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Metamorphoses

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  1. Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses
Mythological narrative poem by Ovid
Original titleMetamorphoses
First published in8 CE
LanguageLatin
Genre(s)Narrative poetry, epic, elegy, tragedy, pastoral (see Contents)
MeterDactylic hexameter
Publication date1471
Published in English1480 (1480)
Media type
Incunable
Lines11,995

The Metamorphoses (Latin: Metamorphoses, from Ancient Greek μεταμορφώσεις [metamorphṓseis], lit. 'Transformations') is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his magnum opus. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar in a mythico-historical framework comprising over 250 myths, 15 books, and 11,995 lines.

This article is about the poem by Ovid. For other uses, see Metamorphoses (disambiguation).

Title page of 1556 edition published by Joannes Gryphius (decorative border added subsequently). Hayden White Rare Book Collection, University of California, Santa Cruz.1

Although it meets some of the criteria for an epic, the poem defies simple genre classification because of its varying themes and tones. Ovid took inspiration from the genre of metamorphosis poetry. Although some of the Metamorphoses derives from earlier treatment of the same myths, Ovid diverged significantly from all of his models.

The Metamorphoses is one of the most influential works in Western culture. It has inspired such authors as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William Shakespeare. Numerous episodes from the poem have been depicted in works of sculpture, painting, and music, especially during the Renaissance. There was a resurgence of attention to Ovid's work near the end of the 20th century. The Metamorphoses continues to inspire and be retold through various media. Numerous English translations of the work have been made, the first by William Caxton in 1480.2

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General
  • Recent changes
  • Related articles
  • Random discovery
This article
Reading time
21 min
Quality
C-class
Views
8.6k in 14 days
Last edited
9 Nov 2026
Print/export
  • Printable version
In other projects
  • Wikidata item
Last edited
9 Nov 2026