In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a beautiful Trojan princess, daughter of King Priam, gifted with prophecy by the god Apollo but cursed to never be believed, making her warnings of impending doom, like the Trojan Horse and fall of Troy, tragically ignored. After the war, she became a war prize for Agamemnon, and was later murdered alongside him by his wife Clytemnestra, cementing her status as a symbol of ignored truth, known as the Cassandra complex.
Her Story & Curse
The Gift: Apollo fell in love with Cassandra and granted her the ability to see the future.
The Curse: When she rejected his advances, Apollo cursed her so her true prophecies would always be disbelieved.
Warnings Ignored: She correctly foretold the Trojan Horse trick and the city’s destruction, but her family and people dismissed her frantic warnings.
Fate After Troy
Spoils of War: After Troy fell, she was taken by the Greek king Agamemnon as a concubine.
Murder: She was tragically killed with Agamemnon by his vengeful wife, Clytemnestra, upon their return to Greece.
Legacy
Symbolism: Her name is a metaphor for someone whose accurate predictions of disaster are ignored.
Cultural Impact: The “Cassandra complex” describes this phenomenon in psychology, science, and politics, with its usage dating back centuries.
Listen to me king Priam , father! This wooden horse from Greeks will not bring happy days to Trojan house But sad and dark days will come ✨🍂 Photos by @alexla.photos
I’m hosting a Draw This In Your Style challenge on Instagram, but you’re absolutely welcome to join in here on Tumblr too! ✨💜
The challenge is based on this illustration, keep the same pose and a similar colour palette, and feel free to add your own style, background, or details. If you decide to participate, please post your version on Instagram and tag me, and include the hashtag #kart2k so I can find and share your work there.
The official deadline is December 23rd, but you can still create and post your piece afterwards if you want, late entries are welcome, they just won’t be included in the initial feature.
