Disney vs. Ovid

I'm sure many of us have seen the 1997 Disney movie, Hercules. It is one of the most popular Disney movies of our time. The strong, good looking guy, the beautiful girl he is in love with, and the evil temptation. Disney seems to get it right on whenever true stories or tales need re-telling. Take Pocahontas for instance, in the 1995 Disney movie, she was probably 20 or 21 and John Smith was about the same age, give or take. They had a wonderful romantic relationship roaming the Virginia hills, until he was shot and sent back to England for recovery. She followed him there and then fell madly in love with John Rolfe and it was a happy ending.  In real life, Pocahontas was about 12 when she saved John Smith-who was about 30 at the time. Historical records show that there was no romantic affiliation between the two. She did marry John Rolfe (whether she wanted to or it was against her will, we will never know) and they had one son, Thomas Rolfe. This is the same scenario with Hercules, or Heracles, whichever you prefer. In the movie, he is born to Hera and Zeus. Hades, the god of the Underworld has a grudge against him and puts a snake in his crib which Hercules smothers. He is also given Pegasus (a colt at the time), which is to be his longtime friend and sidekick. He is sent to live in Rome with foster parents and finds he amazingly strong, he uses his strength to help his fellow villagers and mankind. Eventually he meets Megara and falls madly in love with her and has to set her free from her master, Hades. He does and its a happy ending. In the legend of Hercules, he is born to Alcmene (not Hera) and Zeus (one of his many illegitimate children). He does kill the snake that was in his crib, but Hera put it there, not Hades (who has nothing to do with the legend of Hercules). In one version, Zeus has Hercules nurse from Hera's breast to become immortal, she finds out and hates Hercules from that point on. Never in the stories is he partnered with Pegasus, but he does marry Megara and they have several children. Hera turns him mad for a while and he kills all his children, he then goes on his many adventures because he feels remorse for what he has done. He does not have a happy ending with Megara.
Disney makes wonderful, fun and happy movies that are made especially for kids. The one problem is if they are retold stories, the true part of the story is usually forgotten. Pocahontas is a famous American story that is true, Disney did tell the story, just not exactly the same as it is in historical records. Same with Hercules, his trials he goes through are the same as in the legends, but his personality and his character aren't the same.

Book IV of Ovid

Daughters of Minyas-Most people in a village celebrate the Baccic festival except Minya's daughters, they do housework over going to the festival.
Pyramus and Thisbe-A couple deeply in love wish to marry but their families refuse the match, they kill themselves so they can be together in death.
Mars, Venus, Vulcan, The Sun-Mars and Venus were having an affair and Vulcan caught them with a net he made and had all the gods laugh at them to teach them a lesson. 
Leucothoe and Clytie-Clytie was raped by the Sun and turned into a sweet smelling flower, but she still loves the Sun god even though he loves Leucothoe.
Salmacis and Heraphroditus-Salmacis falls in love with Heraphroditus but he refuses her, she forces herself on him when he is in the water and the become a formation in the water.
The Daughters of Minyas, cont.-Since the daughters don't worship Baccus he turned them into bats.
Athmas and Ino-Juno is jealous of Ino and asks the Furies to poison her body, Athmus sees Ino's son on her breast and forces him off, Ino then goes in search for help for her son and Neptune gives them new bodies and turns them into gods.
Cadmus and Harmonia-Cadmus turned into a serpent, Harmonia knew it was him and embraced him in that form, she then turned into a serpent too.
Acrisus-Kin of Cadmus and Perseus, Perseus flew over the Earth with Medusa's head, drops of blood fall and snakes appear on the ground, this is how Libya became snake-infested.
Perseus and Atlas-Perseus asks to stay at Atlas's house but Atlas knew of a prophecy against a son of Jove so he refuses, Perseus showed Atlas Medusa's head and he turned into stone while his back held the Earth and his head held the sky.
Perseus and Andromeda-She was chained to a rock and he saw her and instantly fell in love, he asked why she was chained and she said her mother, Cassiope bragged she was more beautiful than the Nereids, he agreed he would save her if her parents would let him marry her.
Perseus and Medusa-He put her to sleep and chopped her head off and from her blood came Chrysaor and Pegasus, Minerva now wears the snakes that were Medusa's hair.

 Daughters of Minyas

 Pyramus and Thisbe

 Venus and Mars

 Clytie

 Salmacis and Heraphroditus

 The Daughters of Minyas were turned into bats.

