Selections from Ovid’s Metamorphoses

The Metamorphoses is a narrative poem written by Roman poet Ovid in the 8th century AD. It is a collection of legendry and mythological stories, many of which have been obtained from Greek sources. Ovid wrote Metamorphoses in Latin, combining 15 books, 11995 lines, and above 250 myths. It displays a variety of unifying themes, such as love, mutability, violence, power and artistry. The central theme of the poem is passion, as it bestows more unity to the work than other transformation devices used by Ovid. Metamorphoses narrates the stories from the creation of the world to the death and deification of Julius Caesar in a chronological order. It is considered as one of the most significant works in the Western culture. Metamorphoses inspired several authors, including Geoffery Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Giovanni Boccacio, and Dante Alighieri. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to Ovid's Metamorphoses. It is appropriate for students seeking detailed information in this area of European classical literature, as well as for experts.