No single character dominates the Metamorphoses 250 stories from Greek and Roman mythology, legend, and history. Only the narrator, a version of Ovid, unites and controls the narrative. He makes his presence known with attention-getting literary techniques. Often, there is no logical or structural reason why one story precedes or follows another. Rather, the narrator arranges them according to more subtle principles. The unobvious, often surprising structure draws attention to itself, and to its author. We are never allowed to forget that a literary mind has constructed the poem. The narrator also draws the focus to himself by breaking into the narrative and, in the first person, offering his perspective and insights.