Ovid: Metamorphoses I

The first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses contains an interesting variety of material. It begins with myths related to the creation of the world and man, the decline from the golden age, the flood, and the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha. In the second half, it deals primarily with two main metamorphosis myths—Apollo's love for Daphne and the story of Io.

Guy Lee's edition, first published by CUP in 1952, provides a detailed commentary of explanatory notes with a useful index and, separately, a number of critical notes on the readings adopted by his text. The substantial introduction deals with Ovid himself, the Metamorphoses, and Ovid's other works. There is also a practical section on the Ovidian hexameter and a sensitive section on translations of the Metamorphoses, in particular the works of Golding, Sandys, and Dryden, reflecting the expertise of an editor who is a consummate translator of Latin poetry.