batch.motif.roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley-gutenberg-l10150-l10197
---
record_id: batch.motif.roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley-gutenberg-l10150-l10197
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
passage_locator:
label: EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION.; lines 10150-10197
start: '10150'
end: '10197'
translation: The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books I-VII
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Tereus sails to the harbor near Athens and asks his father-in-law to allow
Philomela to visit her sister Progne. Philomela appears richly adorned, and Tereus
is overcome by desire. He considers bribing her attendants and nurse, tempting
Philomela with gifts, or seizing her by force and defending the act by war. He
presses the request as if it came only from Progne, adding false tears. Philomela
herself begs her father to allow the visit. The father is overcome by their entreaties.
After a banquet and sleep, Tereus remains awake, imagining Philomela and feeding
his passion.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Tereus orders ships launched, enters the Cecropian harbor, and lands on the
shores of the Piraeus.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: 'Tereus joins right hands with his father-in-law and begins to explain his
reason for coming: Progne''s request and a promised speedy return of Philomela
if she is sent.'
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Philomela appears richly dressed and is described as surpassingly beautiful,
with a comparison to Naiads and Dryads if similarly adorned.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Tereus becomes inflamed at seeing Philomela, with his passion described through
images of fire beneath corn and burning dry leaves or grass.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Tereus desires to corrupt Philomela's attendants and nurse, tempt Philomela
with large gifts, spend his kingdom, or seize her and secure her by war.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Tereus urges Progne's request while pleading his own wishes, and he pretends
that excessive urging and tears are also Progne's wishes.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The narrator states that Tereus is thought affectionate through his attempted
wrongdoing and receives praise from his crime.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Philomela embraces her father and asks, by her own safety, to visit her sister.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Tereus watches Philomela's embraces and kisses toward her father and interprets
them as fuel for his passion.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The father is overcome by both Tereus' and Philomela's entreaties.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: A royal banquet is served with wine in golden vessels, and the household gives
itself to sleep.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Tereus remains sleepless, recalls Philomela's appearance and movements, imagines
what he has not seen, and feeds his own flames.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Tereus / the Odrysian king
description: A king who comes by ship to his father-in-law, requests Philomela's
visit under Progne's name, and secretly burns with desire for Philomela.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Philomela
description: A richly adorned virgin whose beauty provokes Tereus' desire; she asks
her father to let her visit her sister.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Philomela's father / Tereus' father-in-law
description: The father who receives Tereus, is embraced by Philomela, and is overcome
by both entreaties.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Progne
description: Tereus' wife and Philomela's sister, whose request for Philomela's
visit is invoked by Tereus; she is absent in this passage.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Philomela's attendants and nurse
description: Guardians or caretakers whom Tereus considers corrupting in order to
gain access to Philomela.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: visiting envoy and supplicant
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Tereus arrives by ship, joins hands with his father-in-law, and makes a request
concerning Philomela's visit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: concealed desirer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Tereus' desire for Philomela is hidden beneath the stated request and is
repeatedly described as burning passion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: potential abductor or aggressor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Tereus considers seizing Philomela and securing her by cruel war.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: requested traveler
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Philomela asks her father to allow her to visit her sister.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: object of illicit desire
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Tereus becomes inflamed on seeing Philomela and imagines possessing her affections.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: granting parent and host
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The father-in-law receives Tereus, is petitioned, and is overcome by the
requests.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: absent wife and sister whose request is invoked
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Tereus frames his request as Progne's desire for Philomela's visit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: role:8
label: potentially corruptible guardians
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Tereus thinks of corrupting Philomela's attendants and nurse.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: burning passion
literal_form: fire, internal flame, fuel, and burning dry vegetation used as images
for desire
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: joined right hands
literal_form: right hand joined to right hand at the beginning of the discourse
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: voyage by ship
literal_form: ships, sails, and oars carrying Tereus to the harbor
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:4
label: rich adornment
literal_form: costly apparel and ornaments worn by Philomela
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: golden banquet vessels
literal_form: wine served in golden vessels at the royal banquet
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Arrival and formal request
summary: Tereus arrives by ship at the Piraeus, joins hands with his father-in-law,
and begins asking that Philomela be sent to visit Progne with a promise of quick
return.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Philomela's appearance and Tereus' concealed desire
summary: Philomela appears richly adorned; Tereus is inflamed by her beauty and
begins considering bribery, gifts, seizure, and war.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Deceptive persuasion
summary: Tereus presses the request as if it were Progne's alone, adds tears, and
is taken for affectionate despite the narrator identifying his attempt as wrongdoing.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Philomela's plea and paternal consent
summary: Philomela embraces her father and begs to visit her sister; Tereus watches
her gestures as further fuel for his desire, and the father is overcome by both
petitions.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Banquet and sleepless desire
summary: After a royal banquet and sleep for the household, Tereus remains awake,
recalling and imagining Philomela and feeding his own passion.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: deceptive kinship request to obtain a woman
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Tereus uses Progne's request and a promise of quick return to obtain Philomela,
while secretly considering seizure and coercion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage shows plotting and deceptive persuasion; the actual removal
or seizure is not completed within this line range.
- id: motif:2
label: destructive desire figured as fire
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Tereus' lust is repeatedly described with fire imagery, including burning
vegetation, internal flame, fuel, and feeding his own flames.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is an imagery pattern within the passage rather than a separately
named mythic episode.
- id: motif:3
label: corruption or bypassing of guardians
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Tereus contemplates corrupting Philomela's attendants and nurse as part of
his pursuit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents the intention only; no successful corruption occurs
here.
- id: motif:4
label: false tears and praised wrongdoing
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Tereus adds tears as if Progne ordered them and is regarded as affectionate
through his attempted wrongdoing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: No external comparison is asserted; the motif is limited to the deception
described in this passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 10150-10155
quote_or_summary: Tereus launches ships, enters the Cecropian harbor, lands at the
Piraeus, joins right hands with his father-in-law, and begins requesting Philomela's
visit with a promise of speedy return.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 10155-10164
quote_or_summary: Philomela arrives richly adorned and beautiful; Tereus becomes
inflamed at seeing her, with fire imagery comparing his desire to burning corn,
leaves, and dry grass.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 10164-10172
quote_or_summary: Tereus desires to corrupt Philomela's attendants and nurse, tempt
her with large gifts, spend his kingdom, or seize her and secure her by cruel
war.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 10172-10180
quote_or_summary: Tereus impatiently presses Progne's request while pleading his
own wishes, pretends Progne ordered his excessive urgency and tears, and is judged
affectionate through his attempted wrongdoing.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 10181-10190
quote_or_summary: Philomela embraces her father and begs to visit her sister; Tereus
watches the embraces and kisses as incentives and fuel for his passion.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summarized rather than quoted.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 10190-10197
quote_or_summary: The father is overcome by the entreaties; after a banquet with
wine in golden vessels and general sleep, Tereus stays awake, recalling and imagining
Philomela and feeding his own flames.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summarized rather than quoted.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif candidates identify
local patterns and one cautious taxonomy alignment; no broader comparison claims
are made.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No external figures, later events, or cross-text comparisons have been added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-1-7-riley-gutenberg__l10150-l10197
passage_sha256=b477ff87834169af40cd8e5c5cf9df8f9b5f980658133d2aa12d544ebda0f2cb