Reading Diary A: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4)

I read part of Ovid's Metamorphoses for my additional reading last week, so I wanted to finish the story this week. So, I'm starting at the beginning with Books 1-4.

Deucalion and Pyrrha

Metamorphoses: rocks to people; evil world to new, pure world.

After reading of the wrath of the gods (familiar theme among flood stories), I am struck by the beautiful imagery describing the disaster.

"The Nereids are astonished to see woodlands, houses and whole towns under the water...Wolves swim among the sheep...the circling bird [...] falls on tired wings into the water...The sea in unchecked freedom has buried the hills."

This incongruous mingling of the ocean and earth, symbolize the destruction destruction in an artistic way.

Only the innocent and pious Deucalion and Pyrrha remain and are left to repopulate the earth. They do this by throwing the "bones of mother earth" aka rocks over their shoulders. The stones become men and women and the regeneration of humanity from stones and hard labors symbolizes are hardiness. 

Io

Metamorphoses: Nymph to heifer, love leads to mistreatment

Rape, jealously, heifer, revenge

Another representation of passive, mortal women

Although Juno is very active and assertive

Phaethon and the Sun

Metamorphosis: Recently swallowed by water, now the earth burns

I really enjoyed how the complexities of the myth (the path of Phoebus's chariot) attempt to explain the natural world.  There is also a lot of beautiful beautiful imagery here. 

Aurora by Guido Reni, Source: Flickr

Callisto

Metamorphosis: Callisto to bear, then Arcos and Callisto become constellations

Another passively, raped mortal woman

Semelle

Metamorphosis: Father becomes mother

Again with the rape

Story source: Ovid's Metamorphoses, translated by Tony Kline (2000).