An important Italian translation of Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’

The fourth edition of Lodovico Dolce's translation of Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', first published 1553. It is illustrated with numerous woodcuts, including a world map which is an amalgam of Macrobius and Gastaldi: the shape is that of Macrobius, with the zones around the equator and windheads; however on North America are 'Terra del Bacalaosa' and 'Nueva Hispania' of Gastaldi. The Straits of Magellan also appear. Lodovico Dolce (c.1508-1568) was a prolific author: he wrote comedies, tragedies and histories; edited the works of Dante, Boccaccio and Tasso, among others; and translated Greek and Roman classics, including texts by Homer, Euripides Cicero and, of course, Ovid. Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC-17/18 AD), better known as Ovid, published his Metamorphoses in 8 AD. A narrative poem, it contained over 250 myths relating to the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar. It was incredibly influential, and was one of the first books printed in English, by William Caxton in 1480.