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Hersilia, a MythSource painting
Roman

Hersilia

01Identity

Hersilia in Roman tradition

In Riley's 1889 English rendering of Ovid, Hersilia appears in a literary episode of grief and metamorphosis. The account connects her story to Quirinus and gives her the name Ora. It presents this as a mythic event, not historical testimony.

SourceThe Metamorphoses of Ovid: Book XIV, pp. 515–516

Top questions

The quick answers

  • Who is Hersilia?

    In Riley's 1889 English rendering of Ovid, Hersilia appears in a literary episode of grief and metamorphosis.
02The myths

The myths of Hersilia

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

Hersilia Ascends and Is Received by Quirinus

Riley's 1889 rendering of Ovid opens with Hersilia mourning Romulus, whom she believes lost. Juno sends Iris with a route to Quirinus's hill; Hersilia accepts the chance to see her husband and goes with the messenger. A falling star marks her ascent into the sky.

Quirinus receives her, gives her the name Ora, and Riley's account leaves her with him. The event moves from grief to an eventual divine reunion, told as a literary metamorphosis rather than a historical record.

Hersilia Ascends and Is Received by Quirinus, a MythSource painting of the scene

2 sources· checked 2026-09-29

  1. 1The Metamorphoses of OvidT1
  2. 2The Metamorphoses of OvidT1

Also mentioned in

Stories elsewhere on MythSource that mention Hersilia, each on that figure’s page.