Philemon

Also known as: old man · Family: mortals · Role: husband and temple priest · First appears: Fable 75

Life events

• Jupiter and Mercury, disguised as humans, are refused by many houses but welcomed by Philemon and Baucis.(Fable75 · 📍 Phrygian hills)
  • With: Jupiter Mercury Baucis
  • “Jupiter came hither in the shape of a man, and together with his parent, the grandson of Atlas, {Mercury}, the bearer of the Caduceus, having laid aside his wings. To a thousand houses did they go, asking for lodging and for rest. A thousand houses did the bolts fasten {against them}. Yet one received them,”
• The impious village sinks into a morass, while Philemon and Baucis’s cottage alone remains.(Fable75 · 📍 Phrygian hills)
  • With: Jupiter Mercury Baucis
  • “The immortals forbade it[89] to be killed, and said, ‘We are Divinities, and this impious neighbourhood shall suffer deserved punishment. To you it will be allowed to be free from this calamity; only leave your habitation, and attend our steps, and go together to the summit of the mountain.’”
• The cottage of Philemon and Baucis is transformed into a temple.(Fable75 · 📍 Phrygian hills)
  • With: Jupiter Mercury Baucis
  • “that old cottage of {theirs}, {too} little for even two owners, was changed into a temple. Columns took the place of forked stakes, the thatch grew yellow, and the earth was covered with marble; the doors appeared carved, and the roof to be of gold.”
• Jupiter and Mercury reveal their divinity to the hosts.(Fable75)
  • With: Jupiter Mercury Baucis
  • “‘We are Divinities, and this impious neighbourhood shall suffer deserved punishment.”
• Philemon and Baucis request, and receive, appointment as temple priests.(Fable75)
  • With: Jupiter Mercury Baucis
  • “Fulfilment attended their wishes. So long as life was granted, they were the keepers of the temple;”
• Philemon and Baucis are transformed into adjoining trees.(Fable75)
  • With: Baucis
  • “Baucis beheld Philemon, and the aged Philemon saw Baucis, {too}, shooting into leaf. And now the tops of the trees growing above their two faces, so long as they could they exchanged words with each other, and said together, ‘Farewell! my spouse;’ and at the same moment the branches covered their concealed faces.”

Fable 75

• married with Baucis “But a pious old woman {named} Baucis, and Philemon of a like age, were united in their youthful years in that {cottage}, and in it, they grew old together;”
• with Jupiter (Jupiter is received as a guest by Philemon.) “Jupiter and Mercury, disguised in human shape, are received by Philemon and Baucis, after having been refused admittance by their neighbours.”
• with Mercury (Mercury is received as a guest by Philemon.) “Jupiter and Mercury, disguised in human shape, are received by Philemon and Baucis, after having been refused admittance by their neighbours.”
• with Jupiter (Philemon requests to serve the gods as a priest.) “‘We desire to be your priests, and to have the care of your temple; and, since we have passed our years in harmony, let the same hour take us off both together; and let me not ever see the tomb of my wife, nor let me be destined to be buried by her.’”
• with Mercury (Philemon requests to serve the gods as a priest.) “‘We desire to be your priests, and to have the care of your temple; and, since we have passed our years in harmony, let the same hour take us off both together; and let me not ever see the tomb of my wife, nor let me be destined to be buried by her.’”

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Extracted from the original text of The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Made with Rho MD.