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Arachne
Niobe is a wealthy and powerful queen with many beautiful children. She refuses to worship the goddess Latona because she believes that no one—not even a god—is more blessed than she is. She arrogantly claims that she is invincible. Latona punishes her arrogance by murdering her children and her husband. When Niobe weeps over their dead bodies, Latona turns her into an eternally weeping stone statue and sets her on a mountaintop.
Niobe Quotes in Metamorphoses
The Metamorphoses quotes below are all either spoken by Niobe or refer to Niobe . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 6: Niobe Quotes
I am undeniably blessed; and blessed I’ll continue to be,
without any doubt. My abundance assures me I’ll always be safe.
I am far too important a person for fortune’s changes to harm me.
However much I am robbed, far more will be left to enjoy.
My blessings are such that I have nothing to fear.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This quote is spoken by Niobe and conveys the arrogance and refusal to worship the goddess Latona that leads Latona to punish her. In this passage, Niobe boasts of her good fortune, saying that she is “undeniably blessed.” Her good fortune leads her to believe that she is invincible, that she is “safe” and has “nothing to fear.” She thinks of her blessings as an infinite supply that cannot be diminished, asserting that no matter how much she is robbed, far more will be left to enjoy. Niobe places herself above the changes of fortune, thinking of herself as a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid ist
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Niobe Character Timeline in Metamorphoses
The timeline below shows where the character Niobe appears in Metamorphoses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 6: Niobe
The story of Arachne spreads. When Niobe, the queen of Thebes, hears it, she doesn’t take it as a warning. Niobe is...
(full context)
When Niobe sees the women worshipping Latona, she gets angry. She feels that the women should worship...
(full context)
When Latona hears Niobe’s speech, she is furious. She tells her children, Apollo and Diana, to help her reclaim...
(full context)
Niobe, hearing of the tragedy, runs to her sons and throws herself on their dead bodies....
(full context)
Book 6: The Lycian Peasants
After hearing what happened to Niobe, everyone fears and worships Latona. Stories resurface of other times when Latona made her power...
(full context)
Book 6: Pelops
...these tales, the people still mourn Amphion who lost his seven sons. Most people blame Niobe, but Pelops weeps for her. Pelops was a boy who was dismembered by his father....
(full context)
Book 6: Tereus, Procne and Philomela
After Niobe’s fate, princes from all around travel to Thebes to offer sympathy. Every city participates except...
(full context)
