Reading Notes: Metamorphoses I, Part A

The Fall of Phaethon, Johann Michael Franz: Image

Deucalion & Pyrrha

I find the prevalence of "big flood" myths across different cultures to be very interesting. Whether these stories are mere imitations of one another or actual evidence for an event like this actually happening remains to be seen, though it is fun to see the slight differences among the different tales. Recreating the human race by throwing rocks is definitely an interesting development that I'd never heard before.

Io

This story is a prime example of how Greek/Roman gods simply view mortals as playthings. Io and Argus have done absolutely nothing wrong and they are raped and murdered respectively regardless. In classical culture, the gods were used as explanations for natural occurrences, and perhaps this is simply a showing of how nature doesn't make sense sometimes. Or, maybe stories like these of Zeus/Jupiter's many affairs (and there are a LOT of them) act as Greek reality TV in a way, where likening the motivations and actions of the gods to more mortal flaws act as a form of entertainment. However, if the king of the gods is more widely known for being a serial rapist than actually being the king of the gods, maybe he shouldn't be worshiped, but that's just my opinion.

Phaethon

Another Greek/Roman story that involves sons not listening to their fathers, death, hubris, and the Sun. Much like Daedalus, Phaethon is a naive boy cannot comprehend that misfortune would befall him, despite his father's contrary arguments. This tragedy also acts as a "how" story for the swan and poplar trees, and could also act as an explanation for the experience of time being fleeting, as Phoebus now urges the horses on faster and faster as punishment. Of all of the stories in this anthology, this is the one where the punishment makes the most sense, as it teaches the reader a lesson rather than just being a random, unfortunate act of the gods.

I understand Greek/Roman culture and how they view the gods, though their fixation on divine punishment and acceptance of the horrific behavior perpetrated by their gods has never sat well with me. The classical gods were not meant to be role models at all, they were simply worshiped because they were powerful beings and the Greeks/Romans could only hope to keep them happy and stay out of their way. 

As I spoke about in last week's reading notes, sometimes it seems like the classical gods work at random, doling out blessings to those that don't deserve it, and punishing those who are completely innocent. In my story, perhaps I will try to alter some of these stories to make more sense in a modern context with a more updated moral background.

Bibliography - Metamorphoses, by Ovid and translated by Tony Kline. From Poetry in Translation