Metamorphoses : (Latin Text) (Latin Edition)

Ovid's masterwork, composed of more than two hundred and fifty ancient myths and legends, is presented in its original Latin in this attractive edition.

The Metamorphoses is commonly referred to simply as an 'epic poem', when in actuality the text encompasses a variety of genres in telling stories of magnificent breadth and scale. At times adventure, at times romance, at times horrifying, and at times amusing - the poem spans the depth of human emotion and experience, expressed in the sublime and significant medium of the poetic verse.

Written in the 1st century A.D., The Metamorphoses is thus a supreme chronicle of classical legends and myths. The prevalent polytheistic faiths of the time held that many Gods created the world, with various feuds and adventures between the Godly realms and Earth ensuing for ages thereafter. By the time Ovid authored this work, there were several centuries of myths written and present, which he duly converted into verse form.

In terms of their sheer influence and scope, Ovid's Metamorphoses are scarcely rivalled in all Western literature. Inspiring countless poets from the classical, Medieval, Renaissance and later eras, the text's impact upon the writings of some of Western literature's greatest luminaries cannot be understated. The work deeply affected Shakespeare, Dante, and Chaucer, and also received many beautiful paintings depicting the various episodes within.

Perfect for students and scholars of Latin, classical literature, and the ancient world, this edition of The Metamorphoses is produced complete with no abridgment.

Publius Ovidius Naso, whom we know as Ovid, was already established as a writer when The Metamorphoses was published in A.D. 8, when he was 52 years old. It had taken him a decade to compose his great poem, during which time he published little, but the Roman world was still abuzz with excitement over his richly erotic Art of Love. So, unfortunately, was the court of Augustus Caesar, and the emperor banished the poet to what is now Romania. Augustus may have taken exception to the poet's turn to the impolite realm of the body--or he may have objected to a rumored affair between Ovid and the emperor's nymphomaniacal daughter Julia, who figures so prominently in Robert Graves's Claudius novels. The poet who had declared Rome to be his only home could have found no worse punishment than exile, but no amount of pleading could sway Augustus, and Ovid died on the shores of the Black Sea a decade later. Full of veiled political and historical references, The Metamorphoses lived on to become a permanent fixture in the canon of European literature. In Allen Mandelbaum's hands, it lives on for a new generation.