Metamorphoses » (Reprint)

Charles Martin is Professor of English Emeritus at Queensborough Community College at the City University of New York. Martin’s fourth book of poems, Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, as were two previous volumes, What Darkness Proposes and Steal the Bacon. He is the translator of the widely acclaimed The Poems of Catullus and the author of a critical study of Catullus. His translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses won the 2004 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.

Charles Martin is Professor of English Emeritus at Queensborough Community College at the City University of New York. Martin’s fourth book of poems, Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, as were two previous volumes, What Darkness Proposes and Steal the Bacon. He is the translator of the widely acclaimed The Poems of Catullus and the author of a critical study of Catullus. His translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses won the 2004 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.

In his award-winning translation, Charles Martin combines fidelity to Ovid’s text with verse that catches the speed and liveliness of the original.

Analytical Table of Contents

Introduction

Translator's Note

Note on the Text

Suggestions for Further Reading

Metamorphoses

Catalog of Transformations 446

Glossary of Names 461

Book 1

Invocation 1

Origin of the World 5

The Four Ages 90

The Giants 154

The Council of the Gods 167

Lycaon Zeus 216

The Flood 262

Deucalion and Pyrrha 324

Python 454

Apollo and Daphne 470

Io 602

Pan and Syrinx (as told by Mercury to Argus) 739

Phaethon and Clymene 803

Book 2

Phaethon and Phoebus 1

Epitaph for Phaethon 360

Callisto 445

Apollo and Coronis 593

The Crow and Minerva (as told by the Crow) 616

The Princess and the Sea God (as told by the Crow) 635

Nyctimene (as told by the Crow) 660

Ocyrhoe 709

Mercury and Battus 756

Mercury, Herse, and Aglauros 791

Jupiter and Europa 925

Book 3

Cadmus and the Earthborn People 1

Diana and Actaeon 148

Jupiter and Semele 268

Tiresias 343

Echo and Narcissus 371

Pentheus and Bacchus 562

Acoetes (as told by himself) 641

Book 4

The Daughters of Minyas 1

Pyramus and Thisbe (as told by a Daughter of Minyas) 65

Mars and Venus Leuconoe 189

Leucothoe and the Sun Leuconoe 212

Clytie and the Sun Leuconoe 262

Salmacis and Hermaphroditus Alcithoe 321

The Daughters of Minyas Become Bats 425

Athamas and Ino 454

Juno and the Theban Women 602

Cadmus and Harmonia 623

Perseus and Andromeda 669

Book 5

Perseus and Phineus 1

Minerva and the Muses 290

Pegasus and the Spring of the Muses Urania 296

Pyreneus and the Muses Urania 313

The Contest of the Muses and the Daughters of Pierus Urania 342

Song of Typhoeus (as sung by a Daughter of Pierus, as summarized by Urania) 373

Hymn to Ceres Urania 387

Arethusa and Alpheus Urania 659

Book 6

The Contest of Arachne and Minerva 1

"The Hill of Mars" Minerva 80

"The Rape of Europa" Arachne 115

Niobe and Latona 163

Thebes Responds to Niobe's Calamity 355

The Altar in the Pond Theban 361

Latona and the Lycians Theban 378

Marsyas and Apollo Theban 435

Pelops 458

Procne and Philomela 472

"The Rape of Philomela" Philomela 665

Boreas and Orithyia 781

Book 7

Jason and Medea 1

Hymn to Theseus Athenians 486

Minos' Embassy to Aegina 504

Cephalus' Embassy to Aegina 542

The Plague at Aegina Aeacus 570

The Origin of the Myrmidons Aeacus 670

Procris and Cephalus Cephalus 756

Book 8

Nisus and Scylla 1

Minos and the Minotaur 184

Daedalus and Icarus 221

Daedalus and His Nephew 279

Meleager and the Calydonian Boar 304

Tales from Achelous' Feast 626

Achelous and the Echinades Achelous 656

Achelous and Perimele Achelous 676

Philemon and Baucis Lelex 697

Erysichthon Achelous 818

Book 9

[Tales from Achelous' Feast (continued)]

Achelous and Hercules Achelous 1

Nessus and Deianeira 95

The Death of Hercules 147

The Grief of Alcmena and Iole 305

Alcmena and Galanthis Alcmena 316

Dryope Iole 366

Iolaus and the Bickering of the Gods 446

Byblis and Her Brother 519

Iphis and Ianthe 765

Inscription for Iphis 912

Book 10

Orpheus and Eurydice 1

Cyparissus and the Stag 110

The Songs of Orpheus 149

Jupiter and Ganymede Orpheus 162

Apollo and Hyacinthus Orpheus 170

The Cerastae Orpheus 234

The Daughters of Propoetus Orpheus 259

Pygmalion Orpheus 266

Myrrha and Cinryas Orpheus 332

Venus and Adonis Orpheus 594

Atalanta and Hippomenes Orpheus 645

Book 11

The Death of Orpheus 1

Midas 92

Laomedon 221

Peleus and Thetis 261

Peleus and the Wolf of the Marsh 314

Daedalion and Chione Ceyx 341

Ceyx and Alcyone 481

The Bird Sightings 863

Aesacus and Hesperia (as told by an Observer of birds) 867

Book 12

The Greeks at Aulis 1

The House of Rumor 51

Cygnus and Achilles 81

Tales from the Truce 173

The Origin of Caeneus Nestor 198

The Battle of the Lapiths and the Centaurs Nestor 247

Hercules and Periclymenus Nestor 617

The Death of Achilles 664

Book 13

The Contest for Achilles' Arms 1

Ajax's Speech 6

Ulysses' Speech 148

The Fall of Troy 481

Polydorus and Polyxena 516

Hecuba 576

Memnon 694

Aeneas Comes to Delos 752

The Daughters of Anius Anius 774

"The Daughters of Orion" Alcon 814

Aeneas Comes to Scylla and Charybdis 848

Galatea and Polyphemus Galatea 899

Polyphemus' Song to Galatea Galatea 945

Glaucus' Transformation Glaucus 1069

Book 14

Glaucus, Circe, Scylla 1

Aeneas Comes to Cumae 81

Phoebus and the Sybil of Cumae Sybil 150

Two of Ulysses' Crewmembers Reunite 178

Stranded on the Isle of the Cyclopes Achaemenides 194

Aeolus, The Lastrygonians, and Circe Macareus 254

Picus (as told by an attendant of Circe, as relayed by Macareus) 369

Epitaph for Caieta 514

Aeneas Comes to Latium 521

Acmon Diomedes 540

The Apulian Shepherd 595

Aeneas' Ships 613

Ardea 652

The Death of Aeneas 671

Pomona and Vertumnus 716

Iphis and Anaxarete Vertumnus 804

The Sabines 891

Romulus 928

Hersilia 954

Book 15

Numa 1

The Founding of Croton Croton 13

The Teachings of Pythagoras 69

Hippolytus and Egeria 516

Hippolytus (as told by himself) 529

Cipus 603

Aesculapius 683

The Deification of Caesar 828

Envoi 981