batch.motif.roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley-gutenberg-l315-l333
---
record_id: batch.motif.roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley-gutenberg-l315-l333
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
passage_locator:
label: BOOK VIII. / BOOK IX. / BOOK X. / BOOK XI.; lines 315-333
start: '315'
end: '333'
translation: The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books VIII-XV
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The passage summarizes Book XI episodes: Orpheus is killed by Thracian
women; a serpent attacking his face becomes stone; the women become trees; Bacchus
goes to Phrygia, where Midas receives and rejects the power to make gold, and
the Pactolus becomes golden; Apollo gives Midas ass''s ears; several Trojan and
heroic episodes follow, including Hesione''s rescue, marriages involving Telamon,
Peleus, and Thetis, transformations into hawk, rock, kingfishers, and a sea bird.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Orpheus is torn to pieces by Thracian women.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A serpent attacks Orpheus's face and is changed into stone.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The Thracian women are transformed into trees by Bacchus.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Bacchus leaves Thrace and goes to Phrygia.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Midas receives the power of making gold because of his care of Silenus.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Midas comes to loathe the gold-making gift.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: When Midas bathes in the river Pactolus, its sands become golden.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:8
text: Apollo changes Midas's ears into those of an ass because of his stupidity.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:9
text: Apollo goes to Troy and helps Laomedon build its walls.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:10
text: Hercules rescues Hesione when she is fastened to a rock.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:11
text: Telamon receives Hesione as his wife.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:12
text: Peleus marries the sea Goddess Thetis.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:13
text: Peleus learns that Dædalion has been changed into a hawk.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:14
text: Peleus sees a wolf changed into a rock.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:15
text: Ceyx goes to consult the oracle of Claros and dies in a shipwreck.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:16
text: Morpheus appears to Halcyone in the form of her husband.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:17
text: Halcyone is changed into a kingfisher, and Ceyx is also transformed into that
bird.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:18
text: Observers of the flying birds recall that Æsacus, son of Priam, was changed
into a sea bird called the didapper.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Orpheus
description: Victim torn apart by Thracian women; his face is attacked by a serpent.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Thracian women
description: Women who tear Orpheus to pieces and are later transformed into trees
by Bacchus.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Serpent
description: Serpent that attacks Orpheus's face and is changed into stone.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Bacchus
description: Deity who transforms the Thracian women into trees and departs from
Thrace to Phrygia.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Midas
description: Recipient of the power of making gold; later bathes in the Pactolus
and receives ass's ears from Apollo.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Silenus
description: Figure cared for by Midas, leading to Midas receiving the power of
making gold.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Apollo
description: God who changes Midas's ears into ass's ears and later aids Laomedon
in building Troy's walls.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Laomedon
description: Figure aided by Apollo in building the walls of Troy.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Hercules
description: Rescuer of Hesione when she is fastened to a rock.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Hesione
description: Laomedon's daughter, fastened to a rock and rescued by Hercules; received
by Telamon as wife.
role_refs:
- role:12
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Telamon
description: Companion of Hercules who receives Hesione as his wife.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Peleus
description: Brother of Telamon; marries Thetis and goes to visit Ceyx.
role_refs:
- role:14
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: Thetis
description: Sea Goddess who marries Peleus.
role_refs:
- role:15
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:14
name_or_label: Ceyx
description: Figure visited by Peleus; later goes to the oracle of Claros, dies
by shipwreck, and is transformed into a kingfisher.
role_refs:
- role:16
- role:17
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:15
name_or_label: Dædalion
description: Figure changed into a hawk.
role_refs:
- role:17
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:16
name_or_label: Wolf
description: Wolf seen changed into a rock.
role_refs:
- role:17
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:17
name_or_label: Morpheus
description: Figure who appears to Halcyone in the form of her husband.
role_refs:
- role:18
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:18
name_or_label: Halcyone
description: Figure to whom Morpheus appears; changed into a kingfisher.
role_refs:
- role:19
- role:17
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:19
name_or_label: Æsacus
description: Son of Priam changed into a sea bird called the didapper.
