Transcript Ovid as an Epic Poet

Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
Structural Approach
•
Divine Comedy
Books I-II

Avenging Gods
Books III-VI.400
•
Pathos of Love
Books VI.401-XI
•
Troy to Rome
Books XII-XV
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
Divine Comedy Books I-II
(1)
(2)
Transitional and
concluding Amores
Epic Introductory Panel:
The Creation & Fall of Man (Flood, Re-creation)
Divine Amor: Apollo, Daphne
Divine Amor: Jupiter, Io
Epic Central Panel (Phaethon, Conflagration of the
Universe)
Divine Amor: Jupiter, Callisto
Divine Amor: Apollo, Coronis
Divine Amor: Hermes, Herse
Divine Amor: Jupiter, Europa
415 lines
432 lines
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
The Avenging Gods Books III-IV
(1)
(2)
Vengeance Episodes (Actaeon, Semele, Narcissus-Echo, Pentheus)
First Amatory Frame : Love Tales of the Minyades
Epic Central Panel (Perseus, Andromeda-Phineus) (449
lines) Second Amatory Frame : Love Tales of the Muses
(Proserpina)
Vengeance Episodes (Arachne, Niobe, Lycian Peasants, Marsyas)
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet
(1966,1970)
The Avenging Gods Books III-IV
Vengeance
Episodes
Book III
1-137
138-252
253-315
316-338
339-510
511-733
Book IV
1-42
43-166
167-273
274-388
389-415
415-562
563-603
604-803
Book V
1-249
250-340
341-661
662-678
Book VI
1-145
146-312
313-381
382-400
Amatory Contrast
Episodes
Epic Central
Panels
[Introductory: Cadmus, foundation of Thebes]
Actaeon
Semele
[Tiresias]
Narcissus-Echo
Pentheus (Tyrrhene sailors)
Minyades (introductory)
First sister’s tale:Pyramus &Thisbe
Leuconoe’s tale:Leucothoe - Clytie
Alcithoe’s tale: Salmacis
Minyades (metamorphosis)
First
Frame
Ino
[Cadmus, Harmonia, Snakes]
CENTER OF SECTION
Second
Frame
Arachne
Niobe
Lycian Peasants
Marsyas
PERSEUS-ANDROMEDA
PERSEUS-PHINEUS
Muses-Pieriae (Minerva)
Ceres -Proserpina & subtales (Ascalabus,Aschalaphus,Arethusa,Triptolemus)
Metamorphosis of Pieriae
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
The Avenging Gods Books III-IV
JUNO-VENGEANCE MOTIF
Actaeon-Diana
Series 1
(suggesting)
Juno-Semele, mother of
Bacchus (Pentheus,
Sailors,Minyades)
Series 2
(suggesting)
Juno-Ino
VERGILIAN MOTIFS
Juno (soliloquy III.256ff.) A I.37ff.
Juno (2nd soliloquy IV.416ff.) A VII.293ff.
Tisiphone (Allecto)
Perseus (Aeneas)
Andromeda (Lavinia)
Cepheus (Latinus)
Phineus (Turnus)
A IV.432ff.
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
SECTION I
Actaeon, Semele, Pentheus, Ino
Minyades
SECTION II
PERSEUS
Muses
Arachne, Niobe, Lycian Peasants, Marsyas
SECTION III
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
SECTION I
SECTION II
Here Ovid’s ingenuity is not so much
amusing as gauche and repellent.
Perseus
Actaeon, Semele, Pentheus,
Ino is after all no god but a man,
and the curious vengeance he takes
strikes a decidedly discordant note
Minyades among the amatory, comic or
pathetically human tones of this part of
PERSEUS the poem. Ovid has no taste for heroes
and, certainly, no capacity for creating
them. His imitation of Virgil is for once
Muses
without the excuse for parody or of
deliberately designed incongruity.
Unlike the Virgilian bits of Books XII-XV
Arachne, Niobe, Lycian Peasants, Marsyas
(Galatea, Achaemenides, the Sibyl, etc.), the
Phineus is mitigated by neither humour
nor brevity; it cannot be taken as
anything but a hollow pretence of epic
SECTION III that, despite and indeed because of its
ingenuities, degenerates into mere
bathos. Here Ovid is at his worst and
his worst is very bad indeed.
