Desert Hawk Books

Ovid's Metamorphoses
Books 1-5

William S. Anderson

 

 

578  pages

Paperback

Quantity:   $21.95 & S/H  

 

One of the most influential and popular works in all literature, Ovid's Metamorphoses is a weaving-together of classical myths, extending in time from the creation of the world to the death of Julius Caesar. This volume provides the Latin text of the first five books of the poem and the most detailed commentary available in English of these books.

In his introduction to the volume, editor William S. Anderson provides essential background information, discussing Ovid's life, the reception of the Metamorphoses during Ovid's day and after, and the poem's central issues. At the end of the introduction is a bibliography of selected works relevant to the poem. The Latin text of the five books is Anderson's own edition, based on years of study of the surviving manuscripts.

In the extensive notes that follow the text, Anderson offers both useful summaries of the stories and detailed line-by-line comments.

Unlike other epic poems, which concern wars and heroism, the Metamorphoses centers on ordinary human beings, women as well as men, who live in a world of continuous change. The first five books, which include such well-known stories as Apollo and Daphne, Diana and Actaeon, and Narcissus and Echo, deal especially with the relationship between human beings and the gods. Arrogant and lustful, but all-powerful, the gods of Ovid's universe selfishly pursue their own pleasures, frequently at the expense of their human targets. Yet these gods escape unscathed, while the humans, unjustly, are punished. Helpless to defend themselves, they are changed into animal or nonhuman forms.

In portraying such transformations, Ovid dramatizes experiences of victimization and alienation, with a sensitivity to human psychology that seems surprisingly contemporary to today's readers. Yet Anderson cautions us against taking the poem too seriously. Though tinged with pathos, the Metamorphoses is also designed to amuse.

A resource for students and scholars of Latin, this volume enhances understanding and enjoyment of Ovid's changeable poem about our changeable existence.

"The Latin text of the poem's first five books including commentary and an introduction highlighting the central themes in Ovid's work which extends in time from the creation of the world to the death of Julius Caesar. The first five books are concerned with the relationship between gods and humans, featuring the stories of Apollo and Daphne, Diana and Actaeon, and Narcissus and Echo. Walter's introduction and notes provide background information about Ovid's life and work, the reception of the "Metamorphoses" during his day, and outlines central issues." - Booknews