Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphosis Part A
Bibliography: Ovid's Metamorphosis, Part A, translated by Tony Kline
Deucalion and Pyrrha
Zeus was angry at mankind and decided to just kill them off. With the help of his brother Poseidon, they engulfed the entire earth with water, drowning and starving all life, including animals. Deucalion and Pyrrha survived by being on a tall mountain, and they begged the gods for mercy, worshipping them. The gods were moved and granted them to continue living, and the ability to make more people.
Io
Basically Zeus was infatuated with Io and raped her, and Hera was confused by Zeus' absence, knowing he was probably cheating on her. However, he was just in the presence of "an animal" (which was lo and Zeus had turned her into it so Hera wouldn't see her true form). Hera acts as though the animal is a gift to her from Zeus, and Zeus reluctantly agrees. Hera puts Argus in charge of looking after Io the animal, but after awhile of despair Io runs off and finds her human family. She carves in the ground letters spelling out her situation, and her dad is super sad. Zeus, mad at Argus for losing lo, orders his son Mercury to go kill him and he does. Io is then turned back into human form and is a goddess and gives birth to Zeus' son, Epaphus.
Phaethon and the Sun & Phaethon's Ride & The Death of Phaethon
Helios (aka Phaethon) and his friend Epaphus, son of Io, argued because Epaphus didn't believe Helios was the son of Sol, and Helios begged his mom to tell him the truth but she affirmed his dad was Sol, so Helios traveled to Sol's palace for assurance of his parentage. Sol agreed he's his son, and said as his son Helios can have whatever favor he wants. Helios, being young, wanted to drive Sol's chariot and take the sun from the east to the west. Sol was super unwilling because it was incredibly dangerous, but Helios insisted and Sol finally gave in. But Helios found it was an overwhelming task and couldn't control the horses. The earth started to become engulfed in flames, ruining the balance of nature, and Zeus taking control of the situation threw a lightning bolt at Helios, knocking him off the chariot and killing him. He shielded the earth from remaining flames. Helios' father despaired at the loss of his son.
Callisto
Zeus is healing the earth after the Helios incident when he catches sight of a beautiful nymph in Arcadia, a nymph loyal to Artemis. Zeus stalks her and then, when she is resting, rapes her. He then leaves back to the Heavens. Callisto the nymph is ashamed of her impurity, and when Artemis and the other nymphs strip down to bathe in a beautiful stream, it is revealed that Callisto is very pregnant. Artemis orders her to leave, and she does. Hera sees that Callisto had given birth and, in her anger for her part in Zeus' adultery, turned her into a bear. 15 years later, Callisto comes across her son, Arcas, who never knew his parents, while he was hunting. He was aimed and ready to shoot Callisto in her bear form but hesitated, feeling as though the bear knew him. Zeus abruptly stopped the potential killing and turned both Callisto and Arcas into constellations, the "great and little bear."
Semele
Hera is extremely jealous of Semele giving birth to Zeus' child since she's having trouble birthing his children. She decides to trick Semele. By entering her house disguised as an old lady, her nurse, she pretends to care for Semele, and encourages her to make sure Zeus is truly Zeus and not a man pretending to be him. Hera instructs her to ask Zeus to prove it's him by unleashing his powers. So, when Zeus comes to her, Semele asks for a favor. Zeus readily agrees and promises anything she desires. So, she requests for him to prove it's him with his powers. He does so unwillingly, but it ends up killing Semele, and somehow the child from her womb is sewn into Zeus' thigh. Then, the child's aunt Ino takes him and finishes pregnancy. When the child (Bacchus) is born, he's given to nymphs in Mount Nysa who hide him.
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