Hippolytus and Egeria in the Woods of Aricia (Virgil, Aen. 7. 761-82 and Ov. Met. 15, 479-551): Where Greek Myth and Italic Myth Come Together

The episode of Hippolytus/Virbius and Egeria in Ovid's Metamorphoses presents a fascinating interplay between narrative content and spatial setting, especially when viewed through a spatial lens. The story is framed within an Italic context, focusing on the deep grief of the nymph Egeria over the death of her beloved Numa. This Italic setting, with its sense of local specificity and cultural grounding, creates a significant contrast to the internal story narrated within this frame—the dark and tragic tale of Hippolytus, who recounts his own violent death and resurrection as Virbius.