Cover of George Sandys's 1632 edition of Ovid's Metamorphosis Englished

The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem in fifteen books that describes the creation and history of the world. George Sandys ( March 2, 1578 &ndash March 1644 English traveller colonist and Poet, the seventh and youngest son of Edwin Sandys Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including Narrative poetry is Poetry that tells a story The poems may be short or long and the story it relates to may be simple or complex History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Completed in 8 AD, it has remained one of the most popular works of mythology, being the Classical work best known to medieval writers and thus having a great deal of influence on medieval poetry. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore"

Content

Ovid works his way through his subject matter, often in an apparently arbitrary fashion, by jumping from one transformation tale to another, sometimes retelling what had come to be seen as central events in the world of Greek myth and sometimes straying in odd directions. The poem is often called a mock-epic. It is written in dactylic hexameter, the form of the great heroic and nationalistic epic poems; both those of the ancient tradition (the Iliad and Odyssey) and of Ovid's own day (the Aeneid). Dactylic Hexameter (also known as "heroic hexameter" is a form of meter in poetry or a rhythmic scheme An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. For the group of nine Ancient Egyptian deities see Ennead. The Aeneid (əˈniːɪd in It begins with the ritual "invocation of the muse", and makes use of traditional epithets and circumlocutions. In Greek mythology, the Muses ( Ancient Greek, hai moũsai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root * men- "think" are An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a But instead of following and extolling the deeds of a human hero, it leaps from story to story with little connection. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and

Titian's Danaë, one of innumerable paintings inspired by the Metamorphoses. Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c 1485 &ndash August 27 1576 better known as Titian, was the leading painter of the 16th-century Venetian

Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, an iconic sculpture based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. "Bernini" redirects here For people named Bernini see Bernini (surname. Daphne (I. 452-567) is a dryad who is transformed into a laurel tree to protect her from rape by Apollo.

The recurring theme, as with nearly all of Ovid's work, is that of love — be that personal love or love personified in the figure of Amor (Cupid). In Roman mythology, Cupid (Latin cupido) is the god of Erotic Love and Beauty. Indeed, the other Roman gods are repeatedly perplexed, humiliated, and made ridiculous by Amor, an otherwise relatively minor god of the pantheon who is the closest thing this mock-epic has to a hero. Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its Apollo comes in for particular ridicule as Ovid shows how irrational love can confound the god of pure reason. Reason involves the ability to think understand and draw Conclusions in an Abstract way as in Human thinking While few individual stories are outright sacrilegious, the work as a whole inverts the accepted order, elevating humans and human passions while making the gods and their desires and conquests objects of low humor. Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object

Apollo and Daphne by Antonio Pollaiuolo, one tale of transformation in the Metamorphoses—he lusts after her and she escapes him by turning into a bay laurel. Antonio del Pollaiolo ( January 17, 1429 /1433 &ndash February 4, 1498) also known as Antonio di Jacopo Pollaiuolo or Antonio The Bay Laurel ( Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae) also known as True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, Laurel, or

