Meleagri end

Title

Meleagri end

Period

1550-1600;

Geographic

Caledonia

Description

After hearing the news that her son killed her two brothers, Althaea puts aside her maternal instincts and decides to avenge her brothers. When her son Meleager was born, the Fates put a branch into a fire and told her that his life span would be as long as the branch. Althaea took the branch out of the fire and hid it away in order to save her child. When she finds out that Meleager killed her two brothers, she takes the branch out of hiding and, without looking, throws it into a fire, as depicted in the engraving. The burned-out branch ends up killing Meleager, and his sisters mourn over him which is depicted in the background of the illustration.

Image Creator

Virgil Solis (Engraver)

Type

Text

Woodcut Engraving

Identifier

mta:22838

Language

ger

Source Name

P. Ouidij Nasonis, deß Sinnreichen und hochverstendigen Poeten, Metamorphoses oder Verwandlung, mit schönen figuren gezieret, auch kurzen Argumenten und außlegungen erkläret, und in Teutsche Reymen gebracht, durch Johann Spreng von Augspurg [Publius Ovidius Naso, the Ingenious and Highly Understandable Poet, Metamorphoses or Transformations, Adorned with Beautiful Images, and also descriptions of Short Arguments and Explanations, Brought into German Rhymes by Johann Spreng of Augsburg]

Parent Collection

1564 Frankfurt Spreng

Image

mta_22838_OBJ.jpg

Collection

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Subject

Althaea

Meleager

Filicide

Fates

Greek Mythology

Roman Mythology