Ovid’s Metamorphoses Review

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', including key figures, themes, and poetic structure.

Ovid

Publius Ovidius Naso, a Roman poet known for his work 'Metamorphoses'.

Metamorphoses

A narrative poem by Ovid comprising 15 books and around 250 stories exploring transformations.

Dactylic hexameter

A metrical pattern used in classical poetry, consisting of a series of dactyls (a long syllable followed by two short ones).

Themes in Metamorphoses

Include one-sided love, human psychology, story telling, and multiple realities.

Apollo and Daphne

A myth from 'Metamorphoses' where Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to escape Apollo.

Perseus

A Greek hero known for slaying Medusa and rescuing Andromeda in Ovid’s stories.

Daedalus

A skilled craftsman and artist who created the Labyrinth and fashioned wings for himself and Icarus.

Narcissus

A character in 'Metamorphoses' who falls in love with his own reflection, leading to tragedy.

Aetiology

A principle in mythology that explains the origin of a phenomenon or name within a myth.

Freudian narcissism

A condition characterized by excessive self-esteem or self-involvement, linked to the term 'narcissism'.