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[419] ἀστεμφέως. Similar advice is given by Proteus to Peleus when he was baffled by the rapid transformations of Thetis, ‘nec te decipiat centum mentita figuras,

sed preme quidquid erit, dum quod fuit ante reformet’ Ov. Met.11. 254.It is worth remarking that this power of assuming various forms was a special characteristic of sea and river deities. Compare the stories about Nereus, Glaucus, Achelous, etc. A similar power is assigned to the goblins Lamia ( Aristoph. Vesp.1177) and Empusa (ib. Aristoph. Ran.293 foll.).

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

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hide References (3 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (3):
    • Aristophanes, Frogs, 293
    • Aristophanes, Wasps, 1177
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 11.254
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