Lycaon: The Ancient Werewolf of Greek Mythology & Ovid's Metamorphoses

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Published: Oct 29th, 2023

The story of Lycaon (also spelled Lykaion, Lykaon) has been told by many dating back to Ancient Greece, where it was attested in works like Pausanias' Description of Greece, Apollodorus' Library, and Hyginus' Astronomica, and across centuries and civilizations through works like Ovid's masterpiece Metamorphoses. Lycaon's attempt to deceive the gods leads to a terrifying transformation, which many have described as the oldest depiction of a werewolf, wolf-man, or lycanthrope. The story of Lycaon, his test of the god Zeus, and his transformation as punishment is not just a great scary story; it provides insight into Ancient Greek customs of morality such hubris and as hospitality (Xenia.) Like the best of gothic and modern horror, the story of Lycaon explores the fine line between man and monster. All revenue for the month following the release of this video will be donated to SAFE Project US, supporting recovery for those struggling with addiction. Mythos & Logos are two ancient words that can be roughly translated as “Story & Meaning.” Support the channel by subscribing, liking, and commenting to join the conversation! Support the channel financially through your generous Patreon donation: patreon.com/mythosandlogos Cline, Austin. "Method of Sacrifice in Ancient Greece." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/method... Paphitis, Nicholas. "Ancient Teenage Skeleton Unearthed on Mountain Top Could Confirm Darkest Greek Legend." Ekathimerini. https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/... SAFE Project US: https://www.safeproject.us Mount Lykaion Excavation & Survey Project: https://www.lykaionexcavation.org The purpose of this channel is to share the important stories at the foundation of human cultures throughout history. These include mythology, legends, folktales, religious stories, and parables from the dawn of history to the modern day. This channel provides interpretations and insight into these stories, to find and apply their meaning to contemporary life. All stories covered are treated academically. This channel makes no claims regarding the historical, scientific, or religious truth of these tales. Rather, its goal is to find the meanings understood by their authors and apply them to the modern world. Thumbnail image generated via use of artificial intelligence. Ambiment - The Ambient by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.