Lycaon From The Metamorphoses Quote Analysis

This quote is an excerpt from The Story of Lycaon from the Metamorphoses written by Ovid. The narrator and speaker of this is Jupiter, the Roman counterpart to Zeus. This quote exemplifies the gods’ power and how they will dole out appropriate punishments on the humans that insult or disobey them. Lycaon had wanted to test the great Jupiter’s omnipotence so when the god came to his house as a guest, he served Jupiter the roasted flesh of his own son. This gruesome act did not go over the god’s head though and in punishment for his want to test the god by being carnivorous, Jupiter changed Lycaon into an uncontrollable meat-eater -- a wolf.

This excerpt is Dido praying to Juno in book four of the Aeneid. Dido had become very attached her quasi-husband