Metamorphoses

Plot Overview
The Metamorphoses consists of fifteen books. They can be divided into six sections. First, the narrator prays to the gods for inspiration, lays out his theme (metamorphosis), and states his intention to write a single continuous poem that stretches from the origins of the world to his own day. Second, the narrator describes the creation of the world. Primordial chaos is transformed into an orderly creation, and human life is formed. Almost immediately, humans start behaving badly. In response to the general immorality, Jupiter and his brother, Neptune, drown humanity. The only survivors are Deucalion and Pyrrha, pious people. Eventually, a new breed of humanity emerges.
The third section spans five books. In this section, Ovid focuses on the gods and their interactions with mortals. He begins with the theme of divine rape. In Book I, Apollo attempts to rape the nymph Daphne, who escapes at the last moment when her father transforms her into a laurel tree. Jupiter rapes Io, Callisto, and Europa.

Written by OVID 1 A.C.E.