▁Inter pret ations ▁include : ▁ ▁The ▁marriage ▁of ▁the ▁sea - god s ▁Pe le us ▁and ▁Th et is , ▁" the ▁most ▁end uring ▁myth ological ▁interpretation ". ▁ ▁D ion ys os ▁gre eting ▁Ari ad ne ▁with ▁her ▁sacred ▁ser pent , ▁in ▁the ▁sacred ▁gro ve ▁for ▁their ▁marriage , ▁symbol ized ▁by ▁Cup id ▁with ▁a ▁nu pt ial ▁tor ch , ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁his ▁fost er - father , ▁Sil en us ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁Emperor ▁August us ' ▁supposed ▁s iring ▁by ▁the ▁god ▁Apol lo ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁s nake ▁ ▁The ▁younger ▁man ▁is ▁Mark ▁Anton y ▁being ▁l ured ▁by ▁the ▁w iles ▁of ▁the ▁re cl ining ▁woman , ▁Cle op atra ▁VII ▁( ac comp an ied ▁by ▁an ▁asp , ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁type ▁of ▁ven om ous ▁s nake ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Cle op atra ), ▁into ▁losing ▁his ▁man ly ▁roman itas ▁and ▁becoming ▁dec ad ent , ▁with ▁the ▁be arded ▁elder ▁male ▁figure ▁being ▁his ▁myth ical ▁ancest or ▁Anton ▁looking ▁on . ▁ ▁The ▁dream ▁of ▁Olymp ias , ▁mother ▁of ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great , ▁who ▁is ▁emer ging ▁from ▁the ▁building ▁to ▁gre et ▁her , ▁with ▁his ▁father ▁Apol lo ▁as ▁the ▁ser pent . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁theory , ▁d ating ▁to ▁ 1 6 3 3 , ▁and ▁connected ▁to ▁Sever us ▁Alexander ▁and ▁his ▁mother , ▁" of ▁whom