The concluding 7 books of the timeless classic by Ovid. Covering the stories of such major mythological figures as Hercules, Orpheus, Midas, Achilles, Ulysses, Aeneus, and the events preceding and following the Trojan War, which are also treated by other Greek tragedies, lyrics, and epics, the founding of Rome and related events, this unrivaled work of the Augustan poet ends with the celebration of Caesar and Augustus, and the very accurate prediction that Ovid's name will be known everywhere the Roman influence extends - and beyond. This fundamental source of many common myths permeating the Western civilization is a treasure chest of imagination and philosophical insight, which need only be unearthed with sufficient effort from within the text.

I obviously can't speak to the accuracy of this translation, but seeing as much of it lines up fairly closely with the other translation I read in tandem, I have to assume that it's relatively faithful. The English flows well and is rendered in such a way that retains the lyricism I imagine is present (probably moreso) in its original Latin, and that's good enough for me.

Quite a long read, but if you love Greek mythology go for it. Well it's the Roman retelling of Greek myths involving some sort of transformation to be precise but it's every fun to read. Book X may surprise you with Julius Caesar the God.

Ovid's History of Mythology in Verse continues with the Age of Heroes, including his rendition of the Trojan War.

*SPOILER ALERT* The Trojans lose.

My review from the first part-

"All I can say is go out and find the loeb "Metamorphoses" and have fun. Easily the greatest epic I've read so far, and I've read a lot."

The second part is just as good.

Still not a justicia translation out there, which speaks to the genius of this book.
Homer, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Ovid. In no particular order.
Worth getting all Latinate up just for the experience of reading it.
Never mind, put Ovid first.

Fun fun fun

This is a long work, but it gives things time to sink in. Like how each nook and cranny of this Mediterranean territory is storied, each spring and grove, each cliff and cave. It also took me well into the book to fully grasp how these stories have traveled, how Ovid is writing about places and birds he may never have seen, but still carry religious significance in the Roman iterations of the old stories. I’m still not very clear about how folk religion becomes state-sponsored poetry, which is absorbed once more into popular retellings. It’s a process that could stand a lot of study, I’m sure. I almost described it as a metamorphosis.

And it took me a while to really get a bead on the writer, Ovid, who is obscenely talented and at least partly showing off. He is unexpectedly gifted at action scenes--battles, shipwrecks--as much as at intimate exchanges between lovers or the distraught soliloquies of people making hard decisions. It’s interesting to see where he lingers and where he flows ahead. He takes a little too much grisly delight in details of gore, so that I got the feeling he’s grossing us out on purpose. At some point I recognized that where the old tragedians play this stuff straight, Ovid frequently has his tongue in his cheek. Dramatic, oh yes, but tends to jerk you back out of awe or sentimentality.

My opinion as it stands: Martin’s is the best translation, Raeburn has the best notes, and I didn’t mind having Miller’s literalism and Latin text around when I was curious where the discrepancies in translation were coming from.

A great web.