The Metamorphoses Katabasis

orpheus travels out of underworld followed shade of wife, eurydice.

the next major katabasis in metamorphoses occurs in book 5 proserpina, daughter of ceres kidnapped dis. proserpina picking flowers, dis falls in love , decides grab , take underworld in chariot. worried now-missing daughter, ceres becomes distraught , searches proserpina.

when ceres discovers kidnapping, goes jove attempt proserpina back. agrees should returned long proserpina has not touched food in underworld. however, has eaten pomegranate seeds, , cannot returned ceres. ensure compromise between ceres , dis, jove divides year halves , commands proserpina must spend equal parts of year between mother , husband. point on, proserpina makes annual trips underworld, spending half year there.

ovid briefly mentions katabasis of hercules in book 7. ovid telling etiological story of medea s poison theseus. when hercules travelled underworld capture cerberus 1 of twelve labours, cerberus spread white foam mouths grew poisonous plants.

the katabasis of orpheus in book 10 last major inclusion of theme ovid in metamorphoses. orpheus distraught death of wife, eurydice. enters underworld through spartan gates , visits dis , proserpina beg return of bride. overcome heartfelt song of orpheus, proserpina calls eurydice leave husband–on condition not until reaches exit. when looks back, wife disappears, , pained grief death second time.