Main episodes

• Book I: Cosmogony, Ages of Man, Gigantes, Daphne, Io;
• Book II: Phaëton, Callisto, Jupiter and Europa;
• Book III: Cadmus, Actaeon, Echo et Pentheus;
• Book IV: Pyramus and Thisbe, Perseus and Andromeda. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The Ages of Man are the stages of human existence on the Earth according to Classical mythology. See Gigantes y cabezudos for the giant figures of Spanish culture DAPHNE is an Arcade emulator application that emulates a variety of Laserdisc video games with the intent of preserving these games and making In Greek mythology, Io (ˈaɪoʊ or /ˈiːoʊ/ World Book «EYE oh», in Ancient Greek Ἰώ) was a priestess of Hera in Argos In Greek mythology, Phaëton or Phaethon (ˈfeɪətn or /ˈfeɪəθən/ (Φαέθων "shining" was the son of Helios ( Phoebus In Greek mythology, Callisto was a Nymph of Artemis. Transformed into a bear and set among the stars, she was the bear-mother of the In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods and the god of Sky and Thunder. Europa ( Greek Εὐρώπη was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the Continent Europe Cadmus, or Kadmos (Κάδμος in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix In Greek mythology, Actaeon (ækˈtiən (Greek Ακταίων) son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia, In Greek mythology, Echo ( Greek: Ἠχώ was an Oread (a mountain Nymph) who loved her own voice In Greek mythology, Pentheus was a king of Thebes, son of the strongest of the Spartes, Echion, and of Agave, daughter of Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder Andromeda was a woman from Greek mythology who as divine punishment for her mother's bragging was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster
• Book V: Phineas, the Rape of Proserpina;
• Book VI: Arachne, Niobe, Philomela and Procne;
• Book VII: Medea, Cephalus and Procris;
• Book VIII: Nisos and Scylla, Daedalus and Icarus, Baucis and Philemon;
• Book IX: Heracles, Byblis;
• Book X: Eurydice, Hyacinth, Pygmalion, Adonis, Atalanta, Cyparissus;
• Book XI: Orpheus, Midas, Alcyone and Ceyx;
• Book XII: Iphigeneia, Centaurs, Achilles;
• Book XIII: the Sack of Troy, Aeneas;
• Book XIV: Scylla, Aeneas, Romulus;
• Book XV: Pythagoras, Hippolytus, Aesculapius, Caesar. Greek mythology, Phineas (also spelled Phineus was a King of Thrace. Proserpina is an ancient Goddess whose story is the basis of a myth of Springtime. Arachne was a great mortal weaver She boasted that her skill was greater than that of Athena the goddess of crafts which resulted in a contest between her and the goddess Niobe (Νιόβη was the daughter of the semi-legendary ruler Tantalus, called the " Phrygian " and sometimes even as "King of Phrygia In Greek mythology, Philomela (Φιλομήλα was a daughter of Pandion I ( King of Athens) and Zeuxippe, and a sister of Procne Medea (Μήδεια Mēdeia) in Greek mythology was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of Cephalus is an Ancient Greek name used both for historical persons and for characters in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Procris was the daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens and his wife Praxithea. In Greek mythology, Nisos (Nisus was the King of Megara, and one of the four sons of Pandion II, King of Athens. Scylla is a princess of Megara in Greek mythology. She is mentioned by Ovid. This article is about the mythological character For other uses see Daedalus (disambiguation. Icarus ( Greek:, Latin: Íkaros, Etruscan: Vicare) is a character in Greek mythology. In Ovid 's moralizing fable ( Metamorphoses VIII which stands on the periphery of Greek mythology and Roman mythology, Baucis and Philemon In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or In Greek mythology, Byblis (or Bublis) was a daughter of Miletus. In Greek mythology, Eurydice ( Eurydíkê, Εὐρυδίκη was an oak nymph or a sweet maiden In Greek mythology, Hyacinth or Hyacinthus (in Greek, Ὑάκινθος &mdash Hyakinthos) was a divine hero the son of Pygmalion is a Legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most Adonis (Άδωνης also Άδωνις is a figure of West Semitic origin where he is a central cult figure in various Mystery religions, who enters Atalanta (Αταλάντη English translation: "balanced" is a character from ancient Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, the myth set in Chios tells of Cyparissus (Greek κυπάρισσος "Kyparissos" Latin cupressus, "cypress" Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in In Greek mythology, Midas or King Midas (in Greek Μίδας is popularly remembered for his ability to turn everything he touched into Gold In Greek mythology, Alcyone ( Greek:) was the daughter of Aeolus, either by Enarete or Aegiale. See also Ceyx (disambiguation. In Greek mythology Ceyx (ˈsēks was the son of Eosphorus and the king of Thessaly 112 Iphigenia is an Asteroid. Iphigeneia (Eng /ɪfədʒə'naɪə/, also Iphigenia In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human "Achilleus" redirects here For the emperor with this name see Achilleus (emperor. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her This article is about the Roman hero For other uses see Aeneas (disambiguation. Scylla (ˈsɪlə Σκύλλα Skulla) also known as Scylle (ˈsɪli Σκύλλη Skullē) was one Romulus (c 771 BC– c 717 BC and Remus (c 771 BC–c 753 BC are the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology "Pythagoras of Samos" redirects here For the Samian statuary of the same name see Pythagoras (sculptor. In Greek mythology, Hippolytus ( Greek for "loose horse" was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine

Inspirations and adaptations

The story of Coronis and Phoebus Apollo was adapted by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, where it forms the basis for the Manciple's tale. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in Prose, the rest in verse)

The Metamorphoses was a considerable influence on English playwright William Shakespeare; however, claims that the 1567 Arthur Golding translation of the Metamorphoses greatly influenced Shakespeare are flimsily evidenced. William Shakespeare ( baptised Arthur Golding (c 1536 &ndash c 1605 was an English Translator. Shakespeare incorporates several details from the Metamorphoses into his work that weren't in Golding's translation, so it can be safely assumed that Shakespeare did read the Latin Metamorphoses himself, as opposed to completely relying on Golding's translation. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a clear adaptation of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe (Metamorphoses Book 4), and, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, a band of amateur actors performs a play about Pyramus and Thisbe. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the A Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, suggested by " The Knight's Tale " from In Titus Andronicus the story of Lavinia's rape is drawn from Tereus' rape of Philomela, and the text of Metamorphoses is used within the play to enable Titus to interpret his daughter's story. Titus Andronicus may be Shakespeare's earliest Tragedy; it is believed to have been written sometime between 1584 and the early 1590s In Greek mythology, Tereus (Τηρεύς was a son of Ares and husband of Procne.

