Essay for Week 3: Philemon and Baucis

The story of Philemon and Baucis starts out as what would seem to be a fairly uninteresting story. Two gods come down to earth disguised as mortals and they dine with a poor couple. What the story lacks in plot, it makes up for it in extravagant detail of the dinner. From the details provided about the dinner, we learn a lot about Philemon and Baucis. We learn that they are set apart from the rest of their neighbors, they do not let their lack of possession limit what they offer their guests, and they are rich in spirit and good company.

When the story begins with Jupiter and Mercury disguising themselves as mortals and traveling to where Philemon and Baucis live, the reader is told that the gods tried to stay in 1000 different homes, but were rejected from each. While the story does not say so, we can see that this angers the gods, based on the wrath they unleash on these neighbors in TheTransformation of Philemon and Baucis. The entire town is destroyed, except for the couple who welcomed the gods. It is clear to see that, by accepting the gods into their home, Philemon and Baucis separate themselves from their neighbors. They are later rewarded for their generous hospitality.

When the gods join Philemon and Baucis for dinner, the story gives a plethora of details demonstrating the couple’s poverty and their ability to do the best with what they have. They offered a bench with a rough blanket for the gods to rest on; they restarted the previous day’s fire; they had a small bronze pot to cook in; a small piece of a pot was placed under one of the table’s legs to make it even, etc. While the couple did not have much, they offered what they had to the gods. They drank wine and ate two full courses. The couple is very poor, but they offer much to the guests in their house.

We also see that the couple is rich in spirit and good company. While the food is cooking they make conversation with their guests to draw attention away from the meal’s delay. The story says that, at the dinner, “there was the additional presence of well-meaning faces, and no unwillingness, or poverty of spirt.” We can tell from this that the gods enjoyed their time at the home of Philemon and Baucis, and that the couple enjoyed having the gods as guests.

It is important to note, finally, that none of the hospitality Philemon and Baucis offered to the gods was simply offered because their guests were gods. Jupiter and Mercury were disguised as mortals. Philemon and Baucis did not realize the deity of their company until the next story. What they had was offered to strangers of no particular significance.

(Philemon and Baucis, Rubens)