The first female translator of the epic into English in over sixty years, Stephanie McCarter addresses accuracy in translation and its representation of women, gendered dynamics of power, and sexual violence in Ovid’s classic.A Penguin Classic HardcoverOvid’s Metamorphoses is an epic poem, but one that upturns almost every convention. There is no main hero, no central conflict, and no sustained objective. What it is about ...

'Still remarkably vivid. It is easier to read this for pure pleasure than just about any other ancient text' Nicholas Lezard, GuardianOvid's sensuous and witty poem begins with the creation of the world and brings together a dazzling array of mythological tales, ingeniously linked by the idea of transformation - often as a result of love or lust - where men and women find themselves magically changed into extraordinary new beings. Including the well-known ...

In the twenty-one poems of the Heroides, Ovid gave voice to the heroines and heroes of epic and myth. These deeply moving literary epistles reveal the happiness and torment of love, as the writers tell of their pain at separation, forgiveness of infidelity or anger at betrayal. The faithful Penelope wonders at the suspiciously long absence of Ulysses, while Dido bitterly reproaches Aeneas for too eagerly leaving her bed to follow his destiny, and Sappho - the only historical figure portray...

"A version that has been long awaited, and likely to become the new standard."—Washington PostOvid's epic poem—whose theme of change has resonated throughout the ages—is one of the most important texts of Western imagination, an inspiration from Dante's times to the present day, when writers such as Salman Rushdie and Italo Calvino have found a living source in Ovid's work. Charles Martin combines a close fidelity to Ovid's text with verse that catches the speed and liveli...

"Metamorphoses" is a narrative poem written by the ancient Roman poet Ovid, completed in AD 8. The work is a collection of myths and legends from Greek and Roman mythology, told in a chronological sequence from the creation of the world to the deification of Julius Caesar.The title "Metamorphoses" refers to the central theme of the work, which is transformation. Ovid's poems explore the ways in which gods and mortals can transform into different beings, objects, or natural phenomena. The p...

Should any one of the people not know the art of loving, let him read me; and taught by me, on reading my lines, let him love. By art the ships are onward sped by sails and oars; by art are the light chariots, by art is Love, to be guided. In the chariot and in the flowing reins was Automedon skilled: in the Hæmonian ship of Jason Tiphys was the pilot. Me, too, skilled in my craft, has Venus made the guardian of Love. Of Cupid the Tiphys and the Automedon shall I be styled. Unruly indeed h...

In the first century a.d., Ovid, author of the groundbreaking epic poem Metamorphoses, came under severe criticism for The Art of Love, which playfully instructed women in the art of seduction and men in the skills essential for mastering the art of romantic conquest. In this remarkable translation, James Michie breathes new life into the notorious Roman’s mock-didactic elegy. In lyrical, irreverent English, he reveals love’s timeless dilemmas and Ovid’s e...

The first translation of Ovid’s epic poem by two women—Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Jhumpa Lahiri and Classicist Yelena Baraz—brings innovative energy and striking vision to one of the greatest literary works of all timeDaphne and Apollo. Echo and Narcissus. Daedalus and Icarus. These are among the foundational Greco-Roman myths, driven by themes of transformation, that come to life most famously in Ovid's Metamorphoses. A cultural touchstone since its ...

Ovid's masterpiece, "Metamorphoses," is a poem that portrays the transformation of people into animals, rivers, and stones. The narrative focuses on the moment of the metamorphoses rather than the life of the transformations. Written in Latin and translated by Bocage, it is a continuous poem with abrupt transitions across its fifteen books. "Metamorphoses" is a fascinating literary work of great historical and cultural significance. Through Ovid's work, we can learn much about Greco-Roman ...

Ovid's "Metamorphoses" is a masterful narrative poem, intricately weaving together over 250 mythological tales that explore themes of transformation and change. Composed in elegiac couplets, the work reflects a fluid style that mirrors the very transformations it narrates, employing vivid imagery and rich characterization to breathe life into both divine and mortal characters. Largely set against the backdrop of Greco-Roman mythology, Ovid encapsulates the philosophical underpinnings of hi...

The epic poem by one of the canonical poets of Latin literature: "A self-conscious tour de force of poetic ingenuity" ( Apollo).Through a panoply of the most famous Roman myths, Metamorphoses tells the story of the creation of the world. It is one of the most inspirational works in Western culture, stirring the imagination of such artists and writers as Mantegna, Botticelli, Titian, Velázquez, Shakespeare, and Salmon Rushdie....

Ovid's Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love, is a witty didactic poem that transforms erotic pursuit into a polished discipline, offering urbane instruction to men and women on seduction, courtship, and social performance in Augustan Rome. Written in elegiac couplets, it parodies the seriousness of technical manuals and moral instruction, blending irony, mythological exempla, theatricality, and sharp observation of public life—banquets, theatres, porticoes, and games—into a sophisticated anato...