Trauma and Recovery in the Rape Narratives of Ovid’s Metamorphoses

summary: Ovid’s depiction of rape in the Metamorphoses has been interpreted as empathetic and proto-feminist at one extreme and pornographic at the other. In assessing this question, the current paper turns to trauma theory, a psychoanalytic methodology of growing popularity in the field of Classics, to demonstrate how Ovid depicts sexual violence and its aftermath with psychological acuity by emphasizing the mental, emotional, and physical experiences of rape survivors. I focus on the myth of Io, with parallels drawn to Daphne, Syrinx, Callisto, Proserpina, and Philomela. While cautiously supporting “optimistic” interpretations of the poem, this reading proves useful, regardless of authorial intent, in developing empathy-driven research and instruction in Classics courses and beyond.