The MetamorphosesPenguin, 03.11.2009 - 480 Seiten Ovid’s famous mock epic—a treasury of myth and magic that is one of the greatest literary works of classical antiquity—is rendered into fluidly poetic English by world-renowned translator Allen Mandelbaum. Roman poet Ovid’s dazzling cycle of tales begins with the creation of the world and ends with the deification of Caesar Augustus. In between is a glorious panoply of the most famous myths and legends of the ancient Greek and Roman world—from Echo’s passion for Narcissus to Pygmalion’s living statue, from Perseus’s defeat of Medusa to the fall of Troy. Retold with Ovid’s irreverent flair, these tales are united by the theme of metamorphosis, as men and women are rendered alien to themselves, turned variously to flowers, trees, animals, and stones. The closest thing to a central character is love itself—a confounding, transforming, irrational force that makes fools of gods and mortals alike. The poem’s playful verses, both sensually earthy and wittily sophisticated, have reverberated through the centuries, inspiring countless artists and writers from Shakespeare to the present. Frequently translated, imitated, and adapted, The Metamorphoses has lost none of its power to provoke and entertain. |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
Achilles Aeacus altar Apollo arms arrow Bacchus beauty bird blood body breast breath brother Cadmus Caeneus called Caunus Ceres Ceyx child Cinyras creature cried dark daughter dear death dress earth Erysichthon Eurytus eyes face fate father fear fell fire flames forest gave gift girl goddess gods gold golden grasses Greek grew grief hair hands head heard heart heat heaven held Hercules Hippomenes Iphis Jove Jove’s Juno king kissed knew leaped lips lived look lovers Medea Meleager mother Myrrha naked night nymphs Ovid Ovid’s Pallas Peleus Pentheus Perseus Phineus Phocus Phoebus prayers Procne rage river rocks sailed seemed shade ship shoulders sister sleep spear spoke stood story swift sword tears Tereus Theseus Thessaly throat thrust Tiresias Tmolus took tossed tree trembling turned Venus voice walked waters waves wept wife wild wind wings words young