# Story of Cadmus explained — Metamorphoses

> Chapter companion for Metamorphoses by Ovid.

## What happens

Cadmus, son of Agenor, is sent to find his sister Europa but is told by the Delphic oracle to follow a heifer and build a city where it lies down. He finds the heifer in Boeotia and sends his companions to fetch water, but they are devoured by a dragon sacred to Mars. Cadmus slays the dragon with Minerva's aid, then sows its teeth as instructed. Armed men spring from the ground and fight each other until only five remain, who help Cadmus found Thebes. The chapter ends with a foreshadowing of his descendant Actaeon's tragic fate.

## Themes in this chapter

### Creation and Order from Chaos

Cadmus transforms the chaotic violence of the dragon and the fratricidal sown men into the ordered foundation of a city and empire.

### Divine Power and Human Folly

The gods (Apollo, Minerva) guide Cadmus, but human actions—Agenor's harsh command, the companions' fatal search—lead to destruction.

### Fate and Prophecy

The Delphic oracle sets Cadmus's destiny, and the mysterious voice foretelling his own transformation underscores inescapable fate.

## Character check-ins

### Cadmus

Protagonist who follows the oracle, slays the dragon, sows its teeth, and founds Boeotia.

### Minerva

Goddess who descends to instruct Cadmus to sow the dragon's teeth and later commands Echion to cease fighting.

### Apollo

Delphic oracle god who directs Cadmus to follow the heifer and build a city.

### Jove

Mentioned as the god whose amours cannot be found; Cadmus prepares a sacrifice to Jove.

### Mars

The dragon is sacred to Mars, dwelling in a den dedicated to him.

### Echion

One of the five surviving sown men who, at Pallas's command, drops his weapon and makes peace with Cadmus.

## Key lines

> Why dost thou thus with secret pleasure see, Insulting man! what thou thyself shalt be?

A mysterious voice warns Cadmus that he will one day be transformed into a serpent, just like the one he killed.

_This prophecy foreshadows Cadmus's eventual transformation, linking his fate to the dragon's._

> The clods grow warm, and crumble where he sows, And now the pointed spears advance in rows; Now nodding plumes appear, and shining crests, Now the broad shoulders and the rising breasts; O'er all the field the breathing harvest swarms, A growing host, a crop of men and arms.

As Cadmus sows the dragon's teeth, armed warriors sprout from the earth like a crop, fully formed and ready for battle.

_This vivid description illustrates the miraculous birth of the sown men from the ground._

> But no frail man, however great or high, Can be concluded bless'd before he die.

No mortal, no matter how fortunate, can be considered truly happy until their life has ended.

_This moral reflection introduces the tragic story of Actaeon, emphasizing the uncertainty of human fortune._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/story-of-cadmus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters