Ovid’s Metamorphoses, widely known as the book that put to paper many traditional Roman myths and origin stories of the universe, is host to a recurring theme throughout a number of tales: love and beauty. In Roman myths, they are inexplicably linked, and even in contemporary times, a relationship between love and beauty exists in virtually everything. Beauty is an essential factor for many when it comes to love, as detailed in the stories in the book, though their version of love is a form of lust more than anything. Ovid’s portrayal rebels against society’s prejudices at the time and expresses that for women, beauty is not a blessing but a curse.

In the myth “Jove and Io”, a young maiden named Io finds her beauty to be a curse when her looks attract the attention of a god, Jove. Jove, the ruler of the gods, finds himself captivated by Io’s beauty, and she flees from him before Lady Juno, Jove’s wife, punishes her for diverting the attention of her spouse. Even when she is turned into a cow by Jove, she is described as a “gleaming heifer” (Martin, 40, 848) to represent how her beauty is external and she shines even as a bovine, of all things, with no mention at all of her personality. Beauty is not always a blessing, however, because as a result of her ethereal beauty, Jove “seized her and dishonored her” (Martin, 39, 832) in his mindless lust. Jove’s version of love manifested as a fleeting lust for Io’s body rather than her person, seen in his treatment of her when he rapes her, turns her into a cow and gives her away to appease his angry wife like Io means nothing to him. If Io had not been as beautiful as she was, it is doubtful she would have caught the attention of Jove, and her life would have stayed peaceful and happy. It is evident how beauty is not always a blessing but a curse at times, as seen in the way poor Io is used and then discarded like an object.

The theme of beauty being a curse is again seen during the tenth book, in the tale of “Atalanta and Hippomenes”, when Atalanta is treated as a trophy to be won in a race because of her stunning looks. Atalanta is an attractive young girl who is also the swiftest runner in the land. To marry her, men have to beat her in a footrace, and if they lose, their life is forfeit. Hippomenes catches a glimpse of her after mocking the other suitors for giving up their lives, “However, as soon as [Hippomenes] caught a glimpse of her beauty, … he threw up both hands and cried out, ‘I beg your pardons, … but truly I had no idea of the trophy you strive for!’” (Martin, 361, 685 – 690), joining the hordes of suitors willing to give their lives up for a chance to win fair Atalanta. He then professes his undying love for Atalanta and risks his life for her in an attempt to win her in the footrace. Atalanta even falls in love with him at first sight, thanks to his looks, asserting that, “if the harsh Fates had not prevented my marriage, / you would have been the one I’d have chosen to marry!” (Martin, 363, 745 – 746) even though this is the first conversation Atlanta and Hippomenes have had. Here the point Ovid is making is evident, seeing as how Atalanta’s beauty means that she is to be sold off as a trophy, while Hippomenes beauty means that Atalanta, a maiden who has rejected hundreds of men, falls for him. Many times in Roman myths, all it takes is one look upon an ethereally handsome character to fall desperately in love, classified modernly as lust. Atalanta loses any power and equality she has to Hippomenes, who wins her in a race and sees her as a trophy, all thanks to her curse of beauty.

The shallowness of society is also demonstrated through the story of “Jove, Callisto, and Arcas”, where Callisto’s beauty leads to the ruin of her entire life. In the story of Jove, Callisto, and Arcas, Ovid writes, “[Callisto] fought against [Jove] but was just a girl; / and can a mere girl fight off a grown man?” (Martin, 69, 601), when Callisto is fighting off the unwanted advances of Jove, ultimately failing. Juno, Jove’s wife, discovers his unfaithfulness, and instead of taking her anger out on Jove she punishes poor Callisto, seething that, “Nothing would do but that you must conceive, / and publish the disservice that you’ve done” (Martin, 70, 651 – 652). Juno blames Callisto because she is now pregnant from Jove’s rape, even though Callisto took no part it in, and she is even shunned from The Hunters of Artemis, a group of girls who vow to stay maidens forever. Here even society rejects Callisto for what has happened to her, a situation comparable to modern day victim blaming in cases of rape that shows how Callisto has nowhere to go because even other women abandon her. Beauty being a curse is again obvious, as Jove had no care to Callisto’s personality before accosting her, having his way, and then forgetting about her like she is a worthless object.

Ancient Roman society and its people were very superficial at times, concentrating more on physical beauty and falling in love with others entirely based on their looks and not their personality as reflected in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Ovid portrays Atalanta and many other female characters in blatantly sexist ways, and men many times take advantage of or fall in love with women based solely on their appearances without ever attempting to look past their outer shell. Comparisons can be made, as the many Roman myths highlight how for men, their looks make them more appealing, but for women, looks are a detriment to them. Physical appearance was a principal part of society at the time and reflect how in today’s world, not everyone is above vanity, though beauty is not necessarily something to be proud of.

Sources

Ovid. Metamorphoses. Translated by Charles Martin, WW Norton and Company, 2005.

Paull, J. Personal Interview, 31 October 2018.

“The World’s Favorite Online Thesaurus!” Thesaurus.com. https://www.thesaurus.com/

Willrich, S. Personal Interview, 26 October 2018.

Paull, J. Personal Interview, 30 January 2019.