BAUCIS AND

PHILEMON
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

SUMMARY
▸ Jupiter and Mercury, disguised as mortals, visited the town of Phrygia
to test the hospitality of the people:

Jupiter - guardian of travellers and he protects those who seek shelter in

a strange land
‣ Disguised as poor wayfarers, no house welcomed them except for the
last house they reached.
‣ The house was owned by Baucis and Philemon
‣ The couple did their best to make their guests feel at home and
offered them food:

They noticed the bowl containing wine never emptied

BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

SUMMARY
▸ Jupiter and Mercury revealed their true selves
▸ They turned the couple’s home into a majestic temple, and
they made the countryside disappear under a great lake.
▸ Aside from promising to guard the temple for Jupiter, the
couple wished to die together.
▸ When their time on Earth was up, leaves were appearing
from them and a bark was growing around them.
▸ Soon, they became trees: a linden and an oak tree, but they
grew from one trunk and had intertwined branches.
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

SYMBOLISMS
1. Two trees from the same trunk: unity

2. Lake: destruction
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

ARCHETYPES
▸ Baucis and Philemon: Southern women in America
▸ Jupiter: Jesus Christ
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

THEME
▸ You do not have to be rich to be generous.
▸ The good you do will come back to you.
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON

RANDOM FACTS
‣ Jupiter was about to destroy mankind but was willing to give it
one final chance, so he and Mercury visited Phrygia (
ancienthistory.about.com)
‣ In Greek Mythology, the oak tree is sacred to Zeus. (
justfunfacts.com)
‣ The oak tree is widely considered to be a symbol of strength and
steadfastness. (encyclopedia.com)
‣ In German folklore, the linden tree (lime) is the tree of lovers. (
snaplant.com)
‣ The linden tree is considered by many European cultures as a
symbol of love and fertility. (encyclopedia.com)