The Role of The Gods in Virgil’s Aeneid and in Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Comparison of the Role of The Gods in Virgil’s Aeneid and in Ovid’s Metamorphoses
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Introduction
All societies possess opposing ideologies. The thesis and thesis views of reality can be traced back to the very first humans. Immanuel Kant asserts that, a thesis always supports an antithesis. Distinguishing between opposites carries the importance of allowing us to deploy effective epistemological theories such as synthesis. Distinction is a important part of human learning. Learning is driven by an understanding of what is from what is not. Knowledge of what is good makes one more apt from what is bad. Comparing the roles of gods as depicted by two ancient Roman poets , Virgil and Ovid gives us an epistemological learning opportunity.
Virgil’s written epic, the Aeneid blesses the entire rome with a divinely directed purpose. In this epic, the gods encourage Aenas while at others they prod him to action. The Aeneid presents the vision that Rome’s mission is “to be the master of the Mediterrenean” (Starr). It promises Jupiter’s (the king of the gods) will is to make the Romans into a great race, one whose duty is to rule. "You, Roman, be sure to rule the world (be these your arts), to crown peace with justice, to spare the vanquished and to crush the proud” (Aeneid 6.847-853).
Ovid, depicts a differing perspective from Virgil. He laughed at the Aenid concluding that because Aeneas son of Venus founded Rome, it should be named the city of love out of piety. Ovid had a carefree attitude and an extrovert personality that formed the base of counter-intuition to Augustan political and moral reforms. Although both Ovid and Virgil are two of the greatest writers of ancient epic tradition, there are significant differences in their works. This paper analyses the differences in the roles of the god’s in Virgil’s Aeneid and in Ovid’s metamorphoses.
The Role of the Goods in Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Ovid’s depiction of the gods in the Metamorphoses is a very simple one. He depicts the interaction between gods and morals as follows: mortals respect the gods, and make offerings for them and so on. On their part, the gods , don’t utterly destroy mortals, and on some occasions may provide some much needed help to mortals. Disrespect to the gods by a mortal has severe consequences as Ovid insights us. For example, when Arachne and Marsyas challenged the gods to weaving and music contests, they were severely punished. Hippomenes was also punished for forgetting to thank Venus who won him his wife. Ovid’s depiction is that mortals mainly worship the gods out of fear rather than love and respect.
Ovid also draws from the Bible concept of religion in his description of Jupiter‘s visit to earth. According to Ovid, Jupiter comes in the form of man, “I'd heard about this age of infamy; and hoping to disprove such tidings, I descended from Olympus' heights; I went from land to land, a god in human guise.” Additionally, Jupiter is first rejected by the mortals, in particular, a guy called Lycaon in similar fashion to the biblical story of Thomas rejecting Jesus. This is classic evidence that religious doubt is...