p.163-4
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
Pathos of Love Books IV.401-XI
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
First Amatory Pathos (Philomela, Procne, Tereus)
A: Miracles of Death and Resurrection (set in amatory frame)
Second Amatory Pathos (Scylla)
First Epic Panel (Meleager-Althea)
(287 lines)
Interset contrasting Theodicies (Philemon-Baucis, Erysichthon)
Second Epic Panel (Hercules-Deianira-Apotheosis)
(272 lines)
Third Amatory Pathos (Byblis)
B: Miracles of Punishment and Reward (set in amatory frame)
Fourth Amatory Pathos (Myrrha)
Fifth Amatory Pathos (Ceyx-Alcyone)
Book VI 401-674
675-721
Book VII 1-158
159-296
297-349
350-403
404-504
505-613
614-660
661-868
Book VII I1-151
152-182
183-235
236-259
260-546
547-615
616-724
725-878
878-883
1-272
273-323
324-446
447-665
666-797
Book X
1-77
78-105
106-154
155-161
162-242
243-297
298-502
503-559
560-707
708-738
Book XI 1-84
85-193
194-409
410-748
Episodes of Amatory Pathos Contrast Episodes Miracles in Amatory Frame
Central Panel
Philomela-Procne-Tereus
[Transition to Argonauts: Pandion, Cephalus, Procris, Orithyia-Boreas]
Medea (love, winning the fleece)
Human miracles Aeson
Medea
Daughters of Pelias
Frame
Medea
(wanderings)
Theseus-Aegeus-Minos-Aeacus-Cephalus (Aegina)
Pestilentia (men destroyed by plague)
Cephalus
Divine Miracles
Myrmidons (men created out of ants)
Frame
Cephalus & Procris (amatory pathos without metamorphosis)
Scylla
(Cretan Interlude: Minotaur, Ariadne)
Daedalus-Icarus (Paternal Grief)
(Perdix)
MELEAGER-ALTHAEA
(Interlude: Achelous, etc.)
Theodicy I (Philemon-Baucis)
Theodicy II (Erysicthon)
(Interlude: Achelous, etc.)
Central Panel
Book IX
Byblis
Miracles of
Piety
Myrrha
Miracles of
Impiety
Ceyx-Alcyone
(Galanthis)
Dryope (Maternal Grief)
HERCULES-DEIANIRA-DEIFICATION
(Iolaus, Callirhoes filii 394-446)
Iphis
Amatory insets
(homosexual)
Pygmalion
Atalanta
Amatory insets
(heterosexual)
Midas
Orpheus-Eurydice (separation from wife; rejection of women)
Arbores etc.
Cyparissus
GODS AND BOYS
Ganymede
Hyacinthus (Cerastae-Propoetides, 220-242)
Adonis
GODDESS AND BOY
Death of Adonis
Death of Orpheus (reunion with wife)
Peleus-Thetis
End pieces for Ceyx - Alcyone
Introductory and Transitional, VII, 350-504
L
O
S
S
Cephalus’ Question
(505-17)
Men
Phocus’ Question
(661-89)
First Loss of Procris
(690-758)
Pestilence
(518-613)
Corpses
R
E
C
O
V
E
R
Y
Response & Prayer
of Aeacus (614-21)
The Miraculous GiftsMiracle of Dog,(759-93)
R
E
C
O
V
E
R
Y
Second Loss of Procris
(794-862)
L
O
S
S
Ants
Miracle of Ants-Men
(622-60)
Men
Miracle I
L
O
S
S
Love II
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
Troy to Rome Books XII-XV
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Troy (Lapiths and Centaurs)
Judgement of Arms (Rhetorical Panel)
Troy (Hecuba)
(1)
Aeneas (Anaides)
Amatory Story (Galatea, Scylla, Circe)
(2)
Aeneas (Sibyl, Achaemenides)
Amatory Story (Circe, Picus, Canens)
(3)
Aeneas (Deification)
Rome (The Native Gods, Pomona-Vertumnus, Romulus)
Pythagorus Soliloquy (Philosophic Panel)
Rome (Foreign Gods: Hippolytus, Aesculapius)
Conclusion: (Apotheosis of Caesar)
Brooks Otis, Ovid as an Epic Poet (1966,1970)
Troy to Rome Books XII-XV
EPISODES
THEME
Bk. XII, 1-62
[Trojan Section : liaison]
1-145
[Introduction : Trojan War, Fama, Cygnus]
146-535
Caeneus, Lariths-Centaurs (epic)
536-611
612-Bk. XIII, 398
TROY
Periclymenus : Death of Achilles
ARMORUM IUDICORUM
Bk. XIII, 399-575
Hecuba (tragic)
576-622
[Memnon]
623-718
[Aniades-Orionides (Aeneas) ]
719-897
Galatea-Cyclops-Acis
898-Bk. XIV, 74
Scylla-Glaucus-Circe
Bk. XIV, 75-153
154-307
AENEAS
[Aeneas, Sibyl]
Ulysses-Cyclops-Circe
308-440
Picus-Canens-Circe
441-608
[Aeneas, Turnus, Apotheosis Aeneae ]
609-771
Pomona-Vertumnus
Native Gods
772-851
Bk. XV, 1-478
745-870
(Iphis - Anaxarete)
Apotheosis Romuli
ROME
PYTHAGORAS SOLILOQUY
479-621
622-744
PANELS
Hippolytus
Foreign Gods
Aesculapius
Apotheosis Caesaris