Throughout the Metamorphoses, many human characters dare to think they are superior to the gods. Often, characters anger the gods by refusing to worship them, such as when the daughters of Minyas refuse to join Bacchus’s festival and he turns them into bats. In another instance, Niobe not only refuses to worship the goddess Latona, but also asserts she is superior to Latona because of her wealth, royalty, and dozens of beautiful children. In response, Latona murders all of Queen Niobe’s children and turns her into an eternally weeping statue. In taking away the very thing that made Queen Niobe feel superior, Latona reminds Niobe that the gods are more powerful than even the most fortunate mortal. These stories suggest that, if humans fail to reverence the gods as their superiors, they’ll be rightfully punished. On the other hand, although the gods’ punishments often humble human arrogance, their displays of power aren’t universally moral. For instance, when Arachne asserts that she is the best weaver of women and gods and dares Minerva (goddess of weaving) to a weaving contest, Arachne’s tapestry is undeniably superior to Minerva’s. Despite Arachne’s warranted pride, Minerva harshly punishes Arachne by turning her into a conniving spider. Such stories suggest that the gods’ omnipotence doesn’t consist in the superiority of their virtues, but in their sheer power to punish and manipulate humans. Significantly, Arachne’s superior tapestry depicts the gods disguising themselves so as to dupe humans, especially instances in which the gods have used their power to rape women. This suggests that, while the gods always have the upper hand when it comes to sheer power, they sometimes wield this power in cavalier ways that even degrade them. In this way, the Metamorphoses depicts an ambiguous relationship between gods and humans in which humans are obligated to revere gods who are their venerable superiors, yet often undeserving of reverence.
Related Themes from Other Texts
Gods and Humans ThemeTracker
Gods and Humans Quotes in Metamorphoses
Yet a holier living creature, more able to think high thoughts,
which could hold dominion over the rest, was still to be found.
So Man came into the world. […]
Thus clay, so lately no more than a crude and formless substance,
was metamorphosed to assume the strange new figure of Man.
No pine tree had yet been felled from its home on the mountains and come down
into flowing waves for journeys to lands afar;
mortals were careful and never forsook the shores of their homeland.
No cities were yet ringed round with deep, precipitous earthworks; […]
swords were not carried nor helmets worn; no need for armies,
but nations were free to practice the gentle arts of peace.
If only words could have followed her tears, she’d have begged him for help;
she’d have told him her name and described her plight. Two letters were all
that could serve for words, two letters traced by a hoof in the dust,
which revealed her name and the sorry tale of her transformation.
Love and regal dignity, scarcely the best of friends,
are rarely discovered together. And so the father and ruler
of all the gods, whose right hand wields the three-forked lightning,
whose nod can sway the whole world, discarded his mighty scepter
and clothed himself in the form of a bull.
Blood of the dragon’s teeth, you’re possessed! Are you so spellbound
by curling pipes of animal horn and clashing cymbals
to fall for this juggler’s tricks? You, who were never dismayed
by the threatening swords of the foe on the march or his blaring trumpets,
are now being worsted by screaming women, bibulous frenzy,
lewd and lecherous hordes and the futile banging of drums!
Elders, how can I respect you?
[Minerva] resented Arachne’s
success and ripped up the picture betraying the gods’ misdemeanors.
She was still holding her shuttle of […] boxwood
and used it to strike Arachne a number of times on the forehead.
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.
So Achilles who’d vanquished the mightiest heroes
was vanquished himself by a coward who’d stolen the wife of his Greek host.
Your simple brawn must be measured
against my brains. In a ship the helmsman takes precedence over
the rower; in war the commander has more respect than the soldier;
so I must rank above you. In the make-up of human beings,
intelligence counts for more than our hands, and that is our true strength.
What’s left to encounter that lies
beyond your endurance to bear? What further damage can Venus
inflict, supposing she wanted to? Prayers can avail, if worse
is yet to be feared; but when the worst has already occurred,
fear lies at our feet and the crown of misfortune is freedom from care.
No matter if Venus can hear my words; […]
we can treat her longing with scorn
to a man. Her power may be great, but it counts for little with us!
