The Metamorphoses of Ovid, Books VIII-XV

About this book

The volume presents Henry T. Riley’s literal English prose rendering of Ovid’s Metamorphoses covering Books VIII through XV, the latter half of the poet’s mythic encyclopedia. The introduction explains that the translation follows the Delphin edition, with occasional emendations noted, and that Riley supplies extensive notes drawn from ancient commentators such as Herodotus, Apollodorus and Pausanias. The e‑text reproduces the translator’s conventions, italics for supplied words, braces for translator’s insertions, and line numbers for each complete fable, so that readers can trace the original Latin structure while navigating the English narrative. The opening passage also details the technical steps needed to display the text correctly, underscoring the scholarly care taken to preserve the work’s integrity.

Riley’s voice is that of a late‑Victorian classicist, aiming for fidelity to the Latin while smoothing the diction for a modern reader. The style is formal yet accessible, interweaving the poetic episodes with explanatory footnotes that illuminate obscure mythological references. Scholars of classical literature, students of Latin poetry, and anyone fascinated by the intricate transformations of Greek and Roman myth will find this translation a rewarding companion to Ovid’s original verses.