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The Idea Of Syncretism In Ovid's Metamorphoses

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In today’s society, the idea of syncretism can be seen throughout our everyday lives. Syncretism is the combination of different forms of beliefs or practices. This form of living can be closely related to that of a “melting pot” society. The Romans integrated a handful of beliefs and practices in the Etruscan-Roman Tradition. The traditions that were adapted in the Roman Empire consisted of various races, language groups, and cultural backgrounds. The first area of Rome that is to be identified is that of Greece. When Alexander the Great conquered the kingdom of Macedonia, he had created an empire that stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean to Asia. This is referred to as the Hellenistic period. Hellenistic comes from the Greek origin, …show more content…

The story of Ovid’s Metamorphoses exemplifies 15 books and covers 250 myths and chronicles from the world’s creation until the defecation of Julius Caesar. This story begins with the creation of the world that is done in supernatural and scientific ways. Following the introduction of the world’s creation is “The Great Flood” that wipes out all of humanity. A Greek man named Deucalion and his wife Phyrra repopulate the world. Ovid continues the story by mentioning a variety of different God’s that took place in these occurrences. Gods such as Amor, or Cupid, the God of love are mentioned. Apollo is named as the God who comes to ridicule on how irrational love can confound one out of reason. Jupiter is elaborated as the King of Heaven. In most instances, Ovid portrays him as foolish, rash, and lustful. He destroys the world out of anger, rapes countless women, and constantly deceives his wife. His attempts to do good are failures and are twisted. Juno, Jupiter’s wife, is nothing like her husband in changing the world or seeking extramarital relations. However, her punishments and revenge make her famous in this poem. Lastly, Orpheus is portrayed as one who transcends his limitations through art. This poem is preoccupied with the problems that art brings

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It is significant that nearly every major character makes an allusion to one or more Ovidian myths, suggesting their awareness, as well as the audience’s familiarity, with Ovid’s texts. This is made most obvious with Titus’ declaration of revenge, in which he invokes an Ovidian narrative, “For worse than Philomel you used my daughter, and worse than Procne I will be revenged” (Act V, Scene II). The characters are strangely and unnervingly aware that their lives are constructed and defined by Ovidian principles. Moreover, the characters employ the model of the Metamorphoses as a basis of their actions. For instance, Aaron, the primary villain of Titus Andronicus who first plants the machinations of Lavinia’s rape, instructs Tamora and her sons, “Philomel must lose her tongue today,” (Act II, Scene I).

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The Odyssey is Homer’s epic of Odysseus’ journey to return home, to Ithaca, after the Trojan War. This novel includes altercations with mythical creatures when he and his men must face the anger and punishments of many gods. Also, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus attempt to stop the suitors that are looking for Penelope's marriage, and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. The Odyssey ends when Odysseus proves his identity to all who are surrounding, slaughters the suitors, and reconquered his kingdom of Ithaca. Through epithets and cultural aspects, “The Odyssey” by Homer, Robert Fitzgerald’s translation, illustrates an opposition between the [Cyclops] and hospitable men.

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Hellenistic Era: Lasting from 323 to 30 B.C.E., the Hellenistic Era was when Greek culture began to dominate the areas from the Mediterranean Basin to the Indus Valley. Alexander the Great directly impacted the beginning of this era, as his conquests helped diffuse Greek culture. One of the main forces of diffusion was the establishment of cities. These cities were built with Greek influences, like their sculptures, markets, theaters, and forms of government. When poeple came to the cities to trade, ship, or send messages, they absorbed Greek culture, and brought it back to their homes.

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Odysseus is brave and strong, worthy of all the titles given to him. However, what makes him the hero he is is his ability to change and continuously gain new wisdom. He comes home to Penelope almost physically the same, but the things his eyes have seen have changed him mentally. Odysseus is slow, patient, and more appreciative than ever. Reading Odysseus’s change and struggle throughout The Odyssey makes this superhuman and godly man much more

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The book Odyssey is about a man named Odysseus trying to return home from a long war. He comes across countless of challenges during this trip and meet countless new people while losing others. Both of Homer and Maupassant protagonist’s partners are faithful to them even though their partners have been lousy. After waiting years and years, Odysseus’s wife gives up, “My husband being long gone, long out of mind.”

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Odysseus, just like the woman, has to live with the losses and the suffering of the war, while his dead comrades, like the widow’s husband, do not. In this instance, the woman is representative of all the women in the Trojan War who lost their husbands due to Odysseus’ wrath. He does not cry for his own glory, but rather he empathizes with the widow, and therefore, identifies with all of his victims. Alcinous, through this similarity between Odysseus’ tears and the tears of the female victims of war, is able to see that Odysseus’ connection to the Trojan War is one filled with the pain of losses and guilt, but also the pain of having to carry these memories. These two aspects of pain can only coexist in a person if his identity is the Odysseus being portrayed in these songs.

