Myths Derived From Scriptures

• Baucis and Philemon

• Achilles and Penelope
• Orpheus and Eurydice
• Arachne and Athena

Prepared by: Aiza Decritales

BSED 3-A
 Baucis and Philemon

Baucis and Philemon (Abraham

and Sarah) A Story of Poverty,
Kindness, and Hospitality
 Baucis and Philemon
According to ancient Roman mythology and Ovid’s
Metamorphoses (8.631, 8.720.), Philemon and Baucis had
lived out their long lives nobly but in poverty. Jupiter, the
Roman king of the gods, had heard of the virtuous couple,
but based on all his previous experiences with humans, he
had severe doubts about their goodness.
 Baucis and Philemon
Jupiter was about to destroy humanity but was willing to
give it one final chance before starting again. So, in the
company of his son Mercury, the wing-footed messenger god,
Jupiter went about, disguised as a worn and weary traveler,
from house to house among the neighbors of Philemon and
Baucis. As Jupiter feared and expected, the neighbors turned
him and Mercury away rudely. Then the two gods went to the
last house, the cottage of Philemon and Baucis, where the
couple had lived all their long married lives.
 Baucis and Philemon
Philemon and Baucis were pleased to have visitors and insisted
that their guests rest before their little hearth fire. They even
lugged in more of their precious firewood to make a greater blaze.
Unasked, Philemon and Baucis then served their presumably starving
guests fresh fruits, olives, eggs, and wine.

Soon the old couple noticed that no matter how often they
poured from it, the wine pitcher was never empty. They began
to suspect that their guests might be more than mere mortals.
 Baucis and Philemon
Just in case, Philemon and Baucis decided to provide the closest
they could come to a meal that was fit for a god. They would
slaughter their only goose in their guests’ honor. Unfortunately,
the legs of the goose were faster than those of Philemon or
Baucis. Even though the humans were not as fast, they were
more innovative, so they cornered the goose inside the cottage,
where they were just about to catch it. At the last moment, the
goose sought the shelter of the divine guests. Jupiter and
Mercury revealed themselves and immediately expressed their
pleasure in meeting a reliable human pair to save the goose.
 Baucis and Philemon
The gods took the couple to a mountain from which they could
see the punishment their neighbors had suffered – a
devastating flood.

