The Roman poet Ovid’s primary work Metamorphoses is a poem of fifteen stories of the gods and their relationships with humans and the history of the world.
From Death to Life in Metamorphoses
One of the most interesting types of change or transformation which occurs in Metamorphoses is change related to death. This occurrence is overwhelming; men and women die constantly in battle and at the hands of the gods. For example, in book two, Phaeton, attempting to drive the Sun’s chariots, is struck by lightning at the hands of Jupiter: “Jupiter hurled it at Phaeton, flinging both driver from chariot and life from body at once” (Book II, l. 313).
Also, in Book III, when Atlas and Perseus fight, Perseus uses the head of Medusa to turn the powerful Atlas into stone. This change is not only a change from life to death but also a change into a powerful object. There are also more interesting occurrences of transformation related to death and the underworld. Proserpina divides her time evenly between earth and the underworld, becoming a strange combination of living and dead.
Transformation of Human Life in Metamorphoses
Not only are beings transformed from living to dead in Metamorphoses, but humans are repeatedly transformed into animals or trees. Sometimes these transformations are more dramatic than others. Indeed, sometimes humans ask or desire to be transformed.
For example, in Book I, when Daphne is being pursued by Apollo, she is willingly changed into a laurel tree to avoid the god’s advances. Other times, the transformations into animals or plants are not welcome. For instance, in the story of Minos and Nisus, Scylla, who is angry, turns (very unwillingly) into a bird.
Again in Book IX, Dryope is altered into a tree as punishment for plucking a lotus blossom. And, lastly, in Book XI, Apollo punishes Midas and he is partly transformed into an animal—he received donkey ears.
Deification of Humans in Metamorphoses
Another form of transformation is the deification of humans. Hercules’ deification in Book IX is perhaps the most well-known deification from Metamorphoses, but other characters are transformed into gods as well.
Ino and her child are changed into sea deities or gods at the request of Venus in Book IV. Hercules deification occurs because, not only is Hercules powerful, but Jupiter pities him for his painful accidental death at the hands of his wife.
The change from human to god represents a change in status, in appearance, and, ultimately, in power. Gods are clearly more powerful than humans; at times it appears humans are pawns in the god’s plan, thus these transformations from humans to gods is significant.
The power of Ovid’s work is in the overwhelming and pervasive theme of transformation. The poet assures the reader that this is his theme; he begins the work, “Changes of shape, new forms, are the theme which my spirit impels me to recites” (Book I, line 1).
Ovid successfully integrates his theme throughout the fifteen books of his poem. The four primary categories of change are changes from life to death, changes into animals or plants, metaphorical changes, sexual changes, and deification of humans.
