In Ovid’s epic poem “Metamorphoses,” what kind of change links the poem’s stories?

Transformation links the stories in Ovid’s epic poem “Metamorphoses.”

Written in Latin during the early first century CE, “Metamorphoses” presents a continuous sequence of myths connected by changes of form. Gods, humans, heroes, and creatures become animals, plants, stones, stars, or other beings. The transformations range from punishments and escapes to acts of grief, desire, violence, and divine power.

The poem contains about 250 myths and is written in fifteen books of dactylic hexameter. Ovid begins with the creation of the cosmos and carries the mythic timeline toward the age of Julius Caesar and Augustus, giving the collection a broad historical sweep.

The title is sometimes translated as “The Transformations.” Although individual episodes have their own plots, transformation is the recurring principle that makes the large work cohere. Ovid’s poem later influenced medieval and Renaissance writers, painters, and composers across Europe.