Reading Diary B: Ovid (pt. I)

Here are some notes on Ovid (pt. I).

Echo

I could read this story a thousand times over. I thoroughly enjoy the stories where people are immortalized by their name. Specifically in the story of Echo I like that Narcissus rejects her (and ends up getting his own eventually) and Echo just disappears into the Earth and repeats what others say. The story gives life to nature, and I find that very interesting.

Perseus and Andromeda

Having seen the original, claymated Clash of the Titans about one-hundred times as a kid, I greatly enjoy reading everything that has to do with Perseus. Perseus refuses to be defeated; he even turns the mighty Atlas to stone. Then, as most great heroes do, he finds a beautiful women (Andromeda) and plans to win her love. His task, that he performs successfully, is to save her life by defeating the sea monster that she is being sacrificed to.

Perseus and Medusa

After killing the sea monster using his intelligence and power, Perseus sets down Medusa’s head on the shore. This leads to an interesting side story about coral. According to Ovid, coral comes from the plants that Perseus used as a blanket for Medusa’s head to rest on the beach. While the plants were alive and fluid in the water, once they made contact with Medusa’s head, they turned to stone. Also, in the end you feel sorry for Medusa’s fate. She, like Io and others, was simply a beautiful woman who was violated by the gods and punished for being violated.

(Image Information: Perseus holding the Gorgon's head;
Painted by Luca Giordano in the early 1680's; Web Source:
National Gallery)