Metamorphoses

Ovid c. 8 CE

This long poem, told here in prose, retells Greek and Roman myths of gods and people changed into animals, plants, and stars, from the creation of the world to Julius Caesar. Daphne becomes a laurel tree while fleeing Apollo.

522 pages 10h 8m reading time

One of the most influential works of ancient Roman poetry, and a main source for the Greek and Roman myths people know today.
Imagines a world where nothing stays the same, where living things, people, and even the universe itself are always changing form.
Shows gods acting out of desire, anger, and jealousy, and ordinary people suffering or being rewarded because of it.
Gave writers and artists many of their favorite stories, including Pyramus and Thisbe (which Shakespeare reworked in "A Midsummer Night's Dream") and Narcissus, the young man who falls in love with his own reflection.
Shaped centuries of European painting and sculpture, inspiring works like Bernini's statue "Apollo and Daphne" and Titian's paintings of Ovid's myths.

Burned by its own author

Ovid says he threw his unfinished draft into the fire when Augustus sent him into exile.
Saved by friends' copies

The poem survived only because friends already owned copies, and Ovid later begged readers to forgive its rough spots.
Written in a heroic rhythm

Ovid used the same long verse line as epic poems about war, but filled it with love stories.
Over 250 myths linked

He wove more than 250 stories into one flowing poem, running from the world's creation to his own time.
Translated into English prose

Riley's 1851 version turns the poetry into close, line-by-line prose to help students follow the Latin.