OVID The Invasion of Troy

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OVIDThe Invasion of Troy

• Book Twelve

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OVIDS TRANSITION

• In the previous story, we learn about Aesacus and
  his love for Hesperia
• Aesacus follows her as she runs through the
  forest, but she is bit by a serpent
• Aesacus feels guilty for her death, flings
  himself from a cliff
• Tethys does not allow him to die
• He is transformed into
• a bird, Mergus, or
• The Submerger

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OVIDS TRANSITION

• Priam mourns Aesacus death not knowing he is now
  a bird, his sons go to the tomb to bring
  sacrifice, all except Paris
• Paris is the reason for the Trojan War, because
  of his love for Helen

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HELEN

• Helen is the daughter of Zeus and Leda, when Zeus
  visits her as a swan
• All men wanted to marry Helen, Menelaus is
  chosen, and therefore becomes King of Sparta

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Pariss Decision

• Paris was told to decide who the fairest was of
  Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera
• He chose Aphrodite and was therefore granted Helen

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PARIS AND HELEN

• Paris then takes Helen back with him to Troy
• Obviously this is going to anger Meneleus since
  he was married to Helen
• Meneleus and Agamemnon gather troops for war

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A SIGN

• The men see a Blue-Green Serpent
• The serpent goes up a tree toward a nest that
  held eight birds
• The serpent killed the mother as well as her
  eight children
• Calchas sees the meaning, claiming that the
  Greeks will win the war
• However, he says that the war will last for nine
  years, since that was the number of the birds
• The serpent was then changed to stone, in the
  form of a twining serpent

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SACRIFICE OF IPHIGENIA

• Virgin blood must satisfy the virgin goddess
  anger
• Iphigenia was to be sacrificed because they
  believed Neptune would spare the city of Troy
  since he had built its walls
• Diana yielded when Iphigenia was at the alter,
  and a deer was left in her place
• Ocean subsided

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Iphigenia
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Rumors Dwelling

• Countless entrances, thousands on thousands, And
  never a door to close them.
• Everything that comes into this palace is
  repeated.
• No quiet or silence
• Lies and truth, confused, confusing.
• She searches the world for news.
• Since she is Rumor, she tells the Trojans that
  the Greeks are coming, allowing them to prepare
  for the conflict

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Beginning of Battle

• Protesilaus is the first killed by the arrow of
  Hector
• Greeks were hurt in the earlier fighting
• Hector did not meet Cygnus, son of Neptune, until
  the tenth year
• Achilless spear cannot hurt Cygnus
• Tenth layer kept the spear from harming him.
• Achilles is very frustrated with this, to make
  sure there was nothing defective with the spear,
  he threw it at Menoetes and it killed him.
• Achilles then gets down and fights Cygnus with
  sword, but is unable to do him any harm.

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Cygnus

• Cygnus is turned into a bird when Achilles is
  trying to choke him
• Nepture changed him into a bird during this time
  to save him from death.
• Now a constellation.

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TRUCE

• As the men begin to discuss the battle, the main
  topic was Cygnus and the fact that he could not
  be harmed.
• Nestor continues by stating that long ago, there
  was another like Cygnus, by the name of Caeneus
  of Thessaly who also could not be harmed.

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Caeneus of Thessaly

• Born a Woman
• Achilles begs to be told the story of Caeneus
• Nestor states that he cannot remember all of the
  details because he is now in his third hundred
  year

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Caeneus

• Began as Caenis, daughter of Elatus
• Raped by Neptune, but then she asked to be turned
  into a male so that she would not be raped again.
• Neptune also added that no man be able to hurt
  him.

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