Abstract This paper explains that, in Ovid's story about Diana and Actaeon from ""Metamorphoses", Book 3, the revenge on the part of Diana seemed to be unexplained and without reason. The author believes that Actaeon seeing Diana bathing was clearly an accident; however, maybe it was only an accident to us mortals who are capable of understanding that accidents do happen. On the other hand, the omnipotent gods can fail to see the mistakes in humans. The paper relates that, because gods are allowed to punish against actions and negative behavior that they themselves take part in, as in this story, humans find it difficult to really take the gods seriously and to really question what is right and who should be punished.
From the Paper "Due to this pledge against men and Diana's severe distaste or them, she loathed Actaeon and everything he was. To her, he represented everything she taught her followers to stay away from and all that she made them pledge against. Seeing her in her naked form in a way symbolized her giving up her chastity. It was promised never to know a man and then Actaeon came and saw her bare form, untouched and pure. As accidental as it may have been, he still took something her. As a goddess and especially as a woman, it is not always wanted to have a man see you in your naked form. "
Abstract This paper examines how Book Three of Allen Mandelbaum's translation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" is one of the most intriguing sections of Ovid's entire work. It looks at how, not only does it contain many of the more famous anecdotes within the "Metamorphoses", including the stories of Actaeon, Tireseas, and Narcissus and Echo, but how it it is one of the most thematically coherent sections of a work that is already largely an attempt to systematize and organize the corpus of traditional mythology by theme and relation between stories. It also looks at how all the stories in Book Three have one particular issue in common; every story, in some fashion, deals with the issue of sight as it relates to the gods.
From the Paper "Although Cadmus? tale, the first of book three, ultimately tells of his heroism and the founding of Thebes, it nonetheless bears an interesting relation to sight. As Cadmus look on at the snake that he has slain, he is warned not to look at its corpse, the voice saying, "Why Cadmus, do you stare at that slain snake"/You, too, will be a snake at whom men gaze.? This somewhat strange moment in the story, however, is very much the thread that links it to the rest of the book. Indeed, in the next section concerning Actaeon, it is also sight that plays a crucial role in his downfall. Because he sees Diana and her nymphs bathing, Actaeon is sentenced to death."
Abstract This paper discusses many examples of the transformation of gods or mortals into different physical forms. It argues that transformation occurs for many different reasons - plot-driven and purely etiological. It describes how gods use transformation on themselves, mostly for simple deception, but use it on mortals for life-altering and permanent changes, as punishment or sometimes reward.
From the Paper "The physical transformation of beings from one body to another pervades fantasy and especially classical mythology. The idea that a god has the power to change a mortal into something else can be frightening and awe-inspiring, but can also be comforting. Stories like that of Actaeon turned to a stag and eaten by his hunting dogs use transformation as a punishment, whereas the story of a nymph changing into a tree to avoid rape relates transformation as a positive outcome. Some stories seem to have beings transform only to relate their personal actions to the behaviors of the plant or animal they change into. Looking at cases like these in classical mythology, transformation is used as both punishment and reward and for both plot-driven and etiological purposes."
