Ovid's Metamorphoses I - Reading Diary B

The second half of this unit (Ovid's Metamorphoses I) contains the stories of Semele, Echo and Narcissus, Pyramus and Thisbe, Mars and Venus, Perseus and Andromeda, and Perseus and Medusa. The stories that I found the most interesting are that of Echo and Narcissus and the story of Perseus and Andromeda. 

In the story of Echo and Narcissus, we learn how the term "echo" originated as well as why some people are called narcissists. Echo is a nymph who is only able to repeat what others say. The goddess Juno made her this way so that when her husband Jupiter was lying with another woman beneath her, Echo would repeat everything for Juno to hear. Eventually, Echo meets Narcissus, but he tells her to stay away from him. Eventually Echo's body turns into stones in the forest, but her voice still remains. One day, Narcissus comes upon a fountain of silver water that is never disturbed, where he sees his reflection for the first time. He becomes astonished by his beauty and falls in love with himself. He tries to capture the image, but his hands are not able to grasp anything. Narcissus eventually realizes that the image he sees is of himself, and that he will never be able to have it. This explains why some people, who think they are more important and better than others around them, are labeled as narcissistic. It also explains how the concept of echo got it's name, which is something that I have never really thought about. 

(Painting by Nicolas Poussin, found on Wikimedia)

The story of Perseus and Andromeda includes Atlas as one of the characters, which I also thought was interesting. I remember reading about how Atlas was the strongest man in the world, and so he was responsible for holding the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. Perseus asked him for hospitality and Atlas declined, so Perseus showed him the head of Medusa and Atlas turned to stone. He was so big and strong that he became a mountain, which also held the heavens.