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What was Ovid 's view of the gods ' ethical performance: Ovid 's metamorphoses give us a fair image into the Roman/Greek gods actions. In every lesson about these gods, it constantly proves that the gods are childish, jealous of any worship that is not specific to them, and overall not very god like. In his first story Ovid gives tells us that Cupid was able to shoot Apollo with an arrow that made him fall in love with a nymph, it shows us that these gods do not have a chain of command all the gods run around trying to help certain nations while other gods try and foil their plans. In another story he tells us about a woman named Niobe and how she proclaimed that she should be worshiped instead of the gods because she had fourteen children,

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In the beginning, The Ancient Persian Empire was the greatest empire in the world during the period of, 550 B.C.E. to 331 B.C.E. The Greek and Macedonian victories over the Persians during this time led to the “Hellenistic World.” This period ran after the death of Alexander the Great and the time when Rome began to take over Greece. This period included political stability and advancements in art, drama, poetry, and philosophy.

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The poem Eurydice by Ocean Vuong, is constructed off the famous Greek Mythology legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. The many similes, metaphors and allusions to the story, represent the famous story in a more ambiguous style, that conveys Ocean Vuong’s occurring theme throughout his poem as the many different sides of love, including happiness, sacrifice and hurt. The abundant metaphor and simile represent and emphasize the feelings present throughout the poem, as well the transition from radiant happiness, to emotional hurt. The literary devices and symbolism employed through the poem, underscore the underlying messages in Eurydice.

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In Homer’s Poem, The Odyssey, Penelope is the exceptionally patient and clever spouse of the infamous hero, Odysseus, and the mother of Telemachus. One poignant factor of Penelope’s character is her patience and devotion which is displayed throughout the poem. With her husband absent for a great majority of her life for the later of twenty years and his location unknown, Penelope stays, patiently awaiting Odysseus’ return, all whilst preserving their estate and raising her son by herself. Throughout this time, she had many persistent suitors in pursuit of her, abusing her husband’s absence.

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During the plot of the poem, mythological gods and goddesses are present in people’s lives to aid them when problems arise. In the text, the gods play a prominent role in helping Odysseus travel safely home, blessing men and women, and aiding during a war between two powerful leaders. Even though these stories were written thousands of years ago, they are still applicable to many societies

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the goddess reaches / Aeolia…’Hammer your friends to fury / and ruin their swamped ships…” (Book I, 75-101). The imagery of Juno “burning, pondering” brings about a symbolism of her emotions as an uncontrolled fire that pushes her to hinder Rome’s imperial future. Virgil then presents a male force that is able to put out the fire he draws up for Juno as Neptune answers Aeneas’ prayers and calms the storm. This is followed by the

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Ancient Greece was devided in two periods: Hellenistic and Classical Greece. The Hellenistic period covers the time of ancient Greek (Hellenic) history and Mediterranean history between the passing of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the rise of the Roman Empire as connoted by the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the consequent triumph of Ptolemaic Egypt the next year. Classical Greece was a time of around 200 years ( 5th and 4th centuries BC) in Greek culture. This Classical period saw the addition of quite a bit of cutting edge Greece by the Persian Empire and its resulting autonomy. Classical Greece affected the Roman Empire and on the establishments of western human advancement.

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Franz Kafka, heavily influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, devises the character Gregor Samsa in order to portray a detailed experience of an individual’s metamorphosis. Kafka’s narration style differs greatly from Ovid’s, in that, the narration begins with a first person perspective and changes to a third person narration, which remains consistent to the end of the novel. Unlike the stories within the Metamorphoses, there is a clear contrast in the portrayal of Gregor’s transformation. Ovid and Kafka’s depiction of a metamorphosis incorporates the concept of identity in the individual’s transition, however Kafka emphasizes the family dynamic and the hostility Gregor feels. Gregor’s family’s inability to look past Gregor’s exterior appearance

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The myth of Orpheus details a passionate yet tragic love story between Orpheus, son of Apollo, and the beautiful oak nymph, Eurydice. Soon after their marriage, Eurydice suffers a ghastly death which leaves Orpheus completely heartbroken at the loss of his wife. Orpheus then travelled to the realm of the dead in search of his beloved wife and with the power of his enchanting musical abilities, he was able to make his way into the heart

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