METAMORPHOSES
Ovid’s Metamorphoses first focuses on providing some backstory behind Theseus’ defeat of the Minotaur and how he saved the city of Athens. Theseus is told a series of stories in order to prepare him for what is to come. First, he hears the story about how Philomela is raped by Tereus. She sends a message to Tereus’ queen and her sister, Procne, notifying her of the crime. Procne and Philomela prepare to avenge Tereus for his crime. The ultimate revenge, she decides, would be to kill the son that she and Tereus have together, Itys. Procne kills him and adds his remains to the meal she cooks for her husband that evening. Unknowingly, Tereus eats his dead son. When he asks where Itys is, Philomela throws the boy’s head at her brother-in-law. In rage, Tereus tries to kill the two women, but they escape by transforming into birds. Tereus becomes a bird as well, which we know now as the Hoopoe.
Philomela is known as a princess of Athens, being one of the daughters of the Athenian king at the time, Pandion.[1] Theseus is known for being the founding father of Athens. When the gods transform Tereus, Philomela, and Procne into birds at the end of the myth, it may have been a signal that all of the violence that was taking place was enough. Turning them into birds prevents any more death or destruction from occurring between these people. It only shows the all-powerful tendencies of the gods even more, and Theseus, by hearing this story, is being directed to take note of the possible consequences of going up against the Minotaur.
In Book 7, we find that Aegina has been overtaken by a horrific plague. When men would go to the temple and offer sacrifices in order to possibly save their families from death, often the bulls they would sacrifice would collapse without even being stricken by a sword. The fear of death from this plague penetrated the society so much as to lead many to commit suicide.
Aegina was stricken by a plague when the goddess Juno found out that her husband, Jupiter, was sleeping with the city’s namesake, the nymph Aegina. During ancient times, Aegina was known as one of Athens’ greatest rivals.[2]
Book 8 covers the aftermath of when Theseus slayed the Minotaur. After his victory, he flees Crete with his lover, Ariadne. However, when the couple reaches Dia Isle, he abandons her and she is left in agony over the loss of Theseus. Then, the story turns to Daedalus and the wings he makes for his son, Icarus, in order to escape from Crete. Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, for the wax on the wings will melt and Icarus will die. However, he fails to heed his father’s guidance, and he falls into the sea to his death when he flies too close to the sun.
This is where we get to the meat of Theseus’ story. He is known as a womanizer throughout his life; he even kidnapped Helen when she was an infant in order to eventually marry her when she came of age.[3] His abandonment of Ariadne only perpetuates this notion that he cares only about being a hero, not about anyone else. Daedalus is significant because he created the labyrinth that housed the Minotaur, which Theseus ends up killing. He and his son elect to escape from Crete after the Minotaur is killed. Perhaps this demonstrates the profound impact the Minotaur had on the mindsets of Cretans and now that he has been killed, Crete will not be the same. In order to gain justice for the Athenians, Theseus also has to hurt the people of Crete in the process.
[1] Philomela, Myths Encyclopedia.
[2] Herodotus, The Histories, 5.89
[3] Helen, Mortal Women of the Trojan War.
Ovid’s Metamorphoses first focuses on providing some backstory behind Theseus’ defeat of the Minotaur and how he saved the city of Athens. Theseus is told a series of stories in order to prepare him for what is to come. First, he hears the story about how Philomela is raped by Tereus. She sends a message to Tereus’ queen and her sister, Procne, notifying her of the crime. Procne and Philomela prepare to avenge Tereus for his crime. The ultimate revenge, she decides, would be to kill the son that she and Tereus have together, Itys. Procne kills him and adds his remains to the meal she cooks for her husband that evening. Unknowingly, Tereus eats his dead son. When he asks where Itys is, Philomela throws the boy’s head at her brother-in-law. In rage, Tereus tries to kill the two women, but they escape by transforming into birds. Tereus becomes a bird as well, which we know now as the Hoopoe.
Philomela is known as a princess of Athens, being one of the daughters of the Athenian king at the time, Pandion.[1] Theseus is known for being the founding father of Athens. When the gods transform Tereus, Philomela, and Procne into birds at the end of the myth, it may have been a signal that all of the violence that was taking place was enough. Turning them into birds prevents any more death or destruction from occurring between these people. It only shows the all-powerful tendencies of the gods even more, and Theseus, by hearing this story, is being directed to take note of the possible consequences of going up against the Minotaur.
In Book 7, we find that Aegina has been overtaken by a horrific plague. When men would go to the temple and offer sacrifices in order to possibly save their families from death, often the bulls they would sacrifice would collapse without even being stricken by a sword. The fear of death from this plague penetrated the society so much as to lead many to commit suicide.
Aegina was stricken by a plague when the goddess Juno found out that her husband, Jupiter, was sleeping with the city’s namesake, the nymph Aegina. During ancient times, Aegina was known as one of Athens’ greatest rivals.[2]
Book 8 covers the aftermath of when Theseus slayed the Minotaur. After his victory, he flees Crete with his lover, Ariadne. However, when the couple reaches Dia Isle, he abandons her and she is left in agony over the loss of Theseus. Then, the story turns to Daedalus and the wings he makes for his son, Icarus, in order to escape from Crete. Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, for the wax on the wings will melt and Icarus will die. However, he fails to heed his father’s guidance, and he falls into the sea to his death when he flies too close to the sun.
This is where we get to the meat of Theseus’ story. He is known as a womanizer throughout his life; he even kidnapped Helen when she was an infant in order to eventually marry her when she came of age.[3] His abandonment of Ariadne only perpetuates this notion that he cares only about being a hero, not about anyone else. Daedalus is significant because he created the labyrinth that housed the Minotaur, which Theseus ends up killing. He and his son elect to escape from Crete after the Minotaur is killed. Perhaps this demonstrates the profound impact the Minotaur had on the mindsets of Cretans and now that he has been killed, Crete will not be the same. In order to gain justice for the Athenians, Theseus also has to hurt the people of Crete in the process.
[1] Philomela, Myths Encyclopedia.
[2] Herodotus, The Histories, 5.89
[3] Helen, Mortal Women of the Trojan War.