THE METAMORPHOSES (Ovid, Roman, 8 CE)
The Metamorphoses ("Transformations"), a 15-book work of mythology, is the magnum opus of the Roman poet Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso, 43 BCE-17 CE) who lived during the reign of Augustus, and who ranks with Virgil and Horace. Its more than 250 myths make it one of the most important sources on the subject. The title alludes to its theme: humans become things, constellations, and animals; animals and mushrooms become human; animals change sex and stones change color; and so on. One of the most influential works in Western culture, it re-tells the mythological history of the world from creation to the deification of Julius Caesar, and has provided material for numerous artists and writers, including Dante, Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Shakespeare.
- Ovid is also known for collections of love poems.
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