Asked what divine favor they wanted, the couple said they
wished to become temple priests and die together. Their wish
was granted, and when they died, they were turned into
intertwining trees.
Achilles and Penelope
 Achilles and Penelope
Achilles was considered a hero because he was the most
successful soldier in the Greek army during the Trojan War.
According to post-Homeric myths, Achilles was physically
invulnerable, and it was prophesied that the Greeks could not
win the Trojan War without him.
 Achilles and Penelope
Penelope has traditionally been viewed as a symbol of
faithfulness and fidelity. The theme of fidelity is an
important part of the myth of Penelope, and is shown
in her refusal to entertain other suitors in the twenty
years her husband is gone.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
One of the great tragic love stories
from Greek mythology, the tale of the
musician Orpheus and his wife Eurydice
features love, death, poetry, and the
afterlife. But as with the tale of Echo
and Narcissus, this is a doomed love
story made more famous through Roman
writers.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
The very earliest musicians were the gods. Athena was not
distinguished in that line, but she invented the flute although she
never played upon it. Hermes made the lyre and gave it to Apollo
who drew from it sounds so melodious that when he played in
Olympus the gods forgot all else. Hermes also made the
shepherd- pipe for himself and drew enchanting music from it.
Pan made the pipe of reeds which can sing as sweetly as the
nightingale in spring. The Muses had no instrument peculiar to
them, but their voices were lovely beyond compare.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
Next in order came a few mortals so excellent in their art that
they almost equaled the divine performers. Of these by far the
greatest was Orpheus. On his mother’s side he was more than
mortal. He was the son of one of the Muses and a Thracian
prince. His mother gave him the gift of music and Thrace where
he grew up fostered it. The Thracians were the most musical of
the peoples of Greece. But Orpheus had no rival there or
anywhere except the gods alone. There was no limit to his power
when he played and sang. No one and nothing could resist him.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
In the deep still woods upon the Thracian mountains Orpheus
with his singing lyre led the trees, Led the wild beasts of the
wilderness.
Everything animate and inanimate followed him. He moved the
rocks on the hillside and turned the course of the rivers. Little
is told about his life before his ill-fated marriage, for which he
is even better known than for his music, but he went on one
famous expedition and proved himself a most useful member of
it. He sailed with Jason on the Argo, and when the heroes were
weary or the rowing was especially difficult he would strike his
lyre and they would be aroused to fresh zeal and their oars
would smite the sea together in time to the melody.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
Or if a quarrel threatened he would play so tenderly and
soothingly that the fiercest spirits would grow calm and forget
their anger. He saved the heroes, too, from the Sirens. When they
heard far over the sea singing so enchantingly sweet that it drove
out all other thoughts except a desperate longing to hear more,
and they turned the ship to the shore where the Sirens sat,
Orpheus snatched up his lyre and played a tune so clear and ringing
that it drowned the sound of those lovely fatal voices. The ship
was put back on her course and the winds sped her away from the
dangerous place. If Orpheus had not been there the Argonauts,
too, would have left their bones on the Sirens’ island.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
Where he first met and how he wooed the maiden he loved,
Eurydice, we are not told, but it is clear that no maiden he
wanted could have resisted the power of his song. They were
married, but their joy was brief. Directly after the wedding, as
the bride walked in a meadow with her bridesmaids, a viper stung
her and she died. Orpheus’ grief was overwhelming. He could not
endure it. He determined to go down to the world of death and
try to bring Eurydice back. He said to himself,
With my song
I will charm Demeter’s daughter, I will charm the Lord of the
Dead, Moving their hearts with my melody. I will bear her away
from Hades.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
He dared more than any other man ever dared for his love. He
took the fearsome journey to the underworld. There he struck his
lyre, and at the sound all that vast multitude were charmed to
stillness. The dog Cerberus relaxed his guard; the wheel of Ixion
stood motionless; Sisiphus sat at rest upon his stone; Tantalus
forgot his thirst; for the first time the faces of the dread
goddesses, the Furies, were wet with tears. The ruler of Hades
drew near to listen with his queen. Orpheus sang,
O Gods who rule the dark and silent world,
To you all born of a woman needs must come.
All lovely things at last go down to you.
You are the debtor who is always paid. A little while we tarry up
on earth. Then we are yours forever and forever.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
But I seek one who came to you too soon. The bud was plucked
before the flower bloomed. I tried to bear my loss. I could not
bear it. Love was too strong a god. O King, you know If that old
tale men tell is true, how once The flowers saw the rape of
Proserpine. Then weave again for sweet Eurydice Life’s pattern
that was taken from the loom Too quickly. See, I ask a little
thing, Only that you will lend, not give, her to me. She shall be
yours when her years’ span is full. No one under the spell of his
voice could refuse him anything. He Drew iron tears down
Pluto’s cheek, And made Hell grant what Love did seek.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
They summoned Eurydice and gave her to him, but upon one
condition: that he would not look back at her as she followed him,
until they had reached the upper world. So the two passed
through the great doors of Hades to the path which would take
them out of the darkness, climbing up and up. He knew that she
must be just behind him, but he longed unutterably to give one
glance to make sure. But now they were almost there, the
blackness was turning gray; now he had stepped out joyfully into
the daylight. Then he turned to her. It was too soon; she was still
in the cavern. He saw her in the dim light, and he held out his arms
to clasp her; but on the instant she was gone. She had slipped back
into the darkness. All he heard was one faint word, “Farewell.”
 Orpheus and Eurydice
Desperately he tried to rush after her and follow her down, but
he was not allowed. The gods would not consent to his entering
the world of the dead a second time, while he was still alive. He
was forced to return to the earth alone, in utter desolation.
Then he forsook the company of men. He wandered through the
wild solitudes of Thrace, comfortless except for his lyre,
playing, always playing, and the rocks and the rivers and the
trees heard him gladly, his only companions. But at last a band
of Maenads came upon him.
 Orpheus and Eurydice
They were as frenzied as those who killed Pentheus so
horribly. They slew the gentle musician, tearing him limb from
limb, and flung the severed head into the swift river Hebrus.
It was borne along past the river’s mouth on to the Lesbian
shore, nor had it suffered any change from the sea when the
Muses found it and buried it in the sanctuary of the island.
His limbs they gathered and placed in a tomb at the foot of
Mount Olympus, and there to this day the nightingales sing
more sweetly than anywhere else.
 Arachne and Athena

