Ovid 12

Question 1

O expert in creating a thousand hairstyles worthy to have none but goddesses form your clientele

Answer 1

Just like in poem 5 with the doorkeeper and in poem 8 with Nape- He is filling this slave girl with compliments/ flattery, he is trying to gain the good will of the listener. However from poem 5 and poem 9 we know that this friendly attitude will not persist

Question 2

Cypassis

Answer 2

This name suggests ‘short skirt’ which seems quite fitting for this situation

Question 3

stolen pleasures

Answer 3

not long to discover that Ovid was lying in the previous poem, and that the two form a pair. The attitude contained in them seems typical of Ovid’s irreverent, witty, and detached approach to love poetry and leads us to question how true the events described are

Question 4

no country beginner

Answer 4

Cypassis is experienced

Question 5

For your mistress, but righter for me- what malicious gossip put the finger on us? How did Corinna know about our sleeping together? I didn’t blush did I or blurt out some telltale phrase?

Answer 5

Ovid expresses a closeness between the two of them

Question 6

I’m sorry

Answer 6

It seems Cypassis was present for the denials expressed in the previous poem. Now Ovid uses his skills of persuasion to insist he had no choice but to not only deny their relationship, but also insult Cypassis

Question 7

Achilles fell madly in love with his maid, Briseis, Agamemnon was besotted by the slave- Priestess Cassandra. I cant pretend to be socially up on those two- then why should I despise what’s endorsed by royalty?

Answer 7

He refers to examples from literature/ myth where it was acceptable for master and slave to have a relationship:
-Achilles and Briseis
-Agammemnon and Cassandra
The mythological parallels are not exact, as both these figures from the Trojan war (especially Cassandra, daughter of king Priam) come from high status backgrounds (much different, we assume, from Cypassis) and both are at least first unwilling prisoners of war. Does the language ‘madly in love’, ‘besotted’ suggest he has strong feelings

Question 8

Anyway, when Corinna shot you a dirty look you blushed right up. It was my presence of mind, if you remember, that saved us when swore that convincing oath- (Venus, goddess, please make the warm siroccos blow my innocent prejury out to sea!) I did you a good turn. Now it is time for repayment

Answer 8

Now Ovid changes tone again, suggesting it was actually only his quick thinking which saved the day and diverted his girlfriend’s suspicions

Question 9

I did you a good turn. Now it’s time for repayment. Dusky Cypassis, I want to sleep with you. Today. Dont shake your head and play scared, you ungrateful creature. You’re under a condominium of two and only one’s satisfied. If you’re silly enough to refuse, I’ll Reveal all we’ve done in the past, betray my own betrayal. I’ll tell your mistress just where we met and how often

Answer 9

His tone becomes unpleasant and threatening. If she doesn’t do what he wants, he will tell the mistress, and the penalty will be greater for a slave girl than for him ‘Reveal all’

Question 10

condominium

Answer 10

Ovid claims to be her ‘master’ in the same way as Corinna is her mistress and he will claim his ‘right’ of sexual access

Question 11

and… and… and

Answer 11

The polysyndeton stresses how much of the truth Ovid is willing to reveal to Corinna