By Joey Sweeney, Patrick
Coleman, Trevor Horgan, and
Zack Koziel.
Born in 43 BCE, Died in 17-18 CE
Wrote a number of famous works, like the
Metamorphoses, from which we get most of our
information about the Greco-Roman religion.
 The meters he would most commonly write in
are Elegiac Couplets and Dactylic Hexameter. He
would often write, in either jest or seriousness,
didactic (instructional) poetry.
 He was exiled from Rome to Tomis by personal
decree of Augustus in 8 C.E
 The causes for Ovid’s exile are not known, but
were described by Ovid as “carmen et error (A
poem and an error)”
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Heroides: The Heroines. Written in elegiac couplets. One of the first
literary works to be written in persona.
Amores: The Loves. A collection of love poems written in elegiac couplets.
Medicamina Faciei Femineae: Women’s Facial Cosmetics. A didactic, or
instructional, poem written in elegiac couplets. His first attempt at using
elegy in a didactic poem
Ars Amatoria: The Art of Love. One of his most well-known poems. A
burlesque, more satirical approach to didactic poetry. Written in elegy.
Remedia Amoris: The Cure for Love. Sequel to the Ars Amatoria. Contains
breakup advice.
Metamorphoses: A famous compilation of myths and stories, arguably
Ovid’s most famous work. Written in Dactylic Hexameter
Fasti: The Festivals. Written in elegiac couplets, this poem was left
unfinished when Ovid was banished to Tomis.
Ibis: A tirade against an unnamed enemy, referred to only as Ibis. Written
in elegiac couplets
Tristia: The Lamentations. A collection of mournful letters written in
elegiac couplets by Ovid after his exile.
Epistulae ex Ponto: Letters from the Black Sea. His last work, filled with
pleas for forgiveness and mercy and descriptions of his exile.
 Born
March 20, 43 B.C.E in Sulmo
 Exiled to Tomis in 8 CE, by personal
order of Augustus.
 Died in either 17 or 18 C.E in Tomis.
The Metamorphoses, or transformations, are one
of Ovid’s most famous works.
 They are a collection of myths, written in Dactylic
Hexameter.
 Orpheus and Eurydice is one of these myths.
 The Metamorphoses are one of the most famous
pieces of literature ever.
 Have been used to gain insight into Roman life
and religion.
 Many authors and works of literature have been
inspired by the Metamorphoses. For example,
William Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet off
of Pyramus and Thisbe.
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 Serius
aut citius: Adjective phrase,
masculine nominative singular, “sooner
or later.”
 Dicentem: Present active participle.
Accusative singular, “He is saying”
 Futura: Perfect passive participle plural,
means “Have been”
 Videndi: Gerund, means “for seeing”
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omnia debemur vobis, paulumque morati
serius aut citius sedem properamus ad unam.
tendimus huc omnes, haec est domus ultima,
vosque
humani generis longissima regna tenetis. 35
haec quoque, cum iustos matura peregerit
annos,
iuris erit vestri: pro munere poscimus usum;
quodsi fata negant veniam pro coniuge, certum
est
nolle redire mihi: leto gaudete duorum.'
Talia dicentem nervosque ad verba moventem
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exsangues flebant animae;
hanc simul et legem Rhodopeius accipit heros,
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ne flectat retro sua lumina, donec Avernas
exierit valles; aut inrita dona futura.
carpitur adclivis per muta silentia trames,
arduus, obscurus, caligine densus opaca,
nec procul afuerunt telluris margine summae:
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hic, ne deficeret, metuens avidusque videndi
flexit amans oculos, et protinus illa relapsa est,
bracchiaque intendens prendique et prendere
certans
nil nisi cedentes infelix arripit auras.
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“We owe everything to you, having
delayed for a little longer sooner or later we
all hasten to one house.
We shall all head here, this is the final
house, where you shall hold the longest reigns
over the human race.
Also, when she reaches her rightful
years,
She is yours by rights; we ask for the
experience of her as a gift.
But if the fates should deny her boon
of a longer life for her spouse, I have resolved
that I will not be happy to return; cheer
yourselves with the deaths of both of us.”
The pale spirits cried at Orpheus
saying such things and moving the strings of
his lyre to words.
At the same time the Thracian
Orpheus accepted her and the conditions, if he
bent his eyes back before he had left the
valley of Avernus, the gifts would be voided.
As the ascending path is picked up in
the mute silence,
The path was hard, obscured, and
thick with opaque darkness, they were not far
off from the edge of the highest ground, this
one, fearing that she would lose strength and
became eager for a peek,
He turned his loving eyes back. And
she immediately slipped back,
Her arms stretching out grasping and
striving to catch hold of his,
But the unfortunate one not catching
anything but the breeze