Lustrare, abluere: forme di purificazione nelle Metamorfosi di Ovidio

In this paper we focus on some occurrences of the verbs lustrare and abluere in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. By looking at how these verbs are being used in Fasti from a technical point of view, it is possible to appreciate that some ‘metamorphic’ situations rest on the theme of purification and can also reflect ancient surviving ritual practices. Our aim is to show that Metamorphoses and Fasti, which may appear to be very different from one another, actually share the same interest for cultural and religious issues that are essential in order for the poetic imagery to be both constructed and understood.