Ovid's Metamorphoses

Arthur Golding

Carcanet Collection  

Arthur Golding (1536-1606), translated the Metamorphoses of Ovid into vigorous, supple English 'fourteeners', beguiling readers with the pace and freshness of the ancient narrative. His was the translation that Shakespeare knew, and like the magical forest of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Golding's stories unfold in a landscape at once homely and enchanted. Here Philemon and Baucis entertain two great gods to a meal of boiled bacon and radishes; Actaeon, out hunting with his hounds Greedigut, Patch, Beautie and Snatch, stumbles upon the goddess Diana; farm labourers flee in fear from the mob of bacchantes tearing Orpheus to pieces, scattering their 'mattocks, rakes and shovells'; and like the Brueghel painting, Icarus' doomed flight is witnessed by amazed 'shepeherdes leaning then / On sheepehookes and the ploughmen on the handles of their plough'. Golding captures Ovid's delight in the variety of the physical world; its strangeness, beauties and horrors, in human psychology and divine transformations. Peter Scupham provides an introduction to the text, a full bibliography and background notes on stories and characters.

Subscription Features

  • Fully-searchable access to the growing archive of current and back issues.
  • Inclusive accessibility features, such as plain text and 'Read Aloud' technology.
  • Unlimited IP-authenticated access and remote access options available.
  • Cross-platform compatibility with all Web, iOS and Android devices.
  • Usage reports, KBART data, MARC records and excellent customer support.

IP Access

Seamless IP-authenticated access on a range of platforms including web, iOS and Android.

Fully Searchable

Advanced search including Boolean operators and cross-title matching.

Comprehensive Support

Enjoy high quality and prompt technical support from our dedicated team.

  • Author: Arthur Golding
  • Editor: Peter Scupham
  • Publisher: Carcanet
  • ISBN: 9781857547764