Ovid's Metamorphoses: The Age of Gods (Lecture on Books I-V) (Patreon)

'My mind now turns to stories of bodies changed into new forms. O Gods, inspire my beginnings (for you changed them too) and spin a poem that extends from the world's first origins down to my own time.'

Today we are immersing ourselves in one of the most marvellous compendiums of classical mythology ever committed to the page. We are meeting some of the most iconic gods and heroes, meditating upon complex themes of the human condition, and appreciating the ancient epic poetry of Ovid's Metamorphoses.

We're discussing cycles of history, epic conventions, order vs chaos, great world-building, marvellous metafiction, bacchanalian scorn, the social context of Ancient Rome, genre blending, tragedy vs comedy, the dangers of pride, and much more.

Please do feel free to enjoy the discussion even if you haven't read up to these books yet or dip in as best suits your personal reading journey.

Timestamps:

0:00 entering the Age of Gods together

2:00 ‘bodies changed into new forms’

3:00 opening invocation to the Muse

5:00 Homer & Virgil’s epic beginnings

7:00 first audience already knew the story

9:00 can these classic works be spoiled?

10:00 writing the poem is part of the story

12:00 Dante & Milton’s epic invocations

14:00 who & what great epics are about

16:00 order vs chaos in the beginning

17:00 Ovid’s opening vs Book of Genesis

19:00 differences between Ovid & Bible

20:00 similarities across origin stories

22:00 Ovid details the creation of man

24:00 sources, imitatio & ancient fan fiction

25:00 is there an objective mythic canon?

26:00 why the academic scorn for Ovid?

27:00 familiarity & companionability

29:00 who is Ovid’s first creator God?

31:00 origin story of Kronos & Zeus

33:00 the delight in watching these gods

34:00 destruction inherent in creation

35:00 analysing Ovid’s four ages of man

37:00 Ancient Rome under Augustus

39:00 pressured to praise the Emperor

40:00 Latin Golden Age vs Silver Age

42:00 humans that are sons of blood

44:00 do not test the divinity of the gods

45:00 the story of Jupiter vs Lycaon

48:00 the story of Apollo & Daphne

52:00 Arcadia is a Hobbesian locale

54:00 the story of Jupiter & Io

57:00 the communicative power of art

59:00 love is self-serving in Ovid’s world

1:00:00 the story of Phaëthon & Phoebus

1:02:00 a warning on the danger of pride

1:03:00 the complexity of the sun god

1:05:00 crashing the sun’s fiery chariot

1:08:00 on Shakespeare’s Ovidianism

1:10:00 the story of Jupiter & Callisto

1:12:00 the story of Jupiter & Europa

1:14:00 appreciating the mythic tapestry

1:16:00 Cadmus’ founding of Thebes

1:17:00 slaying an almighty dragon

1:19:00 warriors born from dragon teeth

1:20:00 you’re not a hero until death

1:21:00 the story of Acteon & Diana

1:23:00 Ovid’s sublime horror writing

1:24:00 divergence in the tales told

1:25:00 the story of Jupiter & Semele

1:27:00 the story of the prophet Tiresias

1:29:00 the story of Narcissus & Echo

1:30:00 recognition of yourself in another

1:32:00 anxiety about wild worship rituals

1:34:00 Pentheus vs the god Bacchus

1:36:00 stories of the daughters of Minyas

1:37:00 the story of Pyramus & Thisbe

1:38:00 Mars & Venus, Clytie & Phoebus

1:39:00 the ancients’ belief in these gods

1:40:00 the story of Hermaphroditus

1:41:00 the story of Juno vs Ino

1:43:00 the terrors of Fury Tisiphone

1:44:00 the story of Cadmus & Hermione

1:47:00 the story of Perseus & Andromeda

1:50:00 battle at the Palace of Cepheus

1:52:00 story of Minerva and the Muses

1:54:00 the story of Proserpina & Pluto

1:57:00 your thoughts on Ovid so far?

Resources to Explore:

• Music Appreciation: As we move through the Metamorphoses, treat yourself to some of the many great pieces of music inspired by this masterpiece. Think about the degree to which music captures the epic substance and the heart of these stories. Here is a small curation of wonderful works inspired by the stories of the first five books: Benjamin Britten's Six Metamorphoses After Ovid, Handel's Apollo e Dafne, excerpt from Jean-Baptiste Lully's Cadmus et Hermione, Ethelbert Nevin's Narcissus from Water Scenes. Do let us know if you encounter any more pieces that you fall in love with along the way.

• Art Appreciation: A great way to remember the gods and heroes described in mythology is to pull up artwork depicting their stories. So let's take a look at some of the artwork mentioned in the lecture. You can see an amazing video appreciating Goya's 'Saturn Devouring His Son' here. When it comes to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Titian is one of the artists who has most powerfully committed these myths to canvas. He selected six stories for his 'Poesie', which was commissioned for King Philip II. For works inspired by the first five books, appreciate his paintings for stories like that of Diana and Acteon, Europa, Perseus and Andromeda, and Diana and Callisto. The National Gallery also has a wonderful talk on Titian here. For another great story rendered in art, compare Carravagio's Narcissus with John William Waterhouse's Narcissus and Echo. There's also a really superb video analysis of Caravaggio's work here.

• Shakespeare: Lovers of Shakespeare will surely appreciate identifying the Ovidian influence upon the bard. If you would like to read more deeply about this, then the excellent Jonathan Bate's Shakespeare and Ovid is well worth checking out. Sarah Annes Brown also has a wonderful book that studies the parallels between not only Ovid and Shakespeare, but the Roman poet's influence upon writers like Chaucer and Spenser too. In the next few days, we will have a special lecture on The Winter's Tale as part of our read-through of the complete works of Shakespeare. Even if you aren't following this project in-depth, you may want to enjoy this masterpiece as a standalone, or as an entrance into the bard, as it provides some powerful examples of Shakespeare's Ovidianism.

• Exercise: As you read through Ovid's Metamorphoses, make a note of the stories that captivate or resonate with you the most. We want to discover our top ten personal favourites, so we can compare them at the end. A good way of doing this is to make a longlist on your first read-through. Use that list to reflect on those stories or use them to guide a selective rereading. Then whittle the list down and, if possible, give them an order. Be on the lookout for any commonalities in your favourite stories. Are there any recurring themes, ideas, or images that appear time and again for you? And, if so, why you think that is? What do your favourite stories say about you?

Reading Assignment:

Our next discussion will cover books six to ten, which will take us through the Age of Heroes. So continue journeying through this marvellous work, meeting those iconic figures, and noting down any themes, scenes, or ideas that resonate with you.

Questions for You:

1) Which mythic stories are your favourites so far?

2) Does it feel right to call the Metamorphoses an epic?

3) Does Ovid ever take the tales of gods seriously? And do you enjoy a comic approach to mythology?

4) Can you see the influence of Ovid in any of your favourite writers?

If this is your first reading of Ovid's Metamorphoses, I would love to know how the work is meeting your expectations. If this is a reread for you, what is it like returning to this sprawling saga? And please do share with us your favourite passages, characters, and ideas from the story so far.

Happy reading, everybody!