ABSTRACT
The story of Echo presented in Ovid's Metamorphoses (III) is the best-known version of the myth and evidently formed the starting point for its development in relation to that of Narcissus. The revelational function of the echo is not apparent in the two dialogues between Echo and Narcissus in Ovid's version of the myth. However, there is a wealth of literature that imitates Ovid's technique, systematizing it to the point where, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this form of dialogue became a literary genre known as the echo. In her role as revealer of truths concealed by deceptive appearances, Echo appears as the very symbol of the Divine Word, which can only be revealed through enigma. While Ovid portrayed Narcissus's contemplation of his reflection as sterile and ultimately fatal, the literary genre of the dialogue represented Echo's reflection of speech as creating a whole new area of meaning.
