Metamorphosis is a key element of Greek mythology. The ability of the gods to change the shape of others or themselves is well described in several stories, including Baucis and Philemon, Ceyx and Alcyone, and Pometheus and Io. Transfiguration was widely used to deceive, but what is most admirable is the use of transfiguration in relation to love. The first story of Baucis and Philemon began with the gods Jupiter and Mercury heading to Phrygia out of boredom. Jupiter, responsible for all guests seeking refuge in a foreign land, decided that he wanted to test the hospitality of the people of Phrygia. Jupiter and Mercury disguised themselves as poor travelers and wandered through the country, knocking on several hundred doors. Much to their dismay, they were turned away by everyone except a poor elderly couple named Bacius and Philemon. The gods were so pleased with the elderly couple's hospitality that they transformed the couple's meager home into a white-pillared temple. The gods also granted couples the wish to "never live alone" and to "die together »....