batch.motif.roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley-gutenberg-l5309-l5389
---
record_id: batch.motif.roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley-gutenberg-l5309-l5389
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
passage_locator:
label: EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION.; lines 5309-5389
start: '5309'
end: '5389'
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: "“death {shall be} the recompense of the slow.”"
summary: The passage recounts Atalanta’s speed and beauty, an oracle warning her
against marriage, her requirement that suitors defeat her in a race or die, Hippomenes’
decision to compete after seeing her, his claim of distinguished ancestry, and
Atalanta’s conflicted first experience of love for him.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Atalanta is described as excelling the swiftest men in speed and as distinguished
by beauty.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: An oracle tells Atalanta that she has no need of a husband, should avoid obtaining
one, yet will not avoid it and will lose herself while still living.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: After the oracle, Atalanta lives unmarried in shady woods and repulses suitors
by setting terms for a race.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Atalanta states that a suitor must surpass her in running to gain marriage;
the swift contestant receives wife and wedding, while the slow contestant receives
death.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: A multitude of suitors agree to Atalanta’s terms despite the danger.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Hippomenes first condemns the race as unreasonable, then changes his view
after seeing Atalanta.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Hippomenes watches Atalanta run, admires both her speed and beauty, and wishes
that no young man may run faster than she does.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: Atalanta wins a race, receives a festive crown, and the defeated competitors
pay the stipulated penalty.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Hippomenes challenges Atalanta and states that his father is Megareus, that
Onchestius is Megareus’ father, and that Neptune is his grandsire.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: Atalanta looks favorably on Hippomenes and is uncertain whether she should
wish to be overcome or to conquer.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: Atalanta internally urges Hippomenes to leave because marriage with her is
stained with blood and hazardous.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:12
text: The passage says Atalanta is smitten by Cupid for the first time, is in love,
and does not know that she is in love.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Atalanta
description: A swift and beautiful maiden, called the daughter of Schoeneus, who
sets a deadly footrace as the condition for marriage.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Hippomenes
description: A youth who watches Atalanta’s race, falls into admiration of her,
challenges her, and claims descent from Neptune.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Suitors
description: A rash multitude of young men who agree to race Atalanta under penalty
of death.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: The God of the oracle
description: The divine speaker who gives Atalanta the warning about marriage.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Cupid
description: The divine figure by whom Atalanta is said to be smitten for the first
time.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Neptune
description: Named by Hippomenes as his grandsire and as king of the waves.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: swift maiden
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Atalanta is said to excel the swiftest men in speed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: dangerous bride
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She offers marriage only to the suitor who surpasses her in running, with
death for the unsuccessful.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: beloved unaware of love
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage says she is in love for the first time but does not know it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:4
label: challenging suitor
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Hippomenes stands up and asks Atalanta to contend with him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: claimant of divine ancestry
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He states that Neptune is his grandsire and that he descends from the king
of the waves.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: failed wooers
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The vanquished suitors sigh and pay the penalty after Atalanta’s victory.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: divine warner
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The God tells Atalanta to avoid a husband and predicts that she will lose
herself while living.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:8
label: cause of first love
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Atalanta is described as smitten by Cupid for the first time.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:9
label: divine ancestor
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Hippomenes identifies Neptune as his grandsire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: oracle warning
literal_form: A divine response warning Atalanta about marriage and loss of self.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: deadly footrace
literal_form: A running contest in which marriage is the prize and death is the
penalty for losing.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:3
label: festive crown
literal_form: A crown placed on victorious Atalanta after the last course is run.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: shady woods
literal_form: The woods where Atalanta lives a single life after the oracle.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: king of the waves ancestry
literal_form: Hippomenes’ stated descent from Neptune, called king of the waves.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Oracle and unmarried life
summary: Atalanta consults an oracle about a husband, receives a warning to avoid
marriage, and afterward lives unmarried in the woods.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Conditions of the race
summary: Atalanta declares that only a man who surpasses her in running may marry
her, while losing suitors must die.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Hippomenes becomes a suitor
summary: Hippomenes first criticizes the dangerous race but, after seeing Atalanta,
asks pardon of the suitors he had censured and begins to desire the contest.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Atalanta’s victory and the penalty
summary: Atalanta runs swiftly, wins the last course, is crowned, and the defeated
men pay the penalty required by the contest.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Hippomenes’ challenge
summary: Hippomenes steps forward to challenge Atalanta and presents his ancestry
and merit as reasons the contest would be honorable.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Atalanta’s conflicted first love
summary: Atalanta looks favorably on Hippomenes, hesitates between victory and defeat,
urges him inwardly to avoid the blood-stained match, and is described as in love
without knowing it.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: bride won by dangerous contest
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Marriage to Atalanta is offered only to the suitor who defeats her in a running
contest; death is the penalty for losing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives only the opening and emotional setup of Hippomenes’
attempt, not its outcome.
- id: motif:2
label: oracle warning against marriage
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The divine response tells Atalanta to avoid obtaining a husband and predicts
that she will lose herself while living.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The precise meaning of “lose thyself” is not explained within this passage.
- id: motif:3
label: fatal suitor trial
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Several suitors accept Atalanta’s terms, and vanquished competitors pay the
stipulated death penalty.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not describe the deaths in detail.
- id: motif:4
label: divine or royal ancestry asserted in courtship contest
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Hippomenes presents descent from Megareus, Onchestius, and Neptune as part
of his challenge to Atalanta.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is approximate; the passage uses ancestry to support
honor and worth in a contest, not explicitly political kingship.
- id: motif:5
label: first love before a deadly trial
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Atalanta, who has required deadly contests from suitors, becomes conflicted
over Hippomenes and is described as smitten by Cupid for the first time.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The passage identifies love but does not yet resolve its effect on the
contest.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: Atalanta is reported to have excelled the swiftest men in speed
and to have exceptional beauty.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: 'The oracle says: “Thou hast no need, Atalanta, of a husband;
avoid obtaining a husband... while {still} living, thou wilt lose thyself.”'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: Alarmed by the oracle, Atalanta lives single in the shady woods
and tells suitors that marriage is granted only if she is surpassed in speed,
while death is the penalty for the slow.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: A rash multitude agrees to the terms; Hippomenes, watching as
a spectator, first condemns the youths’ ardor but changes after seeing Atalanta.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: Hippomenes admires Atalanta’s running and beauty; her speed is
likened to a Scythian arrow, and her movement and appearance are described in
detail.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: The last course is run, Atalanta is crowned as victor, and the
defeated men sigh and pay the stipulated penalty.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: Hippomenes challenges Atalanta, says she should contend with him,
and claims descent from Megareus, Onchestius, and Neptune, whom he calls king
of the waves.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: Atalanta regards Hippomenes kindly, is uncertain whether to wish
for victory or defeat, and inwardly urges him to abandon an alliance stained with
blood.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 5309-5389
quote_or_summary: Atalanta reflects on Hippomenes’ youth, courage, ancestry, and
love; the narrator states that she is smitten by Cupid for the first time and
is in love without knowing it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/roman/project-gutenberg/metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif candidates are strong
for the deadly marriage race and oracle warning, but taxonomy mapping is limited
because the available taxonomy list lacks a direct bride-contest or fatal-suitor
category.
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 comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not make a comparative claim to another tradition or motif family beyond the internal Roman mythic narrative.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:roman-ovid-metamorphoses-books-8-15-riley-gutenberg__l5309-l5389
passage_sha256=d3232cd51780ed3a00bb8fd5409f21e635a9636cb937c9b9bfeb6a6700a90f09