a statement
of the opinions of contemporary authors would be the most likely to
enable the reader to form his own ideas upon the various subjects
presented to his notice. Indeed, except in two or three instances, space
has been found too limited to allow of more than an occasional reference
to the opinions of modern scholars. Such being the object of the
explanations, the reader will not be surprised at the absence of
critical and lengthened discussions on many of those moot points of
Mythology and early history which have occupied, with no very positive
result, the attention of Niebuhr, Lobeck, Mueller, Buttmann, and many
other scholars of profound learning.

A SYNOPTICAL VIEW
of the Principal Transformations Mentioned in
THE METAMORPHOSES.

[From Bell edition, omitting Books VIII-XV.]

BOOK I.

Chaos is divided by the Deity into four Elements: to these their
respective inhabitants are assigned, and man is created from earth and
water. The four Ages follow, and in the last of these the Giants aspire
to the sovereignty of the heavens; being slain by Jupiter, a new race of
men springs up from their blood. These becoming noted for their impiety,
Jupiter not only transforms Lycaon into a wolf, but destroys the whole
race of men and animals by a Deluge, with the exception of Deucalion and
Pyrrha, who, when the waters have abated, renew the human race, by
throwing stones behind them. Other animated beings are produced by heat
and moisture: and, among them, the serpent Python. Phoebus slays him, and
institutes the Pythian games as a memorial of the event, in which the
conquerors are crowned with beech; for as yet the laurel does not exist,
into which Daphne is changed soon after, while flying from Phoebus. On
this taking place, the other rivers repair to her father Peneus, either
to congratulate or to console him; but Inachus is not there, as he is
grieving for his daughter Io, whom Jupiter, having first ravished her,
has changed into a cow. She is entrusted by Juno to the care of Argus;
Mercury having first related to him the transformation of the Nymph
Syrinx into reeds, slays him, on which his eyes are placed by Juno in
the tail of the peacock. Io, having recovered human shape, becomes the
mother of Epaphus.

BOOK II.

Epaphus, having accused Phaeton of falsely asserting that Phoebus is his
father, Phaeton requests Phoebus, as a proof of his affection towards his
child, to allow him the guidance