Publius Ovid Naso (43 BC - 18 AD) - Ancient Roman poet. Author of the poems "Metamorphoses" and "Science of Love", as well as elegies - "Love Elegies" and "Sorrowful Elegies". He had a huge influence on European literature, including Pushkin, who in 1821 dedicated a large poetic message to him.
There are many interesting facts in the biography of Ovid, which we will discuss in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Ovid.
Biography
Publius Ovidius Naso, known as Ovid, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Being a contemporary of Virgil and Horace, he was one of the three canonical representatives of Latin literature.
Publius Ovid Naso
The master of love lyrics became famous for his works in the genre of elegy, as well as for the epic poem “Metamorphoses,” which became one of the most important sources in the study of classical mythology. Scientists have gleaned most information about the life and work of Ovid from his own works, as well as from the works of Seneca the Elder and Marcus Fabius Quintilian.
Translations
Metamorphoses
, 1643
In the “Loeb classical library” series, works were published in 6 volumes:
- Volume I. Heroids. Love elegies.
- Volume II. The art of love. Face rub. Cure for love. Ibis. Hazel. Halieutics. Comfort.
- Volumes III-IV. Metamorphoses.
- Volume V. Fasts.
- Volume VI. Tristia. Letters from Pontus.
Editions in the Collection Budé series: Ovide
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- Les Amours. Texte établi et traduit par H. Bornecque. IX, 214 p.
- L'Art d'aimer. Texte établi et traduit par H. Bornecque. Huitième édition revue et corrigée par Ph. Heuzé. 1924. 5th edition. IX, 183 p.
- Contre Ibis. Texte établi et traduit par J. André. XLIV, 91 p.
- Les Fastes. T. I: Livres I—III. Texte établi, traduit et commenté par R. Schilling. Illustration. LXIX, 260 p.
- Les Fastes. T. II: Livres IV-VI. Texte établi, traduit et commenté par R. Schilling. 362 p.
- Halieutiques. Texte établi, traduit et commenté par E. de Saint-Denis. 78 p.
- Heroes. Texte établi par H. Bornecque et traduit par M. Prévost. XXI, 325 p.
- Les Métamorphoses. Tome I: Livres I—V. Texte établi et traduit par G. Lafaye. 1925; edition revue et corrigée par Jean Fabre, XXXIV, 278 p.
- Les Métamorphoses. Tome II: Livres VI—X. Texte établi et traduit par G. Lafaye. 1928; édition revue et corrigée par Henri Le Bonniec. 285 p.
- Les Métamorphoses. Tome III: Livres XI—XV. Texte établi et traduit par G. Lafaye. 1930; édition revue et corrigée par Henri Le Bonniec. 308 p.
- Pontiques. Texte établi et traduit par J. André. XLIX, 344 p.
- Les Remèdes à l'Amour. Les produits de beauté. - Pour le visage de la femme. Texte établi et traduit par H. Bornecque. IX, 89 p.
- Tristes. Texte établi et traduit par J. André. 2008. LII, 332 p.
Childhood and youth
Publius Ovid Naso was born in the city of Sulmo (modern Sulmona), located in the Apennine Valley east of Rome on March 20, 43 BC. in a family belonging to the class of equites (horsemen). The position of the parents of the future poet in society was quite high; according to their property status, they had the right to make trade transactions and were part of the business stratum of the city elite, and their children had the privilege of receiving an education.
Monument to Ovid in Sulmona, Italy
Following his father’s wishes, Ovid and his brother began to study rhetoric from Arelius Fuscus and Marcus Porcius Latron, masters of oratory of the Ancient Roman Empire. Following an emotional, rather than reasoned, style of conducting conversations and arguments, the future lyricist did not want to master the techniques necessary for the legal practice destined for him. After dropping out of school, the young man went traveling and visited Athens, Asia Minor and Sicily.
In his youth, Ovid held minor public positions, was a member of the centumvira, the college of civil affairs, and was also a member of the decemvira department, which performed spiritual and secular duties at the state level.
Portrait of Ovid
Around 29-25 BC. the young man realized that imperial service was alien to his nature and character, and resigned, upsetting his father and other family members. At this time, Ovid was attracted to literature, and he, succumbing to the temptation to become a famous poet, joined the circle of the elite under the patronage of Mark Valery Messalus Corvinus. The first speech of the novice elegist is dated approximately 25 BC, from this moment scientists count down the creative biography of Ovid.
