Ovid Organization

So, I was trying to find more biographical info on Ovid, but instead, I found some stuff on the structure in the Metamorphosis. Even though I knew we had the abridged version, I kind of assumed the book was just a random collection of Gree . . .wait, no, Roman myths. But according to a Larry A. Brown, there are a couple loose organziation styles. My favorite is this one:
This pattern of theme and variations gives Ovid numerous means to tell his stories in inventive ways, weaving a complex web of interrelationships throughout the entire work. This thesis, suggested by Brooks Otis (Ovid as an Epic Poet, 1970), will organize (with some modification) the following discussion notes.

Otis sees four major divisions (after a prologue depicting the Creation and primordial events) to the Metamorphoses:


"Divine Comedy" or Gods in Love: Books 1-2


"Avenging Gods": Books 3-6, line 400 (up to the story of Tereus and Procne)


"Pathos of Love": the rest of Book 6-11


"History of Rome & the Deified Caesar": Books 12-15

Following this outline, we see a general movement from gods acting like humans (section I), to humans suffering at the hands of gods (II), to humans suffering at the hands of humans (III), to humans becoming gods (IV).

Each section prepares the reader for future sections: the tales of the Minyads (section II, book 4) foreshadow the thwarted or forbidden loves in section III; Hercules' becoming a god (section III, book 9) points toward those later of Aeneas, Romulus, Caesar (section IV). Thus, throughout the work Ovid creates a complex chain of interconnecting themes.
I like this one because it's smooth and makes sense. It feels like a natural progression from trying to be like someone and failing, so to get back at them, they make their lives miserable (kind of like the Count of Monte Cristo and the jealous people), and then those miserable people make other people suffer, and in their power over others, tries to become a supreme power. I know the stories don't have that kind of character continuity, but I still think in life and in these stories, there's a kind of cycle of chain reactions that go on and on like that, from one bad act creating another and another, or from hubris begets suffering which begets more suffering and so on and so forth.
Anyway, this site kind of makes me want to read the whole story. The guy has commentary on all the books and he makes it sound pretty interesting (at least the parts I read) especially the beginning section on creation. I have no idea what translation this is, but I like how this passage sounds.
Before their eyes in sudden view appear
The secrets of the hoary deep, a dark
Illimitable ocean without bound,
Without dimension, where length, breadth, and height,
And time and place are lost; where eldest Night
And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold
Eternal anarchy, amidst the noise
Of endless wars, and by confusion stand.
For hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce
Strive here for mastery, and to battle bring
Their embryon atoms.
Not sure what it means exactly, but I thought it sounded cool. But yeah, I'm not sure about the reliability of the site, but it did make me think and it's not Wikipedia and I liked it. so there.