-Safe Harbor]]: Any harbor they put in at.
* [[Obstructive Bureaucrat|Obstructive Bureaucrats]]: The [[Mooks]] of the various warlords who bicker around them.
* [[Obstructive Bureaucrat|Obstructive Bureaucrats]]: The [[Mooks]] of the various warlords who bicker around them.
* [[Overshadowed By Awesome]]: Sostratos feels that way toward Menedemos who can command a ship, inspire men and almost runs well enough to go to the Olympics. While Sostratos is mainly [[Good With Numbers]] and with [[But I Read a Book About It|reading]]. The first(and occasionally the second) of which help the sailors get paid but never get noticed.
* [[Overshadowed by Awesome]]: Sostratos feels that way toward Menedemos who can command a ship, inspire men and almost runs well enough to go to the Olympics. While Sostratos is mainly [[Good with Numbers]] and with [[But I Read a Book About It|reading]]. The first(and occasionally the second) of which help the sailors get paid but never get noticed.
* [[Overused Running Gag]]: The peacocks which they carry and which are such a bother.
* [[Overused Running Gag]]: The peacocks which they carry and which are such a bother.
* [[Patriotic Fervor]]: Towards Rhodes in particular and Hellenic culture in general. ''Not'' towards Macedonians.
* [[Patriotic Fervor]]: Towards Rhodes in particular and Hellenic culture in general. ''Not'' towards Macedonians.
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* [[Tin Man]]: Sostratos.
* [[Tin Man]]: Sostratos.
* [[Up Marketing]]: What they do with peacocks.
* [[Up Marketing]]: What they do with peacocks.
* [[Upperclass Twit]]: Menedemos sometimes, except that he is a talented sea captain and knows how to inspire sailors.
* [[Upper Class Twit]]: Menedemos sometimes, except that he is a talented sea captain and knows how to inspire sailors.
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Menedemos and Sostratos.
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Menedemos and Sostratos.


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[[Category:Sea Stories]]
[[Category:Sea Stories]]
[[Category:Over The Wine Dark Sea]]
[[Category:Over The Wine Dark Sea]]
[[Category:Trope]]

Latest revision as of 01:59, 5 March 2020

Erinna: Tell me about the voyage. Even if I am a widow, I'm a respectable woman so I hardly get out of the house, except to festivals and such, but you-you get to go across the sea. You know I'm jealous.
Sostratos: You have less to be jealous of then you think. If you feel crowded and closed in here, imagine spending a night at sea aboard an akatos, where most of the men don't even have room to lie down to sleep.
Erinna: But you see something new every day, every hour.

This is a Sea Story by Harry Turtledove about Rhodian traders in the Hellenistic era. It concerns the voyage of the trading ship "Aphrodite" to Italy ("Great Hellas") and back and their adventures along the way. The main characters are the cousins Menedemos the captain and Sostratos the purser.

This is the first of the "Helenic Traders" series. Further books are:

  • The Gryphons Skull
  • The Sacred Land
  • Owls to Athens

The series' title is a Mythology Gag reference to The Iliad, where Homer uses the famous piece of description "wine-dark sea" several times.

Tropes used in Over the Wine Dark Sea include:
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