Text of the book “Publius Ovid Naso. The Art of Love"
Vladimir Butromeev THE WORLD IN PICTURES. Publius Ovid Naso. The art of love
The world in pictures PUBLIUS OVIDIAN NAZON. ART OF LOVE
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If someone has not yet learned the art of love, let him read my poems: they will help him learn to love.
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It takes skill and skill to steer a ship at sea with oars and sails; skill and skill are required even to drive a simple horse-drawn cart; all the more necessary are skills and art in such a subtle and complex matter as love.
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Cupid is the young god of love, he is playful and capricious, he is capricious and can even be dangerous. But still, he is still just a child, and I will be able to make him obedient.
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My songs are not for stupid and immature girls who are ashamed of men, not for hypocritical married women who cover their legs below the knees with an embroidered hem. I sing only for those who want to know love. However, I sing only those pleasures that do not contradict natural feelings. There is no debauchery or crime in my poems.
Venus. Artist D. - G. Rossetti
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Anyone who wants to stand under the battle banners of Cupid must first choose the object of his love; then his task is to achieve the favor of the girl he has chosen; and finally, he must make the relationship with her lasting. This is my plan, this is the goal I want to achieve, this is the path I will take to achieve this goal. And I will lead those who want to master the art of love.
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While your heart is still free, choose a woman to whom you can say: “You are the only one I like.” She will not come down to you from the sky, she will not fly to you on the light wings of the wind - you need to find her, see her with your own eyes.
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If you want a girl who is still young, in her first bloom, you will see one like that - an innocent virgin, ready to timidly penetrate into the secrets of love. If you prefer young women, then there are so many of them around you that it will be difficult for you to choose one from many. But maybe you love experienced, mature beauties? Then, believe me, their number is even greater. You just need to know how and where to find them.
Dreams. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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Now I will teach you how to master the one who has enchanted you - this is the most important thing in my lessons. Lovers of all countries, listen to me carefully!
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First, be firmly convinced that there is no woman who cannot be lured into the web of love. Know that there are no unavailable women! Be sure of this, and you will be a winner: just spread your net. Birds will stop singing in the spring, dragonflies will stop chirping in the summer, an Arcadian dog will run away from a hare if there is a woman capable of resisting a young man in love. A woman who pretends that she does not want to give up, in her heart desires this; Even the one whose consent you couldn’t even think about will agree. Secret love is no less attractive to women than to us men. But a man does not know how to hide his feelings, while a woman hides her passion.
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If men conspired not to approach women first, women would soon be at their feet and offer their supplication to them.
Love you, love me. Fragment. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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So, be brave! Go into battle with confidence in victory, and out of a thousand women there will hardly be one who will find the strength to resist you. Whether a woman gives up or not, she is always flattered when men pursue her. If they push you away, don’t despair and don’t be afraid of rejection. Even if this is indeed a refusal, there still cannot be failure; after all, novelty in love is very attractive to everyone.
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But now comes the moment of explanation. Drop your shyness. Venus and Fortune love the brave and despise cowards. Don't think that eloquence is needed here. This is not required at all. You start speaking - eloquence will come by itself. We must play the role of a lover. How does an actor do it in the theater. Let your speech express all the desire that your soul feels. We need to convince the woman of this.
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And it's not so difficult anymore. Every woman considers herself pleasant, and the ugliest one imagines herself beautiful. Often those who at first pretended to be in love ended up actually falling in love.
Summer flowers. Artist J.W. Godward
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Young beauties, be condescending to those who assure you of their love! Fake love often turns into sincere love.
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Successful compliments can penetrate a woman's heart. You can penetrate into it unnoticed, like a stream that gradually washes away any solid barrier. Don't stop praising her face, her hair, her rounded toes, and especially her tiny foot. The most modest woman is sensitive to the praises lavished on her beauty and is always ready to listen to them. Even an inexperienced virgin takes care of her charms.
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Tears are also very useful in love. They are capable of softening a diamond that is indestructible by anything else. Try to let your beloved see you in tears. If you cannot cry - you cannot always shed tears at will - rub your eyes with your hands and moisten them with water.
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But the most important thing is kisses, they are the most important. Every more or less experienced lover knows how much weight a passionate kiss gives to tender words. Your beloved resists - kiss her forcibly. She will begin to resist and will say indignantly: “This is not fair! Rude!” But, despite all this, in her heart she will be glad of your courage.