 Athmas and Ino

 Cadmus and Harmonia

 Perseus and Atlas

 Perseus and Andromeda

 Perseus and Medusa

Book III of Ovid

Cadmus-He was told to find Europa by her father. A poisonous serpent come down on the men of Tyre and kills them all, Cadmus sees them and avenges their deaths by killing the serpent with a javelin. He founded Thebes on the serpent's teeth.
Actaeon-Actaeon came upon Diana and her nymphs when he came into the glade they were bathing in. She turned him into a stag after throwing water at him. His dogs saw him and ripped him apart. This makes Juno happy because he is Europa's kin.
Semele-After having an affair with Jove and now pregnant with his child, Juno asks her to ask Jove to show her his true form, he does it unwillingly and she blows up. He takes her unborn babe and sews it into his thigh, the baby later becomes Tiresias.
Tiresias-Turned into a blind seer when he tells Juno that women have greater physical pleasure than men after he spent several years as a man and a woman.
Narcissus and Echo-Echo can only repeat the last word spoken from someone after getting caught by Juno when she was protecting other nymphs who were having an affair with Jove. She sees beautiful Narcissus and falls in love, but he does not want her, he sees himself and wants his image. He dies on the bank of the river in which he sees himself and turns into a Narcissus flower.
Pentheus-Came across a women's ceremony and they ripped him to shreds-including his own mother.
                                                          
 Cadmus and the Dragon's Teeth

 Actaeon and Diana

Semele and Jove

 Tiresias

Narcissus and Echo

 Pentheus

Book II of Ovid

Phaethon-Phoebus grants his son, Phaethon, anything he wants, Phaethon asks to fly his chariot, his father is reluctant but lets him, Phaethon crashes and sets the Earth on fire.
The Heliades-Phaeton's sisters and mother are mourning for him, they turn into trees, crying tears of amber which will be worn by 'the ladies of Rome'.
Cycnus-Cycnus was Phaeton's kin, when Phaeton died Cycnus turned into a swan-who lives in water which is fires contrary. 
Phoebus-Phoebus, distraught by his son's death and the loss of his chariot, claims that Jove should bear the light of the Sun.
Callisto-While hunting in Diana's forest, Jove tricks her and rapes her, Diana finds out and banishes Callisto from her forest, Juno then turns her into a bear to roam the forests.
Arcas-Arcas is Callisto's son from Jove, when Arcas sees his mother as a bear, he tries to kill her (unaware that she is his mother), Jove takes both of them and makes them into the Great Little Bear constellation.
The Raven-Once white, this bird was Phoebus's, but since it talks too much it is black.
Coronis, The Raven, Crow, Nyctimene-Coronis is very beautiful and married to Apollo but his raven found out that she was not a virgin, the raven and a crow go to tell Apollo.
Ocyrhoe-Chiron and Chariclo's daughter, Ocyrhoe has the gift of prophecy, when she sees Apollo and Coronis' son, she begins to prophesize  something but is stopped by the gods, she is then turned into a horse.
Battus-Guardian of grazing land, supposedly he witnessed Mercury stealing Phoebus' cattle, he was then turned into stone even though his was innocent.
Mercury, Herse, Aglauros-Mercury fell in love with Herse but Herse's sister wanted Mercury's help to have gold, so Minerva called on Envy to intervene.
Europa and Jove-Jove turns into a bull who's hide is white with gem like horns, Europa come to pet him but she makes the wrong mistake of sitting on his back and he takes her into the ocean and rapes her.

Book I in Pictures

Deucalion and Pyrrah

Python and Phoebus

Apollo and Daphne

Io and Jove

Phaethon

The Metamorphoses of Ovid: Book I

Book I
Prologue- "My soul would sing of metamorphoses."


The Creation- Then Earth, Wind, Fire and Water was created.


The Four Ages- As time went on, life became more complicated by the things that men saw and wanted.


The Giants- Humans are made out of the blood of Giants that once tried to conquer the sky.


Lycaon- After Jove kills the Giants who tried to take over his kingdom and sky, does he call a meeting of all the higher gods to announce that the new people will follow gods, not try to conquer them.


The Flood- Jove floods the Earth, many humans die in the water while others must struggle to survive in the aftermath of the flood.


Deucalion and Pyrrah- After the Flood, the only survivors were one man and one woman, soon as time went by, rocks became soft and turned into the shape of humans and life came to them.


Python- When all the world was good, the one thing that was bad was the serpent, he brought fear into all men that beheld him, Phoebus was the first to kill it.

Apollo and Daphne- Daphne is a free spirit who wants to run free in the woods, Apollo sees her and instantly falls in love with her, he chases her until she cries out to her father to help her, her father then turns her into a laurel tree.

Io and Jove- When Jove first sees Io, he immediately wants her, she refuses him so he rapes her, Juno, seeing only what Jove has done blames Io for it so she turns her into a heifer, eventually she sees that Io is innocent and turns her not only back into a human, but into a beautiful goddess.

Phaethon- Young Phaethon asks his mother about his father since he has never really known him, when he finds out that it is Phoebus, god of the Sun, he immediately wants to go up and meet him, his mother finally agrees.