The Metamorphoses (Latin: Metamorphōsēs,
from Ancient
Greek: μεταμορφώσεις:
"Transformations") is an 8 AD Latin narrative
poem by the Roman poet Ovid, considered
his magnum opus.
Comprising 11,995 lines, 15 books and over 250 myths, the poem
chronicles the history of the world from its creation to
the deification of Julius
Caesar within a loose mythico-historical framework.
Although meeting the criteria for an epic, the poem defies
simple genre classification by its use of varying themes and tones.
Ovid took inspiration from the genre of metamorphosis poetry, and
some of the Metamorphoses derives from earlier
treatment of the same myths; however, he diverged significantly
from all of his models.
One of the most influential works in Western
culture, the Metamorphoses has inspired such
authors as Dante
Alighieri, Giovanni
Boccaccio, Geoffrey
Chaucer, and William
Shakespeare. Numerous episodes from the poem have been depicted
in acclaimed works of sculpture, painting, and music. Although
interest in Ovid faded after the Renaissance, there
was a resurgence of attention to his work towards the end of the
20th century. Today the Metamorphoses continues
to inspire and be retold through various media. Numerous
English translations of
the work have been made, the first by William
Caxton in 1480
Title page of 1556 edition published by Joannes Gryphius
(decorative border added subsequently). Hayden.