Like many of the myths involving

competitions with the gods, the
lesson of Arachne’s story is one of
pride and humility.
 Arachne and Athena
Arachne was a beautiful young woman and the most wonderful
weaver. People traveled great distances to see her work at her
loom. Her skilled fingers wove detailed multicolored tapestries
and rugs. Her skill was truly a work of art, and people paid large
amounts of money for her creations. Eventually, all of the
attention went to her head. Arachne started to brag and
become boastful of her talents. “Athena, the great goddess, has
given you an amazing gift, Arachne,” the villagers would often
say. This comment made Arachne angry. “Athena did no such
thing. I taught myself to weave. No one can weave as well as I-
not even Athena, who invented weaving!”
 Arachne and Athena
Athena, the goddess of wisdom, watched the boastful Arachne
from her throne high on Mount Olympus. One day she decided
that she’d had enough of Arachne. Athena disguised herself as
an old woman and went to visit Arachne. “I hear that Athena
has given you great gift the skill of weaving,” said the old
woman. “I am the best weaver, but Athena has nothing to do
with how good I am. Her skill is no match for mine,” stated
Arachne. “You are a talented weaver, Arachne, but you are a
foolish girl. You should ask Athena for forgiveness,” the old
lady said becoming angry.
 Arachne and Athena
“What? Ask for forgiveness! You are the foolish one! I am
telling the truth, and if Athena is offended by my claims, she is
more than welcome to pay me a visit. I would be more than
willing to show her what real weaving looks like. I know that she
could learn a thing or two from me,” Arachne said confidently.
With that, the old woman filled with rage and in the blink of an
eye, transformed back into the magnificent goddess-Athena.
All of the village people gathered around the powerful goddess
and fell to their knees to honor her. All of the people except
Arachne, for she seemed unimpressed by Athena’s presence.
 Arachne and Athena
“You think you are better than I, Arachne? Well, let the
competition begin,” Athena proclaimed. Droves gathered to
watch the weaving contest. Arachne and Athena both began
to weave. Their fingers moved fluidly across the colorful
threads. Athena wove glorious pictures of the gods and
goddesses performing kind and heroic deeds. They were the
most beautiful images the mere mortals had ever seen.
Arachne’s weavings were also gorgeous and perfectly
constructed. Her cloths were also images of the gods, but
they portrayed them as angry and foolish.
 Arachne and Athena
Athena was enraged when she saw how Arachne had depicted
the gods. She was even more infuriated when she realized
that her own skill was only marginally better than Arachne’s.
“You are too boastful and rude, Arachne. How dare you make
fun of the gods!” Athena, beside herself, ripped Arachne’s
weavings to shreds. Then she grabbed a stick and hit the girl
repeatedly with it. At that moment, Arachne ran from
Athena. “Oh, no you won’t run from me,” Athena shouted. “I
will make sure that you, your children, and your children’s
children suffer.” She magically altered Arachne. Arachne
began to shrink until her body was a small black bead.
 Arachne and Athena
She sprouted eight legs and grew black hair. Arachne became
the world’s first spider. She scurried to the highest place she
could find and began weaving a web. “Now you will be able to
weave all day long.” Athena said proudly. “But from now on, no
one will care about your talents. In fact, your delicate woven
webs will be destroyed when people see them.”
THANK YOU!!