The Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem comprised of over 250 myths. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar within a loose mythico-historical framework. The Metamorphoses is one of the most influential works in Western culture, it has inspired such authors as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William Shakespeare. Numerous episodes from the poem have been depicted in acclaimed works of sculpture, painting, and music.