role_refs:
- role:17
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:20
name_or_label: Priam
description: Father of Æsacus.
role_refs:
- role:20
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: dismembered victim
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Orpheus is torn to pieces.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: attackers transformed into trees
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Thracian women tear Orpheus apart and are transformed into trees.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: animal attacker transformed into stone
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The serpent attacks Orpheus's face and becomes stone.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: divine transformer and departing deity
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Bacchus transforms the women and leaves Thrace for Phrygia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: recipient of unwanted golden power
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Midas receives and later loathes the power of making gold.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: punished with ass's ears
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Apollo changes Midas's ears into those of an ass.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:7
label: cared-for figure
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Midas receives the power for his care of Silenus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:8
label: punitive deity
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Apollo changes Midas's ears because of his stupidity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:9
label: divine builder-helper
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Apollo aids Laomedon in building Troy's walls.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:10
label: king or patron aided in wall-building
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Laomedon is aided by Apollo in building Troy's walls.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:11
label: rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Hercules rescues Hesione from the rock.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:12
label: rock-bound endangered daughter
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Hesione is fastened to a rock before being rescued.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:13
label: marriage pair after rescue
assigned_to:
- fig:10
- fig:11
basis: Telamon receives Hesione as his wife.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:14
label: mortal husband of sea goddess
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Peleus marries the sea Goddess Thetis.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:15
label: sea goddess bride
assigned_to:
- fig:13
basis: Thetis is named as a sea Goddess married by Peleus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:16
label: oracle seeker and shipwreck victim
assigned_to:
- fig:14
basis: Ceyx goes to Claros and perishes by shipwreck.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:17
label: transformed figure
assigned_to:
- fig:14
- fig:15
- fig:16
- fig:18
- fig:19
basis: These figures are described as changed into hawk, rock, kingfisher, or sea
bird.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:18
label: dream-form apparition
assigned_to:
- fig:17
basis: Morpheus appears to Halcyone in the form of her husband.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:19
label: recipient of apparition
assigned_to:
- fig:18
basis: Halcyone receives Morpheus's appearance in her husband's form.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:20
label: named father
assigned_to:
- fig:20
basis: Æsacus is identified as the son of Priam.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: serpent
literal_form: Serpent attacking Orpheus's face before becoming stone.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: trees
literal_form: Trees into which the Thracian women are transformed.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: stone or rock
literal_form: Stone form of the serpent; rock to which Hesione is fastened; rock
form of the wolf.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:10
- fig:16
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: gold-making power
literal_form: Power of making gold received by Midas.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: river Pactolus
literal_form: River in which Midas bathes; its sands become golden.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:6
label: ass's ears
literal_form: Ears of an ass given to Midas by Apollo.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:7
label: Troy's walls
literal_form: Walls of Troy built with Apollo's aid.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:8
label: hawk
literal_form: Bird form into which Dædalion is changed.
associated_figures:
- fig:15
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:9
label: kingfisher
literal_form: Bird form into which Halcyone and Ceyx are transformed.
associated_figures:
- fig:14
- fig:18
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:10
label: didapper sea bird
literal_form: Sea bird form into which Æsacus is changed.
associated_figures:
- fig:19
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Death of Orpheus and immediate transformations
summary: Orpheus is torn apart by Thracian women; a serpent attacking his face becomes
stone; the women become trees through Bacchus.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Midas receives and rejects the golden gift
summary: After Bacchus goes to Phrygia, Midas receives the power to make gold for
caring for Silenus, loathes it, and bathes in the Pactolus, whose sands become
golden.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Midas punished and Apollo at Troy
summary: Apollo changes Midas's ears into those of an ass and later aids Laomedon
in building Troy's walls.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Hesione rescued and marriages named
summary: Hercules rescues Hesione from a rock; Telamon receives her as wife, and
Peleus marries the sea Goddess Thetis.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
- fig:13
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Peleus hears and sees transformations
summary: On going to visit Ceyx, Peleus learns of Dædalion's change into a hawk
and sees a wolf changed into a rock.
