Caeneus in the Underworld: Servius In Aen. 6.445

Vergil conflates the transformation myths of Tiresias (whose body reverts back to his original form) and Caeneus.

 

NUNC FEMINA CAENEUS Caenis virgo fuit, quae a Neptuno pro stupri praemio meruit sexus mutationem. fuit etiam invulnerabilis. qui pugnando pro Lapithis contra Centauros crebris ictibus fustium paulatim fixus in terra est, post mortem tamen in sexum rediit. hoc autem dicto ostendit Platonicum illud vel Aristotelium, animas μετεμψύχωσιν sexum plerumque mutare.

 

--Servius,  In Aen.6.445

 

CAENEUS, NOW A WOMAN: Caenis was a maiden who earned a change of gender as payment for Neptune’s assault against her. He was also invincible. He was driven into the earth by an overwhelming attack of spears while fighting centaurs on behalf of the Lapiths; however, upon his death, his body changed back. In using this myth, Vergil shows the Platonic (or maybe Aristotelian?) concept of the transmigration of souls, that souls commonly change their gender.

 

SERVIUS	MAP:
Name:  Maurus Servius Honoratus Date:  4th – 5th c. CE (???) Works:  In Vergilii carmina comentarii	REGION  1
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the author or manuscript tradition for the grammatical commentary of Vergil’s Aeneid.	BYZANTINE / LATE LATIN