Observations placeholder
Ovid - Metamorphoses - The Transformation of Ino and Melicerta to Sea-Gods
Identifier
004115
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
In Ovid’s Metamorphoses the story of Titus, Sisyphus, the Belides and Ixion are in some cases symbolically describing rebirth experiences [plus other things like reincarnation but here we can concentrate on this underlying symbolism]. It is also an allegory of how much effort is required to move humanity along, the need for multiple reincarnations in order to achive your destiny and challenge.
A description of the experience
Ovid Metamorphoses - The Transformation of Ino and Melicerta to Sea-Gods
This is the place of woe, here groan the dead;
Huge Titus o'er nine acres here is spread.
Fruitful for pain the immortal liver breeds,
Still grows, and still the insatiate vulture feeds.
Poor Tantalus to taste the water tries,
But from his lips the faithless water flies:
Then thinks the bending tree he can command,
The tree starts backwards, and eludes his hand.
The labour too of Sisyphus is vain,
Up the steep mount he heaves the stone with pain,
Down from the summit rolls the stone again.
The Belides their leaky vessels still
Are ever filling, and yet never fill:
Doomed to this punishment for blood they shed,
For bridegrooms slaughtered in the bridal bed.
Stretched on the rolling wheel Ixion lies;
Himself he follows, and himself he flies.