His most famous work is called Metamorphoses, and it is a fantastic retelling of many myths, starting with the beginning of creation and ending with Julius Caesar turning into a star. Metamorphoses is a word that means 'changes,' and each of the stories in his poem tells of a change. He wrote these stories as Rome was going through the massive changes of turning a republic into an empire.

Ovid seemed to be fascinated with the idea of love which appears throughout his writings. Some say that his PG-13 rated writings were part of the reason that he got into political troubles with Emperor Augustus. He writes this of his life and writings, "My life is respectable, my muse is full of jesting, A book is not evidence of one's soul."