Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

Sleep as prelude to decapitation

sleep_as_prelude_to_decapitation

A motif of the Sacred Combat and Ritual Warfare family, within the sub-family Aftermath and Spoils. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


roman

  • The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books I-VII EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION. / EXPLANATION.; lines 2456-2493 confidence: high

    The fable heading summarizes that Mercury lulled Argus to sleep, cut off his head, and Juno placed his eyes in the peacock's tail.

    Argus's many eyes are overcome by sleep before Mercury wounds him at the neck and cuts off his head according to the fable summary.

    read in the book