Caenis is a girl who was once raped by Neptune. Afterwards, Caenis demands that Neptune transform her into a boy so she’ll never be raped again. Caenis the man fights valiantly against the Centaurs in the battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs and is transformed into a bird after the Centaurs crush him under a pile of trees.
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Caenis Character Timeline in Metamorphoses
The timeline below shows where the character Caenis appears in Metamorphoses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 12: Caenis
Nestor tells his story: Caenis is a beautiful girl who is pursued by many suitors. Caenis refuses her suitors, but...
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Book 12: The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs
...but it would not start for many years. Returning to his story, Nestor explains that Caenis kills five centaurs. One of the centaurs taunts Caenis, saying that he’ll always be a...
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...a man who used to be a woman. They start hurling trees and rocks at Caenis, burying him under a massive pile. Caenis attempts to roll the pile off him, but...
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