Metamorphoses · Chapter
Giants' War explained
The giants, sons of Coelus and Terra, attempt to storm heaven but are overthrown by Jupiter's thunder.
What happens
The giants, sons of Coelus and Terra, attempt to storm heaven but are overthrown by Jupiter's thunder. Their blood impregnates the Earth, spawning a wicked race including Lycaon, who Jupiter transforms into a wolf for his impiety. Jupiter then decides to destroy all humanity with a great flood, sparing only Deucalion and Pyrrha, who later repopulate the world. Apollo slays the serpent Pytho and institutes the Pythian games.
Themes in this chapter
Divine Power and Human Folly
Jupiter's overwhelming power crushes the giants' rebellion and punishes Lycaon's impiety.
Violence and Revenge
The giants' war, Lycaon's murder of guests, and Jupiter's destructive flood all illustrate cycles of violence.
Creation and Order from Chaos
After the flood, Deucalion and Pyrrha repopulate the earth, and Apollo establishes the Pythian games, restoring order.
Characters to notice
- Jove
Overthrows the giants with thunder, punishes Lycaon, and decides to flood the earth.
- Apollo
Slays the serpent Pytho and institutes the Pythian games.
- Neptune
Assists Jove by sending floods and later calms the waters after the deluge.
- Juno
Her messenger Iris helps feed the clouds with rain.
- Lyncus
Mentioned as a tyrant of Arcadia (Lycaon) who is transformed into a wolf.
Key passages
“Nor were the gods themselves more safe above, Against beleaguer'd heaven the giants move, Hills piled on hills, on mountains mountains lie, To make their mad approaches to the sky; Till Jove, no longer patient, took his time To avenge with thunder their audacious crime.”
The giants stacked mountains to reach heaven, but Jupiter finally retaliated with thunderbolts.
Describes the giants' assault and Jupiter's response.
“The blood, indued with animating heat, Did, in the impregnant earth, new sons beget. They, like the seed from which they sprung, accursed, Against the gods immortal hatred nursed;”
The giants' blood soaked into the earth and gave rise to a new race of men who hated the gods.
Explains the origin of the wicked human race after the giants' defeat.
“The tyrant, in a fright, for shelter gains The neighb'ring fields, and scours along the plains; Howling he fled, and fain he would have spoke, But human voice his brutal tongue forsook; ... He grows a wolf, his hoariness remains, And the same rage in other members reigns.”
Lycaon fled in terror, howling as he lost the power of speech, and was transformed into a wolf, retaining his savage nature.
Describes Lycaon's metamorphosis into a wolf as punishment.
“Concludes to pour a watery deluge down, And what he durst not burn, resolves to drown.”
Jupiter decided to flood the world instead of burning it, to avoid setting the heavens on fire.
Jupiter's choice of a flood over fire as punishment.
“The most upright of mortal men was he; The most sincere and holy woman, she.”
Deucalion and Pyrrha were the most righteous and devout humans.
Describes the virtuous couple spared from the flood.