In the book Ovid’s Metamorphoses, every page is filled with details on both human and god life in the times of ancient Rome. Much of the stories are about mortal and god interaction, leading to trouble. In Roman and Greek mythology, oftentimes mortals who upset the gods are turned into animals, or inanimate objects that can think and remember what life was like as a mortal. Sometimes, one could say the punishment does fit the crime. Much of the time, however, these transformations are cruel, and unjust. The punishment for one mere mortal is the worst in the story of Actaeon. Actaeon is punished for what the gods think he has done, this is a contradiction to what the author defines his crime as. Ovid comments on Actaeon’s predicament, “No crime was committed. Why punish a man for a pure mistake?”(99). Actaeon of course was the man who looked at the goddess Diana and several nymphs while they were naked in a stream. Actaeon seeing Diana …show more content…
Turning mortal into animal, is to say this person does not have the qualities that a moral must have to be a member of society. Therefore they must be turned into something lesser. The qualities in Roman mythology that all mortals should have are complete worship to the gods, kindness, and a certain purity. Those who are turned into animals usually exhibit animalistic qualities, such as: antagonism, treating god like mortal, and a lack of purity. In this story Actaeon treats god like mortal by watching Diana naked. Diana says, “ Now you may tell the story of seeing Diana naked-if story telling is in your power!”(102). According to Diana watching someone bathe is something one does to a mortal, not a god. God’s are holier and they deserve more than a mortal, they deserve more privacy. Turning Actaeon into a stag is a message that his crime violated the guidelines for mortal life that the gods and goddesses set out for all