Gyges appears in Horace's poetry as a youth of such striking beauty that visitors mistake him for a girl among maidens; he is also the absent husband of Asterie. The character represents classical fascination with androgynous beauty that transcends or confuses gender categories, his ambiguous appearance challenging conventional distinctions. Gyges enriches ancient poetry's exploration of beauty and desire, demonstrating that classical aesthetics appreciated forms that blended masculine and feminine qualities in provocative ways.

Gyges appears in Horace's Odes as a beautiful youth whose appearance confuses gender boundaries, being so beautiful he could be mistaken for a girl. This androgynous beauty raises questions about desire and categorization. Poets invoke Gyges when exploring beauty that transcends or confuses gender, the power of youthful attractiveness regardless of sex, and the fluidity of desire. The character demonstrates classical poetry's interest in beauty's power independent of gender, acknowledging that exceptional attractiveness could make gender distinction irrelevant or secondary to the aesthetic impact itself.