Metamorphoses

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is the Augustan Period, and why was it so important in Roman history? Which Roman literary figures are associated with this period? Stylistically, what qualities can be found in Augustan-age literature?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer prompt invites students to reflect on the theme of Myth, History, and Empire. Students who are unfamiliar with the Emperor Augustus and the Augustan Period (ca. 31 BCE-14 CE) may benefit from a thorough introduction. Consider discussing Augustus’s rise to power and how his reign sparked a period of massive cultural and literary growth in Rome. You might also look at Ovid in the context of other contemporary poets, including Virgil, Propertius, and Horace. The poets of this period—whose works explored the relationship between myth and history, the artistic potential of the Latin language, and the meaning of traditional Roman values—would become some of the most important literary figures of Roman history.

• This video from Khan Academy discusses Augustus and how he transformed Rome.
• This article contains an overview of Roman literature in the Augustan Period.