Seated bather. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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You call it violence! But take a closer look: women like this kind of violence. This is their nature. What they are willing to give, they are more willing to allow to be taken from them by force. Every woman is happy when she is taken by force in a fit of passion. This is proof of love for her. No gift will give her greater pleasure.
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If she emerges intact from a fight in which she could have been taken, joy is reflected on her face. But, believe me, sadness reigns in her heart, she is unhappy with your indecision.
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Modesty does not allow women to meet their lover halfway, but what a pleasure it is for her to yield to his stormy pressure! Inexperienced young men often have too high an opinion of themselves. They imagine themselves to be beautiful and want to see women at their feet. It is necessary to act differently: a man must begin courtship with gentle pleas, which should soften a woman’s heart; a woman loves to be asked.
At the well. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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However, if all your pleas are met with only proud contempt, stop, stop your requests. Women usually desire men who do not pay attention to them. They treat with contempt those who die of love for them. Don’t be persistent then, and you will become more pleasant and interesting for the proud beauty. They often give to those who do not ask. And the one who asks is left with nothing. Let love penetrate her under the guise of harmless friendship. I have seen many severe beauties deceived in this way; their close friends quickly became their tender lovers.
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Beauty is a delicate flower. Beauty is a gift from the gods. The hand of time gradually erases all the features of beauty, and it fades year after year. Violets and lilies bloom for a short time, and when the rose falls, its thorns seem sharper. Now the hair on your head is turning gray, and wrinkles cover your body, once strong and elastic. But mind! The mind never gets old! Develop your mind, give your body this always reliable support.
Meeting point. Artist J.W. Godward
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Avoid quarrels, squabbles, sharp tongues and angry, thoughtless words. Quarrel removes wife from husband and husband from wife; they think that by doing so they are only doing each other justice. Let them quarrel! They are spouses, tightly bound by the law of quarrels - this is the dowry that husband and wife bring to each other. But a mistress should hear only pleasantries from her lover. You are not united by a harsh law, your law is only sincere love. Approach your beloved only with tender affection, only with words pleasing to her ear. Let her rejoice when you appear. Let her expect kind words from you and not be mistaken in her hopes and expectations.
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I don’t address my speeches to the rich - they don’t need my art. Those who can give expensive gifts do not need my lessons. Anyone who can say, whenever he pleases: “Take this from me,” is always smart enough. A rich man does not need to try, he has gold, which means he does not need the art of love. I give way to him: his techniques are stronger, I like them, they are more effective than mine. I sing praises to the one who does not buy love, because I myself loved without gold and wealth. For lack of valuable gifts, I paid my lovers with my beautiful words.
Bather. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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A lover must be careful in his love, he must not allow himself any rude words, he must endure much that a rich man who can correct any mistake with a gift will not allow himself.
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Your beloved resists - well, give in to her in everything; Only by giving in to your beloved can you become a winner. Whatever she makes you do, do whatever she commands. If she scolds something - scold you too, if she praises - praise you too; repeat what she says, and if she denies something, agree with her. Laugh when she laughs and cry with her, in a word - do everything she does.
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But if you want to preserve the love of your girlfriend for a long time, be always delighted with her charms: nothing flatters a woman more than praise for her appearance. A woman loves to be praised for her taste and ability to dress. If she is dressed in Tyrian purple, admire the material. If she suddenly makes herself a tunic from the fabric of the island of Kos, tell her that such a tunic is simply magnificent on her. Is she covered all over with gold, say that the shine of gold is inferior to the radiance of her beauty. If she decides to wear a winter coat, praise the warm furs. She appears before your eyes in a light robe - exclaim with undisguised delight: “You set me on fire!” And then carefully add: “You’ll catch a cold, dear.”
Watching and waiting. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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If she combed her hair and let her hair fall over her forehead, say that you like this hairstyle. If it is curled, exclaim: “Oh, wonderful curl!” Admire her arms when she dances, her gait when she walks, her voice when she sings, and when she finishes singing, wish she had stopped talking so quickly. In a word, praise all her charms and express your admiration in a voice trembling with delight; and then, be she as fierce as the gorgon Medusa herself, she will become affectionate and kind to you.
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But always be careful! You need to skillfully pretend so that she does not notice that the expression on your face contradicts your words. Cunning is good when it is not visible, when it is skillfully hidden, and if it is revealed, then only shame follows. And as punishment for it, you can lose all the trust acquired through hard work and effort.
