The Metamorphoses of Ovid: Book 2
Through the traditional Greek and Roman legends, Ovide tells in fifteen songs or books (representing more than twelve thousand verses), a set of concise stories about the metamorphoses of gods, goddesses, heroes or mere mortals. Here are the accounts of the second book: Phaeton. Heliads. Cygnus. Callisto. Arcas. Coronis. Ocyrhoe. Beaten. Aglauros. Europe.
Three stories inspired artists
- Phaeton, son of Helios and Clyméné, Phaeton asks for proof of his heavenly birth and gets to drive his father’s chariot, he is the victim of his presumption (around 1-339). And transformed the Phaeton sisters into poplars.
- Callisto, nymph, daughter of Lycaon, seduced by Jupiter, is transformed into a bear by Juno. Her son Arcas becomes, with her, a constellation (around 401-530).
- Europe, sister of Cadmus, kidnapped by Jupiter who took the appearance of a bull (circa 833-875).
Phaeton
Phaeton: "... give me a pledge, you who begat me, through which no one doubts that I am of your lineage, and deliver my spirit from this uncertainty." ...
Helios, after having kissed him: "You certainly do not deserve that I deny you for my son, he said, and Clyméné has made known to you your true origin. And, so that you may no longer doubt it, ask me for the favour you will like; I want you to obtain it from me ...
No sooner had he finished speaking than Phaeton asked for his father’s chariot and, for a whole day, the favor of being the master and driver of the horses with winged feet.
The father repented of his oath ...
"... What is it not permissible for me not to keep my promise! I confess, it is the only thing, my son, that I would refuse you. I can, at least, advise you against it. What you want is not without danger ... It is a punishment, Phaeton, which you ask as a favor ...
But Phaeton takes possession of the light chariot under his young body, he stands there, to the joy of touching with his hands the reins that were given to him, and gives thanks to his father whose heart is shaking with anguish ...
As soon as he felt it, the team got carried away, abandoned the beaten road and deviated from the direction normally followed. Phaéton became afraid ...
Under the action of fire, clouds evaporate. On earth, the highest peaks are the first prey of flames ... But then Phaeton sees, from all sides, the world in flames; the heat is so intolerable ...
Then the almighty father, having taken to witness the gods and the very one who had lent his chariot, that, if he did not help him, the whole world would perish victim of a fatal fate ... He thundered, and brandishing the lightning, from the height of the right ear, he threw it on the coachman, to whom he lost life and balance at the same time, and of his formidable fires he stopped the fire ...
The Naïades of Hesperides buried this smoking body still from the reach of the flame at the three points and engraved on the rock these verses: "Ci-git Phaéton, who led the paternal chariot. If he could not lead it, at least he was a victim of noble audacity".
[The Heliads, daughters of Clymene, sisters of Phaeton, desperate, are transformed into poplars]
The mourning of the Heliads is no less great and they offer their tears to death, vain present ... And, all surprises still of this prodigy, here the bark surrounds their flanks and gradually envelops their belly, chest, shoulders, hands ..."
Callisto and Arcas
[Jupiter], during her many comings and goings, a virgin of Nonacris stared at her and the fire lit in her heated her to the bones ... her hand armed, sometimes with a light javelin, sometimes with an arc, she was a soldier of Phoebus ...
Immediately, Jupiter takes Diana’s appearance and looks ... Callisto is about to tell her in which forest she has hunted; he prevents her from it by his embrace, and he betrays himself, and not without crime ... she keeps silent and her redness reveals her dishonour.
[Callisto is chased by Diane. Juno takes revenge]
For a long time, the Thunder Master’s wife knew everything. There is no reason to delay any longer; now the little Arcas - an event cruelly felt by Juno - was born of his rival ...
Juno: "I will take away from you this beauty where you indulge and by which, unfortunate girl, you please our husband!" ...
[Callisto turns into a bear]
However, all her old lucidity still remains in the bear she has become; her continuous moans testify to her pain ...
And now Callisto’s child, Arcas, without knowing his mother, has grown up, counting nearly fifteen birthdays. Thrown in pursuit of the ferocious beasts ... he falls on his mother ... he was going to pierce her chest with a deadly stroke. The Almighty God did not allow it, and in the same breath, removing them themselves and preventing the crime, he carried them through the air on the wings of a fast wind and placed them in the sky, where he made two nearby stars. Juno was outraged with anger when, among the stars, the brilliance of his rival shone."
Callisto and Arcas on Mona Lisa
Europe
"Jupiter ... takes on the appearance of a bull and, mingled with the flock, roars and, in the tender grass, promotes its beauty ...
Europe, daughter of Agenor [king of Sidon] admires her for being so beautiful, for not giving any sign of a menacing and combative mood; but, despite this gentleness, she did not dare to touch him first.
Soon, she approaches and gives flowers to the white mufle ...
The virgin, king’s daughter, dared even, without knowing on what back she was resting, to sit on the back of the bull. Then the god, imperceptibly leaving the land and dry shore, slips the water from the edge with his feet, then from there advances further and takes his prey into the open sea."