In Ovid's "Metamorphoses" there are many, many examples linking love and war, thus creating a perplexing antithetical comparison prominent throughout the canon of literature. In particular, this theme can be seen in the region of Thrace and its surroundings: home to a "primitive, warlike and ferocious" people (Oxford Classical Dictionary, 1515). This description of the Thracians is elaborated by Ovid, who associates brutal acts of dismemberment and revenge with Thrace, and eliminates any possibility of divine intervention. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOne of the most memorable examples of dismemberment in Ovid's "Metamorphoses" is that of Orpheus, the much-loved and sought-after poet. "Many women wanted this poet for themselves, and many were saddened by his refusal" (Ovid, 236), thus provoking feelings of resentment and jealousy. In the end, lust and desire for Orpheus lead the women to an act of incredible violence:...and then the women rushed back to kill Orpheus, who held out his hands in supplication, and whose voice, for the first time, it moved no one...The poet's limbs lay scattered where they were thrown into cruelty or madness. (Ovid, 260) First we must address the irony of this dismemberment. Orpheus is a figure of harmony, uniting the different worlds he encounters; therefore, it is extremely ironic that his death occurs by dismemberment, a form of division. Secondly, the nature of this act of brutality must be noted. The Thracian women call Orpheus their "despiser" (Ovid, 259), and because they are distraught, they transfer that feeling of destruction onto Orpheus by killing him. The ruthlessness of Thracian women leads us to believe in the idea of ​​"madness" triumphing over "cruelty", characteristic of these Bacchanalian women. This unreasonable lust is found in the description of the sins of Tereus, king of Thrace. : "all Thracians are too ready to love" (Ovid, 144). In fact, the rush to love Tereo causes him a lot of pain. Before analyzing the story of Tereus and Procne, however, let's consider the fact that Procne is a spoil of war, thus once again strengthening the antithetical link between war and marriage. However, a single war prize does not seem to be enough; Tereus violently rapes his wife's sister, who "trembled and trembled like a frightened lamb that a gray wolf has torn to pieces and thrown aside" (Ovid, 146). Ovid uses animalistic terms to describe sexual acts, revealing the natural link between violence and sexuality. Furthermore, the word “mangled” not only describes the mutilation of Philomela, but also foreshadows the second act of mutilation in this story. As we have seen in the past, women, especially women in groups, do not take kindly to being mistreated and often use deformation as a way of revenge:Without further words, a tiger with a young fawn, drags the young one into a dark corner somewhere in the palace, and Itys, who seemed to see her doom approaching, screamed and held out her hands, with Mother, Mother!... but she, never changing expression, brought the knife home through her chest... And they cut the body, still alive, into pieces which still retained something of the spirit, and some of the flesh jumped into the boiling pots. (Ovid, 150) However, Itys does not raise his hands in prayer to the gods as Orpheus does, and as Philomela does "in vain" (Ovid, 146), supporting the idea that Thrace remains untouched by the gods. We should also note the parallel between the two dismemberments in this story, regarding the parent-child relationship. When in danger, the instinct of both Philomela and young Itys is to require a parental figure, showingthe Thracians' need for mortal support in the absence of divine intervention. Cruel irony also plays a role in this parallel: Tereus' violation of his promise to King Pandion [to protect Philomela "with a father's love" (Ovid, 146) and ensure her safe return) is punished with death of Itys. There is also irony in the name “Tereus”, which means “observer” (Graves, V2, 410); a term that certainly does not apply to Tereus, unless it refers to his lustful nature towards women. Tereus does not understand "fatherly love" until he experiences the loss of his own son. This case is even more frightening than the mass murder of Orpheus: a mother whose anger is so extreme that she kills her own child. Once again, one wonders why the gods did not intervene. This murder is calm and calculated, unlike Orpheus' savage slaughter, thus revealing a different form of sexual madness found in Thrace. Interestingly, after eating the stew and performing the trick, Tereus's metamorphosis occurs into a "hoopoe, the bird that seems to war" (Ovid, 151), further strengthening the link between love and war. However, there is some confusion regarding the transformation of the two women. Some sources claim that Procne becomes a swallow and Philomela a nightingale, but others insist on the opposite, which goes back to the older story of Aedon (www.perseus.tufts.edu) , where the nightingale's dirges are attributed to the mother figure. Furthermore, the connection between Philomela and the nightingale adds another point of irony, as the nightingale is known for its sad song. sweet melody", thus refuting the consolidated role of the nightingale. (Graves, V2, 405) Similar to the tale of Tereus is the story of Medea, who also kills her own son to punish a man. Sexual jealousy pushes her to kill his son to give Jason the harshest punishment possible. Even before this act, Medea used violence as an expression of her love: she killed her little brother, Apsyrtus, and scattered pieces of his body in the Black Sea to help her lover, Jason, and his Argonauts. Each of Medea's violent acts of dismemberment stem from her sense of "dismemberment." When she is separated from Jason, she feels incomplete and assumes that she needs to somehow release her feelings to be closer to Jason. Interestingly, pieces of Apsyrtus' dismembered body are brought back for burial in a place called Tomi, which appears to be the part of Thrace (www.perseus.tufts.edu) where Ovid was sent into exile (Bulfinch, www. bullfinch.org). In a sense, Ovid was dismembered by his exile; his voice was taken away from him. One of the possible reasons for his exile was the message of love that his writings conveyed to the people; the emperor did not want Ovid to perpetuate these ideas, so he freed the writer and sent him to Thrace. It is to be expected, then, that the one place Ovid describes most negatively in his work is the place of his exile. Perhaps the "Metamorphoses" influenced Ovid's decision on where to spend his exile. Whatever the case, Ovid was indeed in Hell: My situation was overshadowed by unexpected evils. Unwritten poetry wants solitude and idleness: the wild winter tosses me, the waves and the winds. All sorts of fears prevent me from writing: one moment I'm afraid a sword will cut my throat, the next I'm dead. (Ovid, http://www.forumromanum.org)This excerpt from Ovid's "Tristia" expresses both his discomfort and restlessness in this place, along with his fear of being killed for expressing his opinions. Ovid sees Thrace as a disturbing place focused on deadly violence. Also in this text the]