Absence strengthens feelings. Artist J.W. Godward
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Love is weak at first. It gets stronger over time. Know how to raise her, and she will become strong. You are afraid of the bull - remember, you caressed him when he was a small and stupid calf. You are resting in the shade of a spreading tree - it was once only a thin, weak twig. The river, increasing in its flow, turns into a mighty formidable stream, striking in its grandeur, but it was previously an insignificant stream, invisible underfoot.
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Let your beauty get used to you. There is nothing stronger than habit in the world. Our life consists of habits. To win the heart of your beloved, do not stop at any trouble, always be close to her. Let her always see you next to her, let her always hear only your voice, full of delight and admiration. Be constantly in front of her eyes, at any time of the day or night. But as soon as you are sure that she will regret your absence, immediately move away from her. Let her pay attention to your absence, let her worry a little. Let her understand that without you she is missing something. Don't bother me. Give her time to rest.
The pain of love. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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However, follow these examples carefully. Don't delay your absence too long. Time erases the image of a lover in memory and quickly heals heart wounds. An absent lover is soon forgotten, and another immediately hurries to take his place.;
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I don't think of limiting your desires to just one woman. May the gods protect me from this! Even a respectable married woman rarely restrains her desires. Have fun as much as you can, but hide your pleasures and do not boast of your victories in front of women.
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If your adventures, despite your precautions, are discovered, do not admit anything. Deny even the obvious. Don't be more affectionate or quieter than usual. Such a change is a sign of guilt. She says that you were caught red-handed. Do your best to appease your lover and use all your strength in this battle of love. Convince her of your love with deeds; peace between you is her reward. This is the only way to make peace and make her forget your guilt.
Eloquent silence. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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Know how to arouse anxiety in your beloved, and you will ignite her cooling feminine heart. Let her turn pale for fear of being deceived by you. How happy, a thousand times happy is he whose beloved suffers from his insult! As soon as she found out about his betrayal, she immediately fell unconscious.
***
Oh, unfortunate one! The color drains from her face and she loses her voice; oh, why am I not the lucky one for whom she is tearing out her hair! Why is it not me that she wants to scratch with her nails, it is not because of me that she sheds tears, it is not me that she looks at me with an angry look! Why am I not the one she would like to part with, but without whom, in fact, she cannot live!
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How long, you ask me, can I leave her in despair? Hurry up to shorten this time so that her anger does not get stronger and intensify. Hurry up to hug her white neck with your arms and hide her tear-stained face on your chest. Answer your tears with kisses, mix the pleasures of love with your tears. She'll calm down soon. This is a reliable means of softening the furious anger of any woman. When she is very angry and there is open war between you, try to hug her; she will calm down, trust me. Love brings about agreement, and with agreement comes forgiveness. Oh, how sweet the reconciliation will be!
Signal. Artist J.W. Godward
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Do not reproach a woman for her shortcomings - not noticing them is useful for a lover.
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Try to get used to the fact that you may not like it. You will get used to it, it is not difficult: know, habit rules the world. Habit softens many things, but love is at first afraid of the shadow, like a new green-skinned branch that bends at the slightest breeze. But give it time to get stronger, it will resist the winds and, turning into a mighty branch, will bring full fruit to the tree.
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Time smooths out everything, even a physical defect, and what once seemed to us an imperfection suddenly turns in our eyes into an undeniable advantage.
Venus toilet. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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There are, however, names that can hide shortcomings. If a woman is black as an Illyrian pea, tell her that she is a brunette. If she squints her eyes a little, compare her to the beautiful-eyed Venus. If she has red hair, say that it is the color of golden-haired Minerva. If she is so thin that it seems that she can barely hold on to her soul, say that she has a slender waist. She is small in stature - so much the better: she should be light. If your beloved is fat, exclaim in admiration that you are drowning in her, like in the sweetest, most tender ripe peach. So, call each of its shortcomings by the name of the merit that approaches it, and believe: you will be rewarded.
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Note that women in adulthood are more successful in the complex art of love. Do you know why? They have experience, and experience is a great teacher, it improves talents. They subtly resort to all the subtleties of coquetry so as not to seem like ugly old women. They will be able, if you want, of course, to diversify the pleasures of love to infinity; no passionate picture can present such diversity. For them, love is born without any excitement: the greatest pleasure is that which is shared equally by both.
Offer. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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But now a common bed united passionate lovers. Muse, my bashful guide, stop at the closed bedroom door! They will find suitable speeches even without you, and their hands will not be idle.
