Love and Change Ovid Flashcards
(5 cards)
Metamorphoses by Ovid
About Changes
15-book poem, retelling traditional, mostly Greek, and a few Roman myths
8 CE, composed under Emperor Augustus
Summary of Echo and Narcissus Myth
Begins with Narcissus’ mom asking an oracle if her son would grow old. The seer responds if he never knows himself. Now Narcissus is sixteen and desired by everyone. Echo is also introduced; she is a person but can only repeat the final words that she’s heard spoken due to Juno. Echo will see Narcissus and desire him. But do to her limited speech, she had to wait for him to talk first. Then Narcissus and Echo interact, but he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. This leads to her grief, and she becomes an actual echo with no body, but we can still hear her. Narcissus would then go by water and see his reflection and fall in love with himself. Yet, he doesn’t know the right way that the person he fell in love with is himself. Since he can’t be with this man, it leads to grief, not eating, and hurting himself. He would ultimately die and become a flower.
Summary of Iphis and Ianthe Myth
Begins with Telethusa being pregnant and her husband, Ligdus, that she has to give birth to a boy because a girl would be too expensive. If she does give birth to a girl, it would kill the baby. Telethusa would be spoken to by an Egyptian goddess and told to raise the baby, whatever the gender. Telethusa then gives birth to a girl but pretends that it was a boy. So, the baby was named Iphis. Iphis was raised as a boy. He was betrothed to Ianthe. They both have love for each other. But Iphis is worried because she is a girl and loves a girl, and feels that the love is not right. She is so distraught that she goes to an Egyptian temple to hopefully get help with her dilemma. Her wish is granted when she turns into a boy and is now able to marry Ianthe.
Summary of Pygmalion and the Ivory Statue Myth
Pygmalion is an artist who creates a statue out of ivory. He falls in love with the statue. He prays to the gods to grant him a wife like his ivory statue. He arrives home and looks for his statue to kiss, but in reality, it was a true woman. So, his statue was turned into a real woman.
How were ancient mirrors?
Seeing yourself was harder in ancient times
Ancient mirrors didn’t have glass until later; they were just made of metal, making the image of yourself very fuzzy
But people have always wanted to look at themselves
Mirrors are associated with Aphrodite, who helps us prepare a face to meet the faces we will meet
