Cadmus and the Serpent
Essays
Artistic Analysis Essay
The art piece that I have chosen for analysis is featured above. The painting depicts Cadmus about to attack the serpent. It was painted by Hendrik Goltzius in 1615. Hendrik Goltzius of Germany painted many other scenes of Roman history and mythology. Some of his other paintings include: Horatius Cocles, Icarus, Hercules, and Jupiter.
This painting portrays Cadmus, on his journey to find his sister Europa after she was abducted by Zeus. The painting captures the essence of Cadmus's journey, showcasing his determination and bravery in the face of adversity. The artwork is a perfect example of artistic storytelling. As the artist has used a mixture of textures and color shades to create a sense of depth and motion, which immerses the viewer into the world of the painting. While merely using one color, the artist still creates the impression of a vast, sprawling landscape, against which Cadmus stands out partly due to his center placing, second the motion which he is creating. He is depicted as a confident and proud figure, with his sword drawn to the ready. The artist has also used shadowing and light in a subtle yet effective way, which helps to make Cadmus appear more impressive and formidable. The painting also includes Cadmus’ comrades who the serpent killed and what looks like the stream which they were looking to get pure water from in the far back of the painting. This provides context for the battle and shows a full accurate telling of the story of Cadmus.
While this painting is remarkably similar to Ovid's story, a few aspects have changed over time. Although it is not as visibly clear in this piece, the particular artist frequently depicts Cadmus as an elderly man. Cadmus is still young in Ovid's story. This could have changed in order to show him as a wiser man than a youth. Furthermore, the painting is named "Cadmus about to attack a dragon," If this title was created by the artist it would contradict an aspect of Ovid’s story. In Ovid's account, the serpent is referred to as "vīpereōs," which means "pertaining to a viper or snake."
The confusion between whether Cadmus slayed a serpent or a dragon arises from the fact that the ancient Greek and Roman writers used the term "drakon" to refer to both snakes and dragons, without any clear distinction. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, he refers to Cadmus killing a "drakon" or a serpent that had been terrorizing the area. However, later writers, such as Apollodorus, referred to the creature as a dragon. The difference could be due to how the story was retold and translated from one culture to another over time.
Overall, this painting of Cadmus from the Ovid Metamorphoses is an impressive and emotive work of art. It captures the spirit and essence of the mythological figure, while also incorporating several engaging visual elements that make it an interesting piece to examine. For example the tree in the background could be a symbol for the one which he planted after defeating aries. Through its use of color, texture, and symbolism, this painting tells the story of Cadmus in a way that is both captivating and inspiring.
Context Essay
"Cadmus and the Serpents Teeth" is a Roman tale about Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, and the difficulties he faced in his search for a new home. The origins of the story of Cadmus are extremely hard to trace down. The question of the story's eastern origin has been debated for a long time. Many other historians have found reason to believe that Cadmus’ myth originated from near eastern stories of the battle between a hero and a dragon, but there are also several hypotheses arguing against Cadmus' eastern origin that have been proposed by modern scholars as well. These theories include the Mycenaean, the Cretan, and the Argive hypothesis.
Cadmus was ordered by his father to find his kidnapped sister (Europa) and return her to Zeus. The third book of Ovid's Metamorphoses opens with Cadmus and his search for Europa. Cadmus looks everywhere and finally asks Phoebus where he should go. Cadmus follows a stray cow to where it stops due to Phoebus' orders. At a nearby stream a serpent attacks him and he is forced to kill it.
My translated section of the story (lines 95-130) opens here with the line “dum spatium victor vīctī cōnsīderat hostis,” which means “while the conqueror had considered the length of the having been living enemy.” Athena instructed him to sow the dragon’s teeth into the ground instead of burying them, and Cadmus followed her instructions. From the teeth grew armed men who immediately attacked each other until only five remained. The selected lines end at this part of the story with the last translated line reading, “cum posuit iussus Phoebēīs sortibus urbem,” or “when he put the city as ordered by Apollo’s oracles.”
These five honorable and brave men assisted Cadmus in creating a new city. The first king of the city was Cadmus, who gave it the name Thebes. The men's disagreement intensified to the point where it imperiled Cadmus' rule over the city. However, Cadmus was able to settle the dispute and solidify his power over Thebes with the aid of Athena. However, despite his success, Cadmus is punished by the gods for killing the serpent. Ares, the god, was furious because Cadmus had murdered his son. Cadmus was sentenced to eight years of servitude as retribution, after which Ares not only forgave Cadmus but also granted him his daughter Harmonia's hand in marriage. In Cadmea, the wedding was solemnly celebrated in the presence of all gods. Cadmus presented his gorgeous bride with a golden necklace created by the god Hephaestus as a wedding gift.
Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and Polydorus were the children of Harmonia and Cadmus. Semele married Dionysus, the wine god. However, Cadmus' family's hardships and tragedies continued to affect him deeply. He came to believe that a serpent would be happier than him because it would have no problems. He was converted into a serpent while thinking these ideas. So, in a way, the serpent exacted its vengeance. Harmonia begged the gods to let her share her husband's destiny and was likewise transformed into a serpent. Zeus took pity on this couple and brought them to the Elysian Fields, where the Gods' favorites would go when they died.