It’s a new epic! And a new poet! Ovid is going to change. Or at least write about changes. Something like that.
Another plug for the Galleria Borghese in Rome: This is where you can see Bernini’s beautiful, heartbreaking Apollo and Daphne. How that man managed to turn marble into flesh and bark and leaves, I don’t know. I recommend Googling to find more photos than what’s in the link above.
Discussion Prompts
- Compare and contrast the Book of Genesis and Book 1 of Metamorphoses.
- Do you think Ovid believes in any of the gods he’s writing about? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Ovid was banished?
- Was Ovid an epicurean? Why or why not?
- Which of the stories in Book 1 is your favorite? Why?
- How might these stories be different if Ovid were a woman?