Ovid’s Metamorphoses #068/111: “Atalanta”

What this project is about.  

This one is from Book 10.

How long it took to read this (aloud): 10 mins 6s

What it’s “about”: Venus tells Adonis a story – Atalanta can run and says only a man who can run faster than her can be her husband. Try, but lose, you die. Eventually young Hippomenes enters the race and by distracting/slowing her down with golden apples, wins the race.  But then he shags her in a temple and as punishment they are turned to lions.

Words I didn’t know: xx

Quotable quotes

The god who heard her said, “O Atalanta, 

Run from the thought of sleeping with a man; 

You shall be caught with one, and yet alive, 

Lose all that’s yours, nor ever get away.” 

Turned wild with fear she lived within a forest, 

Untouched by men, and when young lovers came, 

She sent them home or said, “I’m not your kind; 

Only the man who wins a race against me 

May take me in his arms, but if he loses, 

His gift is death. These are the terms I’ve made, 

Take them or nothing. You have heard me speak.”

AND

The king of Boeotia’s daughter, Atalanta, 

Looked softly at him. As she heard him speak, 

She veered between her hopes to win, to lose, 

And, half caught up in both, she answered him:

AND

Horns blew the signal for the race; both boy and girl 

Were set, were on the mark and flashed through air 

As though their feet had never touched the track, 

You’d think their speed had made their feet so light 

That they could sail the waves through dancing waters 

Or skim the tops of silver growing wheat.

AND

As Hippomenes ran — the finish tape 

Was still a mile beyond him, far in sight — 

His throat went dry; he struggled for his breath — 

At last he rolled an apple toward the girl. 

She caught the glitter of its golden light, 

Then swerved to pick it up, while he, with cheers 

Rising from crowds behind him, passed beyond her, 

But half a moment later she outstripped him.

AND

” ‘And do you think, Adonis, Hippomenes , 

Had learned the grace to thank me for his bride? 

He had forgotten all he owed to me; 

I lost my temper at his waywardness 

And planned to make his memory improve, 

To make him and his bride a common case 

For those who do not take my deepest warnings.

AND

mpatient 

Hippomenes led his fond bride to rest 

Within the welcome darkness of the grotto; 

They had their pleasure at full length; the gods, 

Though they were wooden images and old, 

Were shocked and turned their faces to the wall.

AND

How it lands to my eco-sensibility: I love this one – to say otherwise would be lion.

Obvious allusions, ways it was used (that I am aware of already) : xx

What I know I didn’t ‘get’: xx

To my knowledge, who’s used it why/how (RACC): xx

Further research questions: xx

Anything else: xx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalanta

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