Lethaea () is a mythological character briefly mentioned in

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

's ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...

''.Ovid ''Metamorphoses'' 10.68 - 71

Mythology

Due to her vanity, Lethaea was turned into stone at Ida by the gods. Her lover

Olenus In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, Olenus (; Ancient Greek: Ὤλενος ''Olenos'') was the name of several individuals: *Olenus, son of Vulcan and father of Helice and Aex, two nurses of infant Jove. A city in Aulis was named for him. ...

wished to share in the blame, and so shared her fate. The story is used as a metaphor for how stunned

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

was after a failed attempt to bring back his wife from the underworld. It was as if he too were turned to stone.

References

{{Metamorphoses in Greco-Roman mythology Metamorphoses into inanimate objects in Greek mythology Women in Greek mythology Metamorphoses characters