• In 1613, Spanish poet Luis de Góngora wrote an illustrious poem titled La Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea that retells the story of Polyphemus, Galatea and Acis found in Book XIII of the Metamorphoses. Luis de Góngora y Argote ( July 11, 1561 &ndash May 24, 1627) was a Spanish Baroque lyric Poet. La Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea ( The Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea) or simply the Polifemo
• In 1625, sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini finished his piece entitled Apollo and Daphne, taken from the episode in Book 1 in which Apollo, pierced by a love-inducing arrow from Cupid, pursues the fleeing nymph Daphne. "Bernini" redirects here For people named Bernini see Bernini (surname. In Roman mythology, Cupid (Latin cupido) is the god of Erotic Love and Beauty. DAPHNE is an Arcade emulator application that emulates a variety of Laserdisc video games with the intent of preserving these games and making This episode furthermore has been treated repeatedly in opera, notably by Jacopo Peri (Dafne) in 1597 and Richard Strauss (Daphne, with a libretto that deviates significantly from Ovid's account) in 1938. Jacopo Peri ( August 20 1561 &ndash August 12 1633) was an Italian Composer and singer of the transitional period between Dafne is the earliest known work that by modern standards could be considered an Opera. Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted Daphne is an Opera in one act by Richard Strauss, his 13th opera subtitled "A Bucolic Tragedy in One Act"
• In 1783, Austrian composer Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf wrote twelve symphonies on selected stories of the Metamorphoses; only six survive, corresponding to stories from the first six books. August Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf ( November 2, 1739 &ndash October 24, 1799) was an Austrian Composer and Violinist ^[1]
• In 1951, British composer Benjamin Britten wrote a piece for solo Oboe incorporating six of Ovid's mythical characters. Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor, English composer Benjamin Britten composed the Program music Six Metamorphoses after Ovid (Op "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry.
• In 2002, Author Mary Zimmerman adapted some of Ovid's myths into a play by the same title, and the open-air-theatre group London Bubble also adapted it in 2006. Mary Zimmerman is an American award winning Theatre director and Playwright.
• Naomi Iizuka's Polaroid Stories also bases its format on Metamorphoses, setting the classic play in a modern time with drug-addicted, teenage versions of many of the characters from the original play. Naomi Iizuka is a Playwright. Iizuka's works often have a non-linear storyline and are influenced by her multicultural background

Manuscript tradition

Collaborative editorial effort has been investigating the various manuscripts of Metamorphoses, some forty-five complete texts or substantial fragments,^[2] since the High Middle Ages; though early emendations made by readers based on comparisons of this popular text has resulted in contamination, so that there are no isolated manuscript traditions, the result of several centuries of critical reading is that the poet's meaning is firmly established on the basis of the manuscript tradition or restored by conjecture where the tradition is deficient. The modern critical editions are two: W. S. Anderson's, first published in 1977 in the Teubner series, and R. J. Tarrant's, published in 2004 by the Oxford Clarendon Press.

Notes

See also

• List of characters in Metamorphoses
• Tales from Ovid - Ted Hughes' poetical work

External links

• Latin text with English translation
  • Ovid Illustrated: The Renaissance Reception of Ovid in Image and Text (An elaborate environment allowing simultaneous access to Latin text, English translations, commentary from multiple sources along with wood cut illustrations by Virgil Solis. This is a list of characters in the poem Metamorphoses by Ovid. Tales from Ovid is a poetical work written by the English poet Ted Hughes. Edward James Hughes OM ( 17 August 1930 &ndash 28 October 1998) was an English Poet and children's )
  • Metamorphoses in Latin edition and English translations (From Perseus with hyperlinked commentary, mythological, and grammatical references)
• Latin text
  • University of Virginia: Metamorphoses
  • The Latin Library: P. OVIDI NASONIS OPERA
• English translation
  • By A. The Perseus Project is a Digital library project of Tufts University that assembles digital collections of Humanities resources S. Kline, 2000
    • Poetry in Translation: Ovid: Metamorphoses. (Enhanced viewer with links and notes. Can be downloaded in different formats. )
    • Mythology: Metamorphoses
  • By Sir Samuel Garth, John Dryden et al. , 1717
    • Internet Classics Archive: Ovid's Metamorphoses
    • Ovid's Metamorphoses
  • By Others:
    • Elizabethan Authors: Ovid's Metamorphoses, trans. by Arthur Golding, 1567.
    • Ovid's Metamorphoses trans. by George Sandys, 1632.
    • Ovid's Metamorphoses trans. by Brooke Moore, 1922.
    • TextKit: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Books I–IV, trans. Rev. Dr. Giles, a learning translation/crib in PDF graphic format.
• Insight and commentary
  • The Ovid Project: Metamorphising the Metamorphoses (Illustrations by Johann Whilhelm Baur (1600–1640) and anonymous illustrations from George Sandys's edition of 1640. )
  • A Honeycomb for Aphrodite by A. S. Kline
  • Ovid's Metamorphoses, An introduction and commentary by Larry A. Brown.
  • An Analytical Onomasticon to the Metamorphoses of Ovid (Concordance and narrative index. )