Ovid Metamorphoses I
Lines 1-150 – The Creation
I. Proloque
A. Ovid starts with a prayer to the gods who cause metamorphoses, changes of form
II. Creation
A. Chaos
1. ovid describes Chaos as a undigested mass of scumbled elements at war
2. consists of 4 elements: earth, air, fire, and water
a. contrast to to Hesoid’s chaos: a void
B. A god and nature (reason) end the strife between elements
1. represents first metamorphosis
C. unscramble elements → earth is created from them
1. god provides temperature zones
2. creates 4 winds (N, S, E, W) that forever clash
3. creates heaven for the gods
D. man is created in the image of gods
III. The Golden Age
A. Laws and punishments weren’t needed
1. All men were faithful and righteous
2. No armies needed cuz there was no war
3. No sea travel to forbidden realms
a. Sea navigation was often viewed as sinful
4. Earth provided sustenance
a. Men did not have to work the earth for food
IV. The Silver Age
A. Saturn was banished and sent to dark Tartarus → Jove’s rule began → silver age
1. inferior to golden age
B. Jove creates the four seasons
1. Man begin to seek shelter in houses
2. Begin to grow crops and work the fields
a. Meaning:
i. Degeneration of man (Hesiod)
ii. Progress (Ovid)
V. The Bronze Age
A. More prone to cruelty, use of fierce arms, but not yet sacrilegious
VI. The Iron Age
A. Worst of all ages; full of sin
1. Men begin to sail
2. Begin to divide the land
3. Begin to mine for minerals: iron and gold
4. Family members betray each other
B. Faithfulness is gone and Justice leaves the earth
Lines 177-437- Story of the Flood
I. The Angry Gods
A. Jove calls a meeting of the gods to discuss the human race
1. Jove wants to destroy humans because of their sinful ways
2. Has tried everything else to fix humans but nothing worked
B. Jove tells of his journey on land disguised as a human
1. Arrives at the home of Lycaeon king of Arcadia
2. Makes known he is a god and arcadians begin to worship him
a. Lycaeon doesn’t believe he is a god and does not worship him
3. Lycaeon schemes to test whether he really is a god or not
a. First plan is to murder him in his sleep but decides not to
b. Second plan = kills and cooks a hostage then serves it to Jove for his meal
4. Jove strikes down Lycaeon’s home with a lightening bolt
5. Lycaeon runs off to the woods and changes into a wolf
a. Wolf = kills sheep, savage animal; like Lycaeons human self
C. Jove wants to destroy all humans along with house of Lycaeon
1. Some gods agree others disagree
2. Complete destruction of human race saddens them all
a. Gods love of humans is based on fondness for the status quo and attachment to
offerings from humans
b. Resembles Babylonian flood in Gilgamesh
c. Contrast gods flood in Genesis where his commitment to Israelites restrains him from
complete destruction
3. Jove almost threw thunderbolt at earth but thought flames might reach heavens
II. The Flood
A. Jove decides to drown human race instead of fire
1. Sends out the wind Notus who brings rain everywhere
2. Iris brings more water to fuel rain
a. Humans fields and crops are destroyed
3. Jove not satisfied → calls brother Neptune (god of sea)
a. Floods the land with waves of water from the sea
4. Men and homes are all swept away, no more land just the sea
a. Metamorphosis → civilization is swept away and replaced with chaotic water
b. Ovid switches from the destruction of humans to the struggles of animals
5. Most humans drown or starve to death
III. The survivors
A. Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha survive on Mount Parnassus
1. They pray to gods including themis, godess who fortells the future
B. Jove sees the flooded earth and two survivors
C. Stops the flood and spares the two humans because they were innocent
1. Actually Themis, goddess of justice, who helps the survivors
D. Earth is restored to what it was
E. Deucalion and Pyrrha cry for all the lost and then pray to gods
1. Pray to Themis and ask how to redeem their race
2. Themis’s oracle is confusing: throw the bones of the great mother as you go
F. They throw stones behind them as they leave and stones begin to change
1. Metamorphosis: stones begin to take the form of humans
IV. The Rebirth
A. The stones become men and women
1. Race is tough and hardworking due to their stony origins
B. New live arises from the ground from the union of moisture and heat
