CH. 13 - Ovid's Metamorphoses Flashcards
1
Q
Ovid’s Metamorphoses
A
- no work from classical antiquity, either greek or roman, has exerted such as continuing and decisive influence on European literature as the Metamorphoses
- a 15 book epid related a rich assortment of some 250 stories, which all contain a transformation of some kind woven into the story
- meta=change morph=shape
- the timeline of the MM stars with Creation and Chaos and ends with Julius Ceaser
2
Q
Life of Ovid
A
- Publius Ovidius Naso was born in Sulmona, Abruzzo, Italy
- loved poetry but his father wanted him to pursue a legal career
- was kicked out of Rome for writing the Ars Amatoria, banished to Thomis
3
Q
how does Ovid describe the birth of the world in the MM
A
- described it by relating how the unamed god brings order to chaos
- this designer/craftsman separated earth from heaven, land from seas, etc. then he made new beings to inhabit these spaces
- Not like how in Greek mythology the Earth mated with the Sky etc.
- then humans were created, the four ages followed (gold, silver, bronze, iron)
4
Q
Ovid four ages
A
- gold was a time of trust moral goodness and fruitfullness
- silver, people started to work for a living
- bronze saw the first wars but some semblance of morality persisted
- iron, there was nothing sacred, family ties lead to conflict and bloodshed
5
Q
Phaethon
A
- some consider it the best story in the MM; story of pride
- contains two popular types of transformations, into a tree and a bird
- Phaethon was the son of Phoebus (Apollo) and Clymere (daughter of Ocean)
- he was not sure as to whether or not Apollo is his father so Clymere sent him to Apollos temple in the East, at the gates of Dawn
- Apollo confirmed he was his father and promised to prove it by granting any wish he wanted
- Phaeton asked to drive Apollos sun chariot across the sky for just one day
6
Q
what happened when Phaeton got his wish
A
- Apollo knew the feat was beyond the boys power and begged him to change his mind
- with dawn approaching it was time to drive the chariot
- with many anxious instructions from his father Phaethon lept onto the charrior
- the four sun horses hurlled themselves upward into the sky, they raced out of control and off course
- he soared up too close to the stars and set them smoking
- they hurled down too near the Earth and set it on fire, rivers dried up and scored the Ethiopeans and turned North Africa into a desert
- Jupiter intervened by blasting him out of the sky with a thunderbolt
- blazing corpse fell into the Eridanus river
7
Q
what happened after Phaeton’s death
A
- his mom and sisters found his tomb and wept so long and hard on the banks of the Eridanus that they were turned into poplar trees, and their tears into amber
- to commemorate his fate, phaeton was immortalized in the stars as the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer
- the river Eridanus also became a constellation
- another mourner, his relative Cycnus sang about his death
- the gods took pity on him and transformed him into a swan
- when he died, he became the constalation Cygnus, swans have ever afterwards sang a swans song
8
Q
Icarus
A
- the craftsman Daedalus got tired of his life in Crete but the king Minos would not let him leave
- he designed wings made of feather and wax so that he and his son Icarus could escape
- if they flew too low the sea will soak the wings, if you fly too high the sun will melt the wax
- he gave his son the instruction to take the middle course which he will show him
- icarus left his guide for his desire to reach the heavens and the wax melted the wax fastening the feathers
- the sea received him and took his name: the Icarian sea
- story of self control and knowing your limitations
9
Q
Narcissus and Echo
A
- Narcissus was so beautiful, everyone wanted him
- a nymph Echo falls in love with him, she is cured by Juno to only be able to say the last words spoken by others because she destracted Juno as she was trying to catch Jupiter with another nymph
- in her sorrow, she wasted away to nothing except her voice
- an old suitor wanted revenge on Narcissus, which the god Nemesis heard
- Narcissus then fell in love with his reflection, he stayed there until he wasted away, he still looked at himself in the reflection of the river Styx
- the narcissus flower (daffodil) grew where he died
10
Q
Arachne
A
- Arachne was a famous weaver in her region, she became so proud that she challenged the goddess of weaving and craftsmen Pallas (Athena)
- Pallas came to her disguised as an old women and warned her to beg for the goddess’ forgiveness, which she rudely ignored
- Pallas resumed her true shape and challenged her to a contest
- Arachne beat her, which Pallas then tore out her tapestry, attacked her with her loom and hung her
- she then took pity on her and transformed her into a spider so she could weave forever
11
Q
Callisto and Arcas
A
- the greek nymph Callisto was the favourite hunting companion of Artemis
- Jupiter saw her in the mountains and came to her disguised as Diana, who welcomed her warmly
- he kissed her and embraced her, which he was strong for her to break free, he left her pregnant
- 9 months later, on a hot day, diana led her companions to a cool stream, they all undressed except for Callisto, they stripped her clothes and realized she was pregnant
- the goddess banished her in a fury
- she gave birth to a son, Arcas, this made Juno very angry and transformed her into a bear
- Callisto lived in the woods for 15 years, afraid of humans
- one day she came face to face with Arcas, she tried to approach him and he got scared and thrust his spear at her
- ## Jupiter took pity on her, stoped her sons hand and carried her up to the heavens where she became the constellation Arctos, the Great Bear
12
Q
Ceyx an Alcyone
A
- they compare themselves to the gods, boldly calling each other Zeus and Hera
- there was a prophecy where Ceyx would not return to his wife Alcyone if he were to go on a voyage, he promised to return in 2 months
- a storm came halfway through his voyage and he drowned
- Alcyone made sacrifices to Juno every night in hopes he comes home, Juno pittied her so she sent the dream god Morpheus to her
- he appeared as her husband, naked covered in sea water and pale as death and told her he had drowned
- she woke up and knew it was real and rushed down to the water where she found his body, she tried to drown herself but the gods transformed them both into halcyons (kingfishers)
- every year they mated, while they did the gods calmed the seas so that she could lay her eggs
13
Q
Daphne and Apollo
A
- Apollo belitted the love god Amor’s archery abilities, he took revenge by inflicting Apollo with the pain of an unrequited love (shot him with a love arrow and daphne with an arrow that repels love)
- he fell violently in love with the nymph Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneius
- when Apollo chased her and was about to catch up to her, she prayed to her father who turned her into a laurel tree
- Apollo still loved her as a tree so he man a laurel crown the symbol of victory
14
Q
Baucis and Philemon
A
- old couple who spent many years together in a humble cottage on the side of a mountain
- Jupiter and Mercury arrived disguised as mortals and were turned away from a thousand homes, not B and Ps
- they tried to kill their only goose once they realized they were feeding gods but they’re old and it evaded them
- gods told them to leave it and to follow them up the mountain side
- when they got to the top they looked down and saw all the houses were flooded except for theirs, which got turned into a temple
- the gods offered them a wish, which was when they came for death they would die together so they didn’t have to grieve losing each other
- when they died they got turned into an oak and a linden tree
15
Q
Byblis and Caunus
A
- story of Byblis falling in love with her brother Caunus
- eventually she wrote him a letter of their love, which he was horrified
- she still persisted, eventually Caunus was forced to leave their home of Miletus
- she followed him until she couldn’t and laid down to weep
- she was overcome by her tears and turned into a spring of water called (Bybil) that would never run dry