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If you want to listen to me, then do not rush to achieve your goal, but know how to approach it quietly. When you find a sensitive spot, don't let being too shy stop you. Then you will see how the eyes of your beloved sparkle with a trembling light, similar to the reflection of the sun in a mirror of clear water. Then prayers will begin, along with tender whispers, and speeches, and tears that arouse love.
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But don’t get ahead of her, like a clumsy sailor who has spread too many sails, even if she doesn’t get ahead of you. Passion reaches its limit when both of you, overcome by love, fall into the arms of pleasure. These should be your actions when nothing is driving you and fear does not force you to run faster towards your goal. When there is danger, then raise all the sails, row the oars with all your might, or drive the spurs into the sides of your horse.
Reflection in the mirror. Artist J.W. Godward
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Having armed the men, I hear that the women, in turn, also ask for my lessons; For you, beauties, I write the following.
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A woman cannot resist the flames and cruel arrows of Cupid. These arrows penetrate deeper into the heart of a woman than into the heart of a man. Fickle men often cheat, but women are rarely unfaithful. Study them and you will find few examples of betrayal among them.
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Imitate, mortal women, the example of the great goddesses, do not deny your beloved the pleasure that they ask of you - this pleasure will be yours too.
Bathers. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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If they deceive you, think about what you are losing from this? All your charms remain with you, and even if they are taken a thousand times, they do not change.
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I do not advise you to give yourself to everyone, but there is nothing to fear from the prejudices of a false fall: your generosity will not make you poorer.
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And now I am ready to open the gates of the fortress to the enemy; let men accuse me of treachery, but I will reveal all our secrets! Giving in too easily means serving Cupid poorly; The pleasure of love must sometimes be mixed with resistance. The joys of love must sometimes be overshadowed by refusal - this only supports and ignites true passion. Let your lover desperately exclaim at the threshold of your room: “Cruel door!” - and let him move in his speeches from pleas to threats, and then again to pleas. Remember, too sweet food dulls a man’s taste, bitterness stimulates our appetite; more than one ship was lost from too favorable winds. That's why husbands don't love their wives because they can caress them whenever they want; forbidden fruit is always sweeter. Close your door to your lover. Let the servant say in a rough voice, “Don’t come in!” This prohibition will not alienate your true admirer, but will force him to seek your favor with even greater diligence.
Expectations. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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Leave the blunt weapons and take the sharp ones - I advise you this, although you can turn them against me. Let your beloved, who has fallen into your network, at first think that he alone owns you. But let him soon suspect a rival, let him think that he shares your love with someone. A little jealousy won't hurt; Without these tricks, love withers and weakens by itself.
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You need to behave in such a way that your friend does not have serious reasons to complain about you and in his anxiety does not imagine unnecessary things that could push him away forever. The constant vigilance of the supposed guardian and the jealousy of an overly strict husband can excite his passion. The pleasure is intensified by the danger threatening both of you.
Yes or no? Artist J.W. Godward
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I remember what I told men: you have to be careful of your friends. This doesn't only apply to men. If you are too trusting, then other women, more dexterous, will try the pleasures that belong to you, and the hare raised by you will fall into the nets set by other experienced hunters. That good friend who gives you her room and her bed, believe me, will be alone with your lover more than once.
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Women, try to make us think that we are loved. After all, there is nothing easier than this! If you willingly believe what you want to believe, it is easy to deceive someone who wants to be deceived. Throw fiery glances at the young man, sigh, reproach him for coming to you so late today. Try to cry and feign grief from feigned jealousy.
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Modesty now stops my pen, but I obey Venus - she orders me to reveal all the secrets of the art of love. A woman must study herself and know the beauty of her body.
Bather. Artist A. - V. Bouguereau
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The same position in lovemaking is not suitable for everyone. Let a beauty with a beautiful face lie down on her back. The one who knows that she has a beautiful back, let her turn to her lover so that he takes possession of her charms from the back. Atalanta placed her feet on the shoulders of her beloved Melanion; the one with slender legs can follow her example. A small woman can sit on horseback and be a rider in a quick love game. If you are tall, like Andromache, you don’t need to do this. If you have a flexible waist, kneel down and throw your face back. If you have boyish hips and perfect breasts, lie down across the bed, and let your lover stand over you. Don't be ashamed to let your hair down like a Thessalian bacchante and leave it loose on your shoulders - it excites a man. If there are stripes and folds on your stomach from childbirth, turn your back, like a Parthian turns to his opponent in battle, so that later he can strike back. Love has a thousand tricks; the simplest of them is to lie on your back, leaning on your right side.
