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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Reading Notes: Ovid’s Metamorphoses - Callisto, Part A

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Callisto, translated by Tony Kline (2000).

While on duty searching for damage from fires and floods, Zeus stumbles upon Callisto in her employee-of-the month-status with Artemis. He quickly falls in lust with the favorite nymph of the Goddess of hunt.

Fearing being caught by his wife, Zeus changes his form to appear as Artemis. At first, Callisto falls for the charade but too little too late when she realizes her mistake she is already being kidnapped by Zeus. 

When Callisto is returned, she tries to hide the affair (if we are going to call it that) from Artemis but sure enough when its time to hit the showers it is revealed - Callisto is pregnant, and now banished. 

Hera knew what happened from the beginning, and decided this time revenge was best served cold (and to the wrong person) in the form of turning poor Callisto into a bear right after giving birth. 

15 years later, Callisto's son - unaware of the fate of his mother - is hunting and sees a bear; unknown to him this is her, he proceeds to shoot her with his arrow and in the nick of time, Zeus of all people, stops him. Ending the tragic tale of these two lives, he throws them to the stars to become apart of the constellation.


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