My research examines the motif of The Fleeing Nymph in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, in which the themes of flight and pursuit in love serve as a means of exploring gender and power dynamics in Roman society. Taking a comparative, interdisciplinary approach that combines classical mythology, gender studies and literary theory, this study investigates how Ovid reworks the traditional myth of the παρθένος being pursued by a god by introducing role reversals and tensions that destabilise established gender norms. Addressing a critical gap in Ovidian scholarship, the study offers a fresh interpretation of the interplay between activity and passivity, the masculine and the feminine, and the lover and the beloved, engaging in a continuous dialogue between the ancient text and contemporary reflections on power relations and identity.
