Lamia

Question 1

Summary of events

Answer 1

Lamia tells the story of a serpent-woman, Lamia, who is transformed into a beautiful woman to pursue her love for a mortal man named Lycius.

• The poem begins with Hermes, the messenger god, searching for a nymph. Lamia, a snake-like creature, helps him find the nymph in exchange for being turned into a human woman.
• Lamia, now a beautiful woman, seeks out Lycius in Corinth. Lycius falls deeply in love with her.
• They live together in a passionate romance, secluded from the outside world, in a magical palace Lamia creates.
• However, Apollonius, a wise philosopher and Lycius’s former mentor, becomes suspicious of Lamia’s true nature.
• Lycius and Lamia decide to marry, and during their wedding feast, Apollonius confronts Lamia, revealing her as a supernatural being.
• Under Apollonius’s scrutiny, Lamia disappears, vanishing into thin air.
• Lycius, devastated by the loss of Lamia, dies of grief shortly afterward.

The poem explores themes of illusion, the conflict between reason and passion, the power of enchantment, and the tragic consequences of love across boundaries of reality and fantasy.