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.

---

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)