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The Oracle of Apollo and Jupiter of Ammon will not give you truer advice than my Muse. If the art of love, which I have studied for many years, deserves any credibility, follow me, my lessons will not deceive you. Women, let love penetrate to the marrow of your bones and respond in a strong male body; share it with your lover. Let it manifest itself in tender words, in passionate whispers, even if free speech excites your immodest desires.
Honeymoon. Artist L. Alma-Tadema
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Even those women who by nature do not experience the pleasure of love must say that they love. How I sympathize with those women who are insensitive to the bliss and pleasures given to women for the joy of men: they are living an unreal life. But when you pretend to be loving, be careful not to give yourself away: your gestures and eyes should contribute to deception. Speak in a broken voice - your excitement will be a sign of your passion and love.
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Don't light up your bedroom like during the day - there is a lot in a woman that is better not to be seen in bright light.
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But now the time has come to give rest to the swans carrying my boat. And now, my beautiful students, write, like the young men, on your love trophies: “Ovid was our teacher.”
Idleness. Artist J.W. Godward
Poetry
Ovid devoted the first 25 years of his literary career to writing poems on erotic themes in the genre of elegy. The chronological order of the appearance of the collections is not completely known, but it is assumed that the poet’s earliest works were “Heroids,” which consisted of 21 letters from mythological and real-life maidens to their absent lovers. The authenticity of some poems in the cycle has been repeatedly disputed, but in most poems the authorship of Ovid is undoubted.
Books of Ovid
Scientists also included the collection “Amores” among the poet’s early works, which contained love and erotic lyrics dedicated to his seductive friend Corinna. According to the surviving version, one can judge the incredible talent of Ovid, who used his own experience and observations to describe feelings and experiences.
After the publication of this work around 15-16 BC. Ovid became one of the most popular poets of Rome and presented to the public the lost tragedy “Medea” and the cycle of poems “The Science of Love” in 3 parts. The books, parodies of didactic literature, became manuals on seduction and intrigue, intended for men and women. The style of the poems was considered frivolous, but the author explained that the advice was aimed at ordinary citizens of the empire and foreigners - guests of Rome.
Ovid's poem "Metamorphoses"
In 1 BC. Ovid published the poem “The Medicine for Love” and was among the main Roman elegists Gall, Tibullus and Propertius. This book, addressed to men, offered ways to get rid of annoying wives and girlfriends and became the end of the love-erotic period of the poet’s work.
Having had his fill of elegiac verses, Ovid decided to create a monumental work and by 8 AD. completed work on the epic poem "Metamorphoses". The poems, written in hexameter, presented with encyclopedic precision the mythological picture of the world from the emergence of the cosmos to the apotheosis of the reign of Julius Caesar. The stories that followed one after another told about the transformations and transformations of phenomena and characters.
15 books mentioned 250 ancient legends, related thematically, geographically or structurally. This work, recognized as Ovid's best literary work, gained popularity among his contemporaries and descendants and was translated into many languages of the world.
Ovid among the Scythians
In parallel with “Metamorphoses,” the poet worked on a collection of couplets called “Fasts.” Returning to an elegiac meter, Ovid planned to describe each month of the calendar year, paying attention to holidays, religious traditions, natural phenomena, etc., but was forced to abandon the project due to the disfavor of Augustus.
The reason for the disgrace and subsequent exile of the lyricist to the city of Toma, far from Rome, was an unknown “mistake”, regarded as a crime. According to some researchers, the source of the imperial anger was one of the poems of erotic content, which undermined the moral laws and principles of the Roman state. Others believe that literature was merely a pretext to get rid of Ovid, concealing political or personal motives.
William Turner's painting "Ovid Exiled from Rome"
In exile, the poet yearned for Rome and composed desperate and sad elegiac works. There are 2 known collections of this period called “Mournful Elegies” and “Letters from Pontus”, dated 9-12 AD. The researchers attributed the surviving work “Ibis” to the same period, which was a satirical denunciation of the enemy who trampled on the honorable name of the famous lyricist.
“Sorrowful Elegies” have become a valuable source of information about the creative and personal fate of Ovid. The piercing poems filled with feelings told about the misfortunes in the present and the cloudless past of the creator of “Metamorphoses”. The collection consisted of 5 books in which the poet described everyday details of his disgraced life, gave exculpatory arguments, biographical excerpts, messages to his wife and friends, and also sent requests for mercy and salvation.
