Comparing the Creation from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Genesis

Comparing the creation from Ovid’s metamorphoses and the genesis

Both of these epic pieces of literature have managed to survive till today. They both confront questions that have been asked by mankind since the beginning: where did Man come from? Where did time begin? Who or what created all things? The biblical account in genesis was probably written by Moses in around 1500 BC, and the story of creation in Ovid’s metamorphoses was written somewhere between 8 and 17 AD. The genesis account may be the more prominent one mainly because of the religious aspects. However within the two accounts there are many similarities as well as differences, which is why both these writings have survived the test of time.

Both writings now stand their own ground in the literary world. However when the two are compared we can see some drastic differences. One of the most prominent of these is the initial purposes of the two accounts. Where Ovid has set out to create epic poetry the biblical account intention is to educate and to provide an explanation. This is evident from the contrasting writing styles: where Ovid is known for his extended similes, the biblical account is much more plain and simple. To consolidate this point further Ovid was writing in a time where his poetry would be a leading form of entertainment rather than being a literary messiah to provide guidance. There appears to be no specific frame to Ovid’s writing whereas the bible states it takes 6 days for god to complete his creation resting on the seventh. In metamorphoses the creation story is seven stanzas, a compilation of eighty lines however it takes Moses thirty-one verses of Old Testament history to complete his story of creation.

Another discrepancy between the two is that in Ovid’s the water, ‘holds up, and holds in the land,’ while in genesis the land ‘separates the water in genesis s from the waters.’ in genesis light; heaven; land and vegetation; stars, sun and moon; fish; animals and man are...