figure_refs:
- fig:12
- fig:14
- fig:15
- fig:16
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:6
label: Ceyx, Morpheus, and Halcyone
summary: Ceyx consults the oracle of Claros and dies by shipwreck; Morpheus appears
to Halcyone in her husband's form; Halcyone and Ceyx become kingfishers.
figure_refs:
- fig:14
- fig:17
- fig:18
symbol_refs:
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:7
label: Memory of Æsacus
summary: Observers of the flying kingfishers recall Æsacus, son of Priam, who was
changed into a didapper sea bird.
figure_refs:
- fig:19
- fig:20
symbol_refs:
- sym:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Repeated metamorphosis into animals, plants, and stone
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: The passage repeatedly describes beings changed into stone, trees, hawk,
rock, kingfishers, and a sea bird.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy label 'shapeshifter' is approximate because several
transformations are externally imposed rather than voluntary shape-shifting.
- id: motif:2
label: Gift granted for care that becomes unwanted
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Midas receives the power of making gold because of his care of Silenus, but
later loathes the gift.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage summarizes the exchange but does not detail the giver's speech
or conditions.
- id: motif:3
label: Divine punitive transformation
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Apollo changes Midas's ears into ass's ears for stupidity, and Bacchus transforms
the Thracian women into trees after Orpheus's killing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage explicitly gives Apollo's reason but does not explicitly state
Bacchus's motive as judgment.
- id: motif:4
label: Hero rescues rock-bound maiden
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Hercules rescues Hesione when she is fastened to a rock.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives only a brief summary and does not state the cause of
Hesione's exposure.
- id: motif:5
label: Mortal and sea-goddess marriage
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_marriage
basis: Peleus marries the sea Goddess Thetis.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage names the marriage but gives no ritual, political, or cosmic
details.
- id: motif:6
label: Dream or apparition in the form of a loved one
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Morpheus appears to Halcyone in the form of her husband after Ceyx dies by
shipwreck.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The summary does not state the content or purpose of the appearance.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: Within this passage summary, multiple episodes share a recurrent pattern
of bodily transformation into natural forms such as stone, tree, bird, and animal-like
features.
claim_level: same_motif
target: Internal Book XI metamorphosis pattern; available motif family 'shapeshifter'
as approximate taxonomy
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal pattern claim, not evidence for historical contact
or cross-tradition comparison; the taxonomy label is broader than the involuntary
transformations described.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 315-319
quote_or_summary: Orpheus is torn apart by Thracian women; a serpent attacking his
face is changed into stone; the women are transformed into trees by Bacchus.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 319-323
quote_or_summary: Bacchus leaves Thrace for Phrygia; Midas receives the power of
making gold for his care of Silenus, loathes the gift, and bathes in the Pactolus,
whose sands become golden.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 323-325
quote_or_summary: Apollo changes Midas's ears into those of an ass because of his
stupidity, then goes to Troy and aids Laomedon in building its walls.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 325-327
quote_or_summary: Hercules rescues Laomedon's daughter Hesione when she is fastened
to a rock; Telamon receives her as wife; Peleus marries the sea Goddess Thetis.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 327-329
quote_or_summary: Peleus, going to visit Ceyx, learns that Dædalion has been changed
into a hawk and sees a wolf changed into a rock.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 329-332
quote_or_summary: Ceyx goes to consult the oracle of Claros and perishes by shipwreck;
Morpheus appears to Halcyone in her husband's form; Halcyone and Ceyx become kingfishers.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 332-333
quote_or_summary: Observers of the flying birds remember that Æsacus, son of Priam,
was changed into a sea bird called the didapper.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is a compact book summary rather than a full narrative; extraction
of figures and events is straightforward, but motif assignments are necessarily
broad.
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: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used. No external narrative details were added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley-gutenberg__l315-l333
passage_sha256=a104146420cfcbe1c00d3749f41e20598b3403fe12883120e69385ebc680e351