Metamorphoses III: An Extract 511-733

Ovid,

dek, 2013 · A&C Black

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Metamorphoses is an epic poem but is very different from what we expect in an epic. Original, inventive and charming, the poem tells the stories of myths featuring transformations, from the creation of the universe to the death and deification of Julius Caesar. Book III concentrates on the House of Thebes, and this selection details the story of Pentheus and his tragic end after refusing to acknowledge the god Bacchus.

This edition contains the Latin text as well as in-depth commentary notes which provide language support, explanation of difficult words and phrases, and analysis of literary features as well as information on the background to the story. The introduction presents an overview of Ovid in his historical and literary context, as well as a plot synopsis and a discussion of the literary genre and metre. All words in the text are given in a full vocabulary at the end and there are also suggestions for further reading.

This is the prescribed edition of the verse set text for OCR's AS GCE Classics Latin qualification, for examination from 2015 to 2017 inclusive.

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Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC-AD 17) was a Roman poet, born at Sulmo (Sulmona) in central Italy. Born into 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 one of the most distinguished poet of his time. His works include Amores, a collection of short love poems; Heroides, verse-letters written by mythological heroines to their lovers; Ars Amatoria, a satirical handbook on love; and Metamorphoses, his epic work on change.
John Godwin is Head of Classics, Shrewsbury School. His works include Lucretius (Bloomsbury, Ancients in Action series), Reading Catullus, and large-scale editions of the poetry of Catullus and Lucretius.