Metamorphoses · Chapter
Transformation of Daedalion explained
Daedalion, grieving the death of his daughter Chione, throws himself from Mount Parnassus and is transformed into a hawk by Apollo.
What happens
Daedalion, grieving the death of his daughter Chione, throws himself from Mount Parnassus and is transformed into a hawk by Apollo. The chapter also recounts Peleus seeking refuge with King Ceyx after accidentally killing his brother, and Ceyx shares the story of his brother Daedalion's transformation.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Telethusa’s de…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Transformation and Metamorphosis
Daedalion is transformed into a hawk by Apollo as a result of his grief and attempted suicide.
- Divine Power and Human Folly
Chione's pride in comparing herself to Diana leads to her death, and Daedalion's excessive grief leads to his transformation.
- Violence and Revenge
Diana kills Chione for her taunts, and Daedalion becomes a predator of other birds.
Characters to notice
- Apollo
Phoebus, father of Philammon, transforms Daedalion into a hawk.
- Mercury
Father of Autolycus by Chione.
- Ceyx
King of Trachinia, brother of Daedalion, tells the story of his brother's transformation.
- Peleus
Seeks refuge with Ceyx after accidentally killing his brother.
- Diana
Goddess who kills Chione for her pride.
Key passages
“Daedalion is so much afflicted at the death of his daughter Chione, that he throws himself from Mount Parnassus, and is changed into a hawk by Apollo.”
Daedalion is so grief-stricken by his daughter Chione's death that he leaps off Mount Parnassus, and Apollo turns him into a hawk.
Opening summary of the transformation.
“In vain, fond maid, you boast this double birth, The love of gods, and royal father's worth, And Jove among your ancestors rehearse! Could blessings such as these e'er prove a curse? To her they did, who with audacious pride, Vain of her own, Diana's charms decried.”
Chione foolishly boasts about her divine lovers and noble lineage, but her pride leads to her downfall when she insults Diana's beauty.
Chione's hubris and its consequences.
“Phoebus in pity changed him to a fowl, Whose crooked beak and claws the birds control, Little of bulk, but of a warlike soul. A hawk become, the feather'd race's foe, He tries to ease his own, by others' wo.”
Apollo, taking pity on Daedalion, transforms him into a hawk, a small but fierce bird that preys on others, allowing him to vent his grief through aggression.
Daedalion's transformation into a hawk.
