The Gate of Horns: History and Fiction in Ovid’s Cipus Episode (Met. 15.565–621)*

Ovid’s tale of Cipus, the returning general who discovers that horns have miraculously appeared on his forehead, combines narrative elements point back to poem’s early books with others suggest historiography. Cipus’ own hybridity, therefore, figures a generic combination simultaneously invites incredulity and belief. These different interpretative strategies feature in responses prodigy within episode. The general’s determination keep horned presence, kingship it predicts, out Rome makes space for Republican history proceed as normal, while likeness other metamorphic poem complicates strategy. As representation Roman past, Metamorphoses necessarily summons up foreign, even tyrannical, comparands at moment their exclusion questions very reality which history’s authority depends by grounding unbelievable stories. second half this article uses Ovidian perspective vantage re-examining blending myth conclusion Aeneid 6, intermittently recalled language imagery Reading Vergil through Ovid exposes earlier poet’s refashioning serve dynastic ends: prescription future, ‘no kings’, sets response entire Vergilian spectacle suggests how its internal contradictions persist normative conclusions Anchises draws from it.