curlyqlink
11-07-2008, 04:34 PM
This is a very lively work, much more amusing than what I expected. Not at all dry. Some of these tales were familiar to me (King Midas, Atalanta and the apples), most were new. I was surprised that this work begins with a creation myth that's virtually identical with the one found in the Bible. Also the "Biblical" flood. And the story of Orpheus and Eurydice has a lot in common with the tale of Lot and his wife. It's obvious that the two works draw on the same ancient sources. Interesting.
Most of the Metamorphoses is a somewhat loosely organized collection of magical transformations. A fair number of these involve some horny god or other chasing after a reluctant virgin. Said virgin may be transformed into a tree, rock, or bird to avoid divine ravishment, or she may be granted a transformation afterwards, as a favor. These pagan gods may not be moral exemplars, but they sure are amusing. And it's not all male domination, not by any stretch, since the women get their licks in too, as in the story of Actaeon and Diana. Actaeon is a hunter who is transformed into a stag and torn apart by his own dogs, after stumbling upon the goddess bathing.
Some of the tales involve trans-gender shenanigans, like Caenis, a girl who cared for none of her suitors. Neptune transforms her into a young man, Caeneus, who then
spent his days in masculine pursuits,
wandering in the fields of Peneus,
delighting in his new phallicity.
I think my favorite story of all is that of Baucis and Philemon, an aged couple living in an isolated marsh, who in return for a simple act of piety and hospitality are granted any wish. They ask only that when the time comes, they both die at the same moment, so neither will have to bear the sorrow of losing their mate. Jove grants them their wish, and when their days come to an end, they are transformed into two trees standing side by side, / sprung from a single trunk.
Aww...
Ovid's Metamorphoses is not just a collection of tales, though. It all comes together, with the story of the founding of Rome. Rome is founded as a consequence of the destruction of Troy and the exodus of Aeneas. Like the rebirth of the phoenix and Pythagoras's teachings on reincarnation of the soul, it is all part of a grand cosmic cycle.
Most of the Metamorphoses is a somewhat loosely organized collection of magical transformations. A fair number of these involve some horny god or other chasing after a reluctant virgin. Said virgin may be transformed into a tree, rock, or bird to avoid divine ravishment, or she may be granted a transformation afterwards, as a favor. These pagan gods may not be moral exemplars, but they sure are amusing. And it's not all male domination, not by any stretch, since the women get their licks in too, as in the story of Actaeon and Diana. Actaeon is a hunter who is transformed into a stag and torn apart by his own dogs, after stumbling upon the goddess bathing.
Some of the tales involve trans-gender shenanigans, like Caenis, a girl who cared for none of her suitors. Neptune transforms her into a young man, Caeneus, who then
spent his days in masculine pursuits,
wandering in the fields of Peneus,
delighting in his new phallicity.
I think my favorite story of all is that of Baucis and Philemon, an aged couple living in an isolated marsh, who in return for a simple act of piety and hospitality are granted any wish. They ask only that when the time comes, they both die at the same moment, so neither will have to bear the sorrow of losing their mate. Jove grants them their wish, and when their days come to an end, they are transformed into two trees standing side by side, / sprung from a single trunk.
Aww...
Ovid's Metamorphoses is not just a collection of tales, though. It all comes together, with the story of the founding of Rome. Rome is founded as a consequence of the destruction of Troy and the exodus of Aeneas. Like the rebirth of the phoenix and Pythagoras's teachings on reincarnation of the soul, it is all part of a grand cosmic cycle.