Myth-Folklore Unit: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 1-4)

Overview. The readings for this unit come from Ovid's Metamorphoses, as translated into English by Tony Kline. This epic poem is one of our most important sources for Greek mythology. The title — Metamorphoses — refers to the unifying theme of the whole poem: the stories are myths of changing shapes, of trans-formation (meta-morphoses). In these selections from Books 1-4 of the poem, you will read about the great flood that destroyed the world, with Deucalion and Pyrrha as the only survivors. There are stories of Zeus's disastrous love affairs with Io, Callisto, and Semele, along with the tragic love stories of Pyamus and Thisbe and of Echo and Narcissus. You will also read the story of poor Phaethon, mortal offspring of the divine Sun, who wanted to drive his father's fiery chariot across the sky.

Language. This is a modern English prose translation of Ovid's epic poem. That means the language might pose some difficulties, but not too many. Just remember that you are reading a poem intended for a sophisticated literary audience in ancient Rome; you were not Ovid's intended audience! :-)

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Ovid's Metamorphoses I. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Notes. This unit has notes from me on each page, but please feel free to ask questions, too! You can leave comments here just like at any other blog. You can also rate each page with the star ratings checkbox at the bottom of each post. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated!

Choosing Between Units. There are three different units with myths from Ovid's Metamorphoses as follows: Metamorphoses I, Metamorphoses II, Metamorphoses III. They can be read independently and in any order, so take a look at each one and see the myths listed in the Table of Contents for each unit that might grab your attention. And if you want to give yourself a crash course in Greek mythology, you can choose two of the three units, reading Ovid for both Week 2 and Week 3!

Read More. In this unit, you read only a small part of Ovid's Metamorphoses. If you want to read Tony Kline's complete translation, you can find it online at his website: Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Additional Resources. Wikipedia has good background information about Ovid's life, and also about The Metamorphoses. For learning more about the Greek gods and goddess, Theoi.com is an excellent resource.

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READING A

1. Deucalion and Pyrrha
2. Io
3. Phaethon and the Sun
4. Phaethon's Ride
5. The Death of Phaethon
6. Callisto
7. Semele

READING B

1. Echo
2. Narcissus
3. Pyramus and Thisbe
4. Mars and Venus
5. Perseus and Andromeda
6. Perseus and Medusa

(Phaethon by Gustave Moreau)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 5-7)

Overview. This unit contains myths from Books 5-7 of Ovid's epic Metamorphoses, as translated into English by Tony Kline. Almost all of the stories in this selection focus on female characters: the goddess Ceres and her daughter Persephone, the mortal women Niobe and Arachne who are doomed by their pride, the tragic story of Procne and her sister Philomela, and finally the epic adventures of Medea and her awesome (and terrifying!) magical powers.

Language. This is a modern English prose translation of Ovid's epic poem. That means the language might pose some difficulties, but not too many. Just remember that you are reading a poem intended for a sophisticated literary audience in ancient Rome; you were not Ovid's intended audience! :-)

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Ovid's Metamorphoses II. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Notes. This unit does not have notes on every page yet, so please feel free to ask questions if something is not clear — and your questions will help me write better notes, too! You can ask your question by leaving a comment, just like at any other blog. You can also rate each page with the star ratings checkbox at the bottom of each post. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated!

Choosing Between Units. There are three different units with myths from Ovid's Metamorphoses as follows: Metamorphoses I, Metamorphoses II, Metamorphoses III. They can be read independently and in any order, so take a look at each one and see the myths listed in the Table of Contents for each unit that might grab your attention. And if you want to give yourself a crash course in Greek mythology, you can choose two of the three units, reading Ovid for both Week 2 and Week 3!

Read More. In this unit, you read only a small part of Ovid's Metamorphoses. If you want to read Tony Kline's complete translation, you can find it online at his website: Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Additional Resources. Wikipedia has good background information about Ovid's life, and also about The Metamorphoses. For learning more about the Greek gods and goddess, Theoi.com is an excellent resource.

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READING A

1. Cupid and Dis
2. Dis and Proserpine
3. Ceres and Jupiter
4. Persephone's Fate
5. Arachne and Minerva
6. Minerva Weaves a Web
7. Niobe Rejects Latona
8. The Death of Niobe's Children
9. Latona and the Lycians
10. Marysas

READING B

1. Tereus Marries Procne
2. Tereus Rapes Philomela
3. Procne's Revenge
4. Medea and Jason
5. Jason and the Golden Fleece
6. Medea's Spell
7. Aeson Rejuvenated
8. Medea and Pelias

(Medea, by Evelyn de Morgan)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Ovid's Metamorphoses (Books 8-10)

Overview. The readings for this unit come Ovid's Metamorphoses, as translated into English by Tony Kline. These particular stories comes from Books 8-10 of Ovid's epic poem, and you will probably recognize some of the more famous myths here, such as the story of Daedalus and his son Icarus, or the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice. There are also the legends of the birth and the death of the great hero Hercules, along with more love stories, both happy and sad, and even horrifying, as in the incestuous love story of Myrrha and Cinyras.

Language. This is a modern English prose translation of Ovid's epic poem. That means the language might pose some difficulties, but not too many. Just remember that you are reading a poem intended for a sophisticated literary audience in ancient Rome; you were not Ovid's intended audience! :-)

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Ovid's Metamorphoses III. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Notes. This unit does not have notes on every page yet, so please feel free to ask questions if something is not clear — and your questions will help me write better notes, too! You can ask your question by leaving a comment, just like at any other blog. You can also rate each page with the star ratings checkbox at the bottom of each post. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated!

Choosing Between Units. There are three different units with myths from Ovid's Metamorphoses as follows: Metamorphoses I, Metamorphoses II, Metamorphoses III. They can be read independently and in any order, so take a look at each one and see the myths listed in the Table of Contents for each unit that might grab your attention. And if you want to give yourself a crash course in Greek mythology, you can choose two of the three units, reading Ovid for both Week 2 and Week 3!

Read More. In this unit, you read only a small part of Ovid's Metamorphoses. If you want to read Tony Kline's complete translation, you can find it online at his website: Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Additional Resources. Wikipedia has good background information about Ovid's life, and also about The Metamorphoses. For learning more about the Greek gods and goddess, Theoi.com is an excellent resource.

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READING A

1. Daedalus and Icarus
2. Philemon and Baucis
3. Transformation of Philemon and Baucis
4. Ceres and Erysichthon
5. The Famine
6. Achelous
7. The Shirt of Nessus
8. The Death of Hercules
9. Birth of Hercules

READING B

1. Orpheus and Eurydice
2. Ganymede and Hyacinthus
3. Pygmalion
4. Myrrha and Cinyras
5. Myrrha and the Nurse
6. Myrrha's Punishment
7. Venus and Adonis
8. Atalanta and Hippomenes
9. The Foot-Race
10. The Death of Adonis

(Daedalus and Icarus)