Painting by Ion Theodorescu-Sion “Ovid in Exile”
In Letters from Pontus, the exile's despair reached its climax. In poetic form, Ovid begs his friends to intercede for him before the emperor and tell high-ranking officials about his difficult life far from Rome.
The lyricist alternated requests for forgiveness with stories about life in a foreign land and his own health, as well as a description of the nature of the Black Sea coast and discussions about the vicissitudes of fate. In the last work of the collection, Ovid appealed to the enemy to leave him alone and let him die in peace.
Influence.
Few poets can compare with Ovid in terms of influence on their descendants. The fashion for Ovid first arose during the Renaissance of the 11th and 12th centuries, an era dubbed the Aetas Ovidiana (“age of Ovid”). Poets who came out of cathedral schools imitated Ovid in court poems dedicated to beautiful ladies, and in poetic messages to friends, but also in poetic transcriptions of the Bible. For example, he was a favorite poet of the prolific Balderic (1046–1130), abbot of the Burgul monastery, as well as of wandering students and minstrels of the 12th century. Some people resorted to the most ingenious moves to impose highly moral goals on Ovid, and Metamorphoses
.
However, sometimes the inspiration went too far, and among the heretics who went to the stake in Paris, there were those who argued that “the Lord spoke through Ovid in exactly the same way as through Augustine.” Only Virgil is referred to more often by Dante than to Ovid, and he is also the most mentioned author by Chaucer, who had the manuscript of the Metamorphoses
, which were an indispensable source of information on mythology until Boccaccio and other authors compiled compilations on mythology.
During the Renaissance, Ovid again came into fashion. Petrarch and Boccaccio were simply drunk on it, as were Montaigne, the poets of the Pleiades in France, and the great writers of Spain and Portugal. Shakespeare, familiar with the Metamorphoses
from Arthur Golding's verse English translation, borrowed heavily from it, particularly in telling the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, inserted into
A Midsummer Night's Dream
, and in composing Prospero's spells in
The Tempest
.
Ovid's self-sufficient elegiac distic influenced the development of the English heroic distic, completed by A. Pop, primarily, perhaps, thanks to Christopher Marlowe's precise, line-by-line translation of the Love Elegies
(1597).
Milton also owes much to Ovid, especially in his descriptions (cf. Narcissus in Metamorphoses
III 413–436 and Eve in
Paradise Lost
IV 457–469).
After Milton and Moliere, after the translation of the Metamorphoses
, published in 1717 (Dryden and others), interest in Ovid began to fade. Novels provided the reader with more entertaining plots, on questions of mythology it was much easier to consult a reference book, and even in the field of erotica more stimulating works appeared. The Puritans condemned Ovid for immorality; the Romantics did not like his position in life. Ovid gave way to Virgil, then Latin authors were replaced by Greek ones, and finally preference was given to modern literature.
Personal life
Researchers gleaned information about Ovid’s personal life from the poet’s works, according to which he was married 3 times.
Portrait of Ovid
The first wife, who appeared at the insistence of his father, was supposed to protect the young man from idleness and frivolous behavior. However, her influence turned out to be the opposite: the poet not only did not stop appearing in the company of friends, but also acquired mistresses, to whom he dedicated poems and elegies. The young wife could not bear her husband’s neglect and betrayal and divorced him soon after the wedding.
The second time Ovid married, following his own feelings, which quickly faded away and did not develop into strong family relationships. There is an assumption that the new wife gave birth to 2 children to the poet, and then left him, entrusting her relatives with the work of divorce.
Monument to Ovid in Constanta
A real love story was Ovid's third relationship with a woman named Fabia, who was a faithful friend and source of inspiration for the lyricist. A lover of noisy companies, he abandoned the wild life, preferring the company of his wife, who adored art and poetry.
This idyll was disrupted by the exile of Ovid to the distant city of Toma (modern Constanta), where the man went alone, entrusting his wife with the care of the house and property. Scientists believe that Fabia was somehow connected with an influential patrician family and thanks to this she supported her husband during his exile.
Creation
Ovid's first literary experiments, with the exception of those which he, in his own words, set on fire “for correction,” were the Heroides.
(Heroides) and love elegies.
