Metamorphoses
by Ovid · Metamorphoseon libri
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 8 CE
- Era
- Roman Empire
- Form
- Epic poetry
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Long · 600 pp300 to 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendMetamorphoses, translated by Charles MartinW. W. Norton, 2005A complete, readable verse translation with Bernard Knox's introduction and a good glossary.
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A poem in fifteen books and some 250 stories of transformation, running from the creation of the world out of chaos to the deification of Julius Caesar. Gods pursue nymphs who become trees and rivers, Narcissus falls in love with his reflection, Daedalus builds wings, Orpheus loses Eurydice and is torn apart by maenads, Pygmalion's statue comes to life, Iphis is changed from a girl to a boy to marry Ianthe. Stories nest inside stories, moving through Greek myth to the Trojan War and the founding of Rome, and the poem ends with Pythagoras on universal change and Ovid's claim that his work will outlive him.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Metamorphoses are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
