Ovid Flashcards
Born in:
Sulmo, 90 Miles from Rome, Apennines
43 BC. Ovid was an Eques
Heroides
Letter-elegies to heroines of myth who got dumped by their guys
Ars Amatoria/Art of Love
“Expert of love” who gives advice somewhat sarcastically
Medea
Lost :(
Fasti
Poems with clever comments on the days of the months. Ovid never finished it. He could have stopped because of his exile, or he could have stopped because Tiberius was appointed as heir rather than Germanicus.
Metamorphoses
Ovid worked on it until the time of his exile in 8 AD. Ovid’s only hexameter poem. An “epic of love.”
Family
“born to an ancient family, no brand-new knight promoted just yesterday for his wealth.” AKA his family was prestigious because it was old, and he himself was not rich.
Brother
Ovid was exactly one year younger than his brother. He was gifted in oratory. He died when he was barely 20 years old and Ovid lost a part of himself.
Birthday
He was born in March at the festival sacred to Minerva.
“But I, even in boyhood, held out for higher matters, and the Muse was seducing me subtly to her work”
Even as a child, Ovid wasn’t interested in becoming an orator. He wanted to be a poet.
“I abandoned Helicon completely, struggled to write without poetic form, but a poem, spontaneously, would shape itself into meter - whatever I tried to write turned into verse.”
Ovid, after his dad told him “don’t be a poet even Homer died poor” tried to give up poetry/Helicon completely. But even without trying, Ovid would write in poetry.
Cursus Honorum
Ovid did learn a bit of oration to please his father, and he took the first step on the cursus honorum and became a member of the Board of Three. He didn’t want to pursue the path to the Senate though.
Who inspired Ovid?
Corinna
What did Ovid do with writing he thought was defective?
He let the flames claim them for revision. In fact, some of the poems he burnt on the brink of exile, he burnt work that could have found favor.
Was Ovid involved in any scandals?
NOPE! Despite that “the smallest spark would ignite me”
How many wives?
Three. #1 was bad, #2 was not bad but she wasn’t destined to live for long, #3 is whom he brought with to exile.
Grandkids?
His daughter was twice pregnant (but by different husbands) and made him a grandfather early on.
Family matters
Father died when he was 90, then his mother later. They died before his exile. He tells the shades that his exile was not a crime, but an error.
At what age was he exiled?
Over 50 (the olympics had happened 10 times since his birth)
Why was he exiled?
His associates and house-slaves betrayed him after Augustus’ pride was injured
“Took arms on occasion with unpracticed hand”
Ovid took a trip by sea and land into exile
Helicon
The land for poets. Ovid was given the rare gift of being famous while still being alive
What does Ovid think about his poems?
There are many poets who he thinks are better, and his age has many classic poets, but he is no less quoted or read throughout the world!
Tibullus
Died early on, was an Elegiac guy. Ovid wrote a sad poem after his death.