The brightness of Ovid’s poetic talent is also expressed in the “Heroids”, but he attracted the greatest attention of Roman society with his love elegies, published under the title “Amores”
, first in five books, but subsequently, after the exclusion of many works by the poet himself, which amounted to three that have reached us books of 49 poems. These love elegies, the content of which to one degree or another may be based on love adventures experienced by the poet personally, are associated with the fictitious name of his girlfriend, Corinna, which thundered throughout Rome, as the poet himself states (totam cantata per Urbem Corina). In this form, quite common in Roman literature, which already had its own classics, Ovid managed to display his bright talent in full force, which immediately made his name loud and popular. Concluding the last of these elegies, he portrays himself as having glorified his people of the Peligni, just as Mantua owes its glory to Virgil, and Verona to Catullus. Undoubtedly, there is a lot of poetic talent, free, spontaneous, shining with wit and precision of expression, in these elegies, as well as a lot of accurate life observations, attention to detail and versifier talent, for which, apparently, there were no metrical difficulties. Despite this, most of Ovid's creative path lay ahead.
"Science of Love"
The poet’s next work, the preparation of which he announced to his readers back in the 18th elegy of book II and which in Ovid’s manuscripts and publications bears the title “Ars amatoria”,
(
“Love Science”, “Science of Love”
), and in the works of the poet himself - simply “Ars”.
This is a didactic poem in three books, written, like almost all of Ovid’s works, in elegiac meter and containing instructions, first for men, by what means one can acquire and retain female love (Books 1 and 2), and then for women how they can attract men and keep their affection. This work, distinguished in other cases by a certain immodesty of content - which the author was forced to justify before official morality on the pretext that he wrote his instructions for freedwomen and foreigners living in Rome, to whom the requirements for strict behavior did not apply (Trist., II, 303) , - in literary terms it is excellent and reveals the full maturity of talent and the hand of a master who knows how to separate every detail and does not tire of painting one picture after another, with brilliance, firmness and self-control. This work was written in 2 - 1. BC e., when the poet was 41-42 years old. Simultaneously with the “Science of Love”, an essay by Ovid appeared, belonging to the same category, from which only a fragment of 100 verses has reached us and which bears the title “Medicamina faciei” in publications. Ovid points out this work to women as a finished one in Book III of “The Science of Love” (v. 205), calling it “Medicamina formae” (“Remedies for beauty”) and adding that, although it is not large in volume, but great in the diligence with which it is written (parvus, sed cura grande, libellus, opus). The following passage discusses products related to facial care. Soon after “The Science of Love,” Ovid published “The Medicine for Love”
(
“Remedia amoris”
) - a poem in one book, where he, without abandoning his service to Cupid in the future, wants to alleviate the situation of those for whom love is a burden and who would like to get rid of it. In the direction that Ovid was still following, he had nowhere to go further, and he began to look for other subjects. We see him soon developing mythological and religious legends, the result of which were his two major works: “Metamorphoses” and “Fasts”.
Death
While in exile, Ovid was in a state of deep depression and despondency. Friends and relatives could not help the poet return to Rome. According to one of the famous quotes, the lyricist wanted “for death to overtake him in the middle of his labors,” and so it happened.
Statue of Ovid
Having barely completed work on a poetic cycle called “Letters from Pontus,” Ovid died in Tomi, far from his homeland, in 17 AD. at the age of 59 years. The reasons for the untimely death of the great ancient Roman poet remained unknown.
Memory
A crater on Mercury and a city in the Odessa region are named in honor of Ovid.
In 2021, the Rome City Council, led by Mayor Virginia Raggi, officially rescinded Emperor Augustus' decree banning the poet Ovid. This was done for the 2000th anniversary of the poet’s death.
Catchphrases from the works of Ovid
- Casta est quam nemo rogavit - Chaste is she whom no one has coveted
- Fas est et ab hoste doceri - You always need to learn, even from the enemy
01_na_irendyke.jpg
In the “harsh” northern region: forests, meadows, and cultivated fields (Abzelilovsky district of the Republic of Belarus).
Photo by V.P. Putenikhin From a geographical point of view, Ovid has no new information about the northern countries; we are attracted only by the variety of epithets with which he characterizes their natural features and which in one way or another echo similar definitions of Virgil (extract 2, 4-6): long “lazy” winter, merciless frosts, freezing winds, heavy snowfalls and “eternal” deep snow, freezing soil, rivers, streams and lakes covered with infusion, chilly nights (“darkness”), water from ice holes, sheepskin coats, cold steppe plains and forest swamps, virgin lands, bare crowns of trees, absence of horticultural crops known in warm countries "with juicy fruits."
