Week 2 Reading Diary Ovid'sMetamorphoses

I read the first part of Ovid's Metamorphoses Books 1-4 as translated by Tony Kline. It began with a huge flood that destroyed Earth, leaving only 2 survivors named Deucalion and Pyrrha. The most interesting parts of the stories were all of Jupiter's (Zeus) love affairs and how his wife Juno reacted to them. Seriously though Jupiter would sleep with every girl that he found attractive. According to the first portion that I've read, he raped lo, Callisto, and Semele.

Lo

Lo is the daughter of Inachus, the river god. She is also a priestess for Juno. Jupiter sees Lo and ended up raping her. In order to keep Lo to himself and hide her from his wife, Juno, he transforms Lo into a heifer (or a cow). To shorten the story, Lo, as a cow, finds her father Inachus and tries to communicate to him her grief and suffering. The guard that was standing watch named Argus pulled Lo away from her father, and sent her away. Eventually she returns to human form.

Callisto

 Calllisto is a nymph that follows Diana, the goddess of hunt. Jupiter sees Callisto hunting in woods. To deceive her, Jupiter made himself look like Diana and talks to Callisto, but before she knew it, he rapes her. Juno finds out and turns Callisto into a bear.

Castillo as a Bear by Virgil Solis. Source.

Semele

Jupiter as another love affair with Semele, the daughter of Cadmus. Semele is also pregnant with Jupiter's baby. Juno is outraged and develops her plot for revenge. Juno befriends Semele, and tells her that Jupiter should prove his almighty power and divinity to Semele. Semele then demands Jupiter to prove his glory, although he begged her to not make this wish. Jupiter shows off his mighty storms and lightning strikes which ends up killing Semele. An odd part of the story is that the baby, Bacchus, is still developing in Semele's womb. He is torn away from the womb and sewn into his father's thigh to complete his development.