Ismarus Lyrics
[Cut Song]Ismarus
[ATHENA]Low on provisions, low on supplies
Six hundred guys sail north t'wards the port of Ismarus
[POLITES]
Isn't this—?
[CREW]
The land of the Cicones
[ODYSSEUS]
Yes
[ATHENA]
Weakened and feeble from fighting the war
The Cicones keep their food hidden, stored in Ismarus
[ODYSSEUS]
Alright, listen up
[ATHENA]
The captain and his men devise a plan
[CREW]
Yes, Sir!
[ODYSSEUS]
We're currently fighting against the current
We're low on nourishment and it's impossible to flourish
We are low on food, low on supplies
Need to feed six hundred guys
Need to beat this fleeting time with speed and resources in mind
Fellow brethren together we need a plan
Do we raid the nearest city or leave and take a chance?
Whoever wishes to speak please take a stand
[CREW]
Eurylochus
[ATHENA]
Eurylochus was second in command
[EURYLOCHUS, CREW]
Captain
Why not take the poor by the jugular
And hit 'em where it hurts now? (Captain)
Captain
Victors of the war
We don't have to ask permission or for trust now
Raid that city, sack that town
Where was their pity when they struck our men down?
Captain (Captain)
Tell me, did we come this far so we could all starve now?
[ODYSSEUS]
If we don't get that food our lives are lost
[ATHENA]
If you take a life to save a life does it justify the cost?
[POLITES]
Wait! There must be another way
[CREW]
Polites (Polities)
[ATHENA]
Polites, the captain's best friend
[POLITES, CREW]
Why don't we leave the bloodshed for another day? (Another day)
The war is over, let's do no harm
Let's find a place with open arms
Get what we need
We'll play it safe and make it home
[ODYSSEUS]
Even if we found another place, we might have these same problems
[ATHENA]
Assuming you live long enough to solve them
[ODYSSEUS]
Eurylochus?
[EURYLOCHUS]
Captain?
[ODYSSEUS]
Rally half the troops; you'll invade the city of Ismarus tonight
[EURYLOCHUS]
Yes, Captain
[ODYSSEUR]
Eurylochus?
[EURYLOCHUS]
Captain?
[ODYSSEUS]
Our men are not to use any lethal force in this fight
[EURYLOCHUS]
Sir, wait
Let me get this straight
You want no lethal force in a city wide raid?
[ODYSSEUS]
That's correct
[EURYLOCHUS]
But sir, what exactly do you expect?
[ODYSSEUS]
No lethal force, don't kill
What about that doesn't connect?
[EURYLOCHUS]
There's a reason I object
Forgive me sir, but that's preposterous
The second we attack there's bound to be some deadly consequence
[ODYSSEUS]
I don't care!
I gave an order, enough said
The war was full of gore
No more of this bloodshed
Just steal what we need and then retreat
[CREW]
Polites (Polites)
[POLITES]
What keeps you up so late at night my friend?
[ODYSSEUS]
All I hear are screams, every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream, only nightmares of those who've died
Nothing's what it seems
[POLITES]
Nothing's what it seems
Not every choice is black and white
[ODYSSEUS]
I keep thinking of the infant from that night
I keep thinking of the infant from that night
[POLITES, spoken]
Hey
Ismarus was a deleted song from EPIC that originally took place between Full Speed Ahead and Your Light. It was eventually merged into Full Speed Ahead, which took over Ismarus’ intended role as the introduction to the protagonists. Some of its final lines were preserved, later resurfacing in The Underworld and briefly in Love In Paradise.
The song followed Odysseus and his crew as they arrived at Ismarus, a city belonging to the Cicones—where food stores were kept. With Athena narrating, the track explored a moral standoff among the heroes: Eurylochus argued that, as victors of the Trojan War, they had the right to raid the city without permission. Polites countered, urging restraint and proposing they seek food elsewhere. Odysseus made a compromise—he ordered a raid, but strictly forbade bloodshed. Eurylochus objected, but his challenge was swiftly dismissed.
The final section turned introspective. Odysseus and Polites, alone after the chaos, shared a rare moment of quiet. Polites gently asked what had been keeping Odysseus awake at night. In a moment of honesty, Odysseus revealed his torment—grief, guilt, and recurring nightmares of his fallen comrades from Troy.
Trivia
- Although most of the song was scrapped, Jorge repurposed its final lines in The Underworld, altering their meaning. Originally symbolic of mental trauma, they later referenced literal ghosts screaming.
- An earlier draft of Ismarus ran about six minutes and included characters Elpenor and Perimedes, who were later removed from the main cast. Jorge once described this early version as “a ripoff of Aaron Burr, Sir” from Hamilton.
- The only surviving lyrics from that draft appear in a TikTok clip where Perimedes proposes sneaking ten men into Ismarus before sunrise—followed by a chant of his name from the crew.
- Though no longer central characters, Perimedes and Elpenor make cameo appearances in Storm and Keep Your Friends Close, voiced by Ayron Alexander and Luke Holt (also Antinous and Zeus, respectively). Perimedes also appears in Mutiny, where he stabs Odysseus to prevent him from killing Eurylochus.
- Ismarus was ultimately cut from EPIC due to multiple factors: its rap-heavy style, its reliance on Athena as narrator, and a structure that Jorge felt was more “tell” than “show.” He also personally disliked the song.
- According to Jorge, the Lotus Eaters were chosen to replace Ismarus for narrative balance. After showing the brutality of human war in The Horse and The Infant, he wanted a more surreal and varied setting, leading to the complete retconning of Ismarus.