Humanity In Ovid's Metamorphoses

In Ovid’s Metamorphoses Book I lines 452 – 567, the two protagonists, the gods Apollo and Cupid, are both portrayed as arrogant and powerful deities. However, Ovid’s true characterization of these immortals extends far beyond their obviously shared traits of arrogance and dominance. In reality, Ovid’s characterization of Apollo and Cupid is such that they represent completely different, but equally significant, symbols in the story. More specifically, one should read Apollo and Cupid’s respective characterizations as the former being a representation of humanity and the latter being a representation of truly omnipotent and transcendent immortality. Ovid’s portraying Apollo as a symbol of humanity is not exactly what one would expect Apollo

However, one can see in the very first line the first suggestion that Apollo personifies humanity; it reads: “Primus amor Phoebi Daphne Peneia” (Ovid 452). This means “the first love of Phoebus (Apollo) is Daphne of Peneius” (452). The very first insight we get into Apollo and his character is that of his love and emotions, which are two very human characteristics. From the very start, Ovid suggests that Apollo is just as susceptible to “Amor” as we (452). We see another indicator of this susceptibility that characterizes Apollo as human in the next lines. They read: “quem non fors ignara dedit, sed saeve Cupidinis ira” (452-453). These mean, in reference to Apollo’s “Primus amor” of line 452, “which blind chance did not give, but by the deadly rage of Cupid” (452-453). Although these lines explicitly state that “fors ignara” was NOT responsible for “Primus amor Phoebi” (452-453), the implication is that it could have, suggesting that Apollo is as much a servant to Fate as we are. Apollo’s susceptibility to powers higher than he clearly demonstrates that he is an imperfect god, and therefore a fitting portrayal of humanity in general. To further this, Apollo is an arrogant and

One can see this characterization (like Apollo’s) in the first lines of the story. Lines 452-453 describe how “Primus amor Phoebi…dedit…saeva Cupidinis ira” (452 - 453), or, “the first love of Apollo…was given by the deadly rage of Cupid” (452 - 453). With this introduction, Ovid suggests that Cupid has more power than Apollo does, given that the former has the ability to manipulate “Amor” (452) at will. Cupid elaborates on this ability in lines 468-470. These lines are “eque sagittifera prompsit duo tela pharetra diversorum operum; fugat hoc, facit illud amorem; quod facit, auratum est, et cuspide fulget acuta” (468-470). This means “and from the arrow-carrying quiver (Cupid) drew two arrows of opposite directions; the former drives away (love), the latter makes love” (468-470). Cupid holds power over both love and hate, and uses this ability to play with humans (and other gods) like puppets. Lines 472 and 474: “hoc deus in nympha Peneide fixit, at illo laesit Apollineas traiecta per ossa medullas; protinus alter amat, fugit altera nomen amantis”; Cupid instills Daphne with absolute hatred for Apollo, and Apollo with insatiable love for Daphne (472 - 474). As one can see, Cupid and Apollo both wield weapons. However, the significant distinction in Cupid’s abilities as opposed to Apollo’s lies – again – in the nature of Cupid’s abilities.