AUSTRALIA MYTHOLOGY
Apollo and Aphrodite are different but complementary parts of one whole.
• Physical appearance is not the defining attribute of Apollo.
• Apollo identifies a problem, understands the problem, and then finds a solution.
• Apollo builds upon knowledge and solutions already tested through experience.
• Age does not take this attribute away from Apollo. Experience can strengthen it.
• Tradition gives Apollo a tested foundation upon which to build the present.
- ‘A man must be just a little bit better looking than the devil’ – sets the minimum acceptable threshold: he doesn’t need to be handsome, just not repulsive. This is the boundary of visual worth.
- ‘A woman must be just a little bit uglier than an angel’ – similarly: she doesn’t need to be perfect, but she can’t be off-putting. The upper limit of tolerable imperfection.
- ‘If the devil can’t do it, send a woman’ – a woman can accomplish what even the devil fails at. Power of persuasion, charm, determination.
- ‘Don’t trust a woman or a horse’ – a warning against blind trust. A woman (like a horse) has her own will and instincts, which she trusts more than commands.”
- THE EUNUCH AND MAXIMUS
- The eunuch is used here as a symbol—not as a lesson about physical castration.
- He represents a man who cuts himself away from his masculinity in exchange for comfort, security, or acceptance.
- Maximus represents the opposite: a man who remains master of himself, keeps his word, and does not trade his values for comfort, safety, or approval.
- If today’s environment mocks masculinity and teaches a young man to be ashamed of it, how is he expected to recognise his own value?
