Publisher's Synopsis
English summary: If the metamorphoses stories were very popular throughout antiquity and especially during the Alexandrian period, the collection of Ovid is by far the most famous. Written before the exile of the poet, the books of the Metamorphoses XV relate not only transformations, such as Daphne (Book I) or Hyacinthe (book X), but also cosmogony (Book I), and the apotheosis of Julius Caesar (Book XV). Our three-volume edition includes this masterpiece of the mythological poetry. Volume I contains a rich introduction that provides a documented study of the kind of metamorphosis from its origins to the Hellenistic Antoninus Liberalis. The history of the collection and its translations are presented in a clear and concise manner, as well as the extensive manuscript tradition. Each book is preceded by a summary to circulate easily in the text and copious notes illuminate the various mythological allusions. Volume III is also accompanied by a valuable index of names. French description: Si les recits de metamorphoses furent tres populaires pendant toute l'Antiquite et notamment pendant la periode alexandrine, le recueil d'Ovide est de loin le plus celebre. Ecrits avant l'exil du poete, les XV livres des Metamorphoses relatent non seulement des transformations, comme celle de Daphne (livre I) ou de Hyacinthe (livre X), mais aussi la cosmogonie (livre I) et l'apotheose de Jules Cesar (livre XV). Notre edition regroupe en trois tomes ce chef-d'oeuvre de la poesie mythologique. Le tome I contient une riche introduction qui fournit une etude documentee du genre de la metamorphose depuis ses origines hellenistiques jusqu'a Antoninus Liberalis. L'histoire du recueil et de ses traductions est presentee de maniere claire et synthetique, de meme que l'abondante tradition manuscrite. Chaque livre est precede d'un resume permettant de circuler aisement dans le texte et des notes abondantes eclairent les diverses allusions mythologiques. Le tome III est en outre assorti d'un precieux index nominum.
