u003cpu003eOvid's deliciously clever and exuberant epic, u003ciu003eMetamorphosesu003c/iu003e is a verse translation from the Latin by David Raeburn with an introduction by Denis Feeney in Penguin Classics.u003c/pu003e u003cpu003eOvid's sensuous and witty poetry brings together a dazzling array of mythological tales, ingeniously linked by the idea of transformation - often as a result of love or lust - where men and women find themselves magically changed into new and sometimes extraordinary beings. Beginning with the creation of the world and ending with the deification of Augustus, Ovid interweaves many of the best-known myths and legends of Ancient Greece and Rome, including Daedalus and Icarus, Pyramus and Thisbe, Pygmalion, Perseus and Andromeda, and the fall of Troy. Erudite but light-hearted, dramatic yet playful, the u003ciu003eMetamorphosesu003c/iu003e has influenced writers and artists throughout the centuries from Shakespeare and Titian to Picasso and Ted Hughes.u003c/pu003e u003cpu003eThis lively, accessible new translation by David Raeburn is in hexameter verse, which brilliantly captures the energy and spontaneity of the original. The edition contains an introduction discussing the life and work of Ovid as well as a preface to each book, explanatory notes and an index of people, gods and places.u003c/pu003e u003cpu003ePublius Ovidius Naso (43BC-18AD) was born at Sulmo (Sulmona) in central Italy. Coming from a wealthy Roman family and seemingly destined for a career in politics, he held some minor official posts before leaving public service to write, becoming the most distinguished poet of his time. His works, all published in Penguin Classics, include u003ciu003eAmoresu003c/iu003e, a collection of short love poems; u003ciu003eHeroidesu003c/iu003e, verse-letters written by mythological heroines to their lovers; u003ciu003eArs Amatoria,u003c/iu003e a satirical handbook on love; and u003ciu003eMetamorphoses,u003c/iu003e his epic work on change.u003c/pu003e u003cpu003eIf you enjoyed u003ciu003eMetamorphosesu003c/iu003e, you might like Homer's u003ciu003eThe Odysseyu003c/iu003e, also available in Penguin Classics.u003c/pu003e
