Publius Ovidius Naso - some notes on his life and works
He was born in 43B.C. at Sulmo into an equestrian family. He always claimed poverty but the family was wealthy enough to gain admission to the Senate. He underwent training in rhetoric at Rome, where he was a promising pupil. After further studies in Athens and visits to Sicily and Asia Minor, he had the possibility of a good career in politics ahead of him.
He did, in fact, hold some minor magistracies but in the end he devoted his time to poetry and he joined a group of important literary figures and poets who were under the patronage of a famous general called Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus. This group of poets were separate from another group, who were under the patronage of Maecenas. Maecenas was a close friend and adviser to the emperor Augustus. The fact that Ovid was not in Maecenas’ circle may have had some influence in the problems which were soon to arise in his life.
Between 25 – 15 B.C. Ovid published his book of Amores, “Love Poems”. Then in A.D.1, he published the Ars Amatoria , “The Art of Love” and the Remedia Amoris, “The Cure for Love”.
From “ A.D. he worked on the Metamorphoses, a long epic poem about miraculous changes, and the Fasti, a poetic study of the Roman calendar and festivals.
But in A.D. 8, his career came to a sudden halt, when he was banished by the emperor Augustus to Tomis, on the Black Sea. The reasons for this banishment or relegatio, are given indirectly by Ovid. He says it was because of his
The Carmen is certainly the notorious poem ars amatoria, which went against everything Augustus was trying to achieve with his attempts at moral reform and regeneration.
The error has yet to be identified, but probably had something to do with Ovid’s involvement, or knowledge of the emperor’s daughter, Julia.
Tomis was a most disagreeable place for a man like Ovid. His frustration and sense of loss and isolation from the sophisticated society of Rome show through in his poems which he wrote from exile and collectively called Tristia, “sad things” and epistulae ex Ponto, “letters from Pontus”.
His situation could have been even worse. Ovid’s punishment was “relegatio”, which meant that he could keep his property and civilian rights in Rome – should he ever return. “exsilium” would have meant loss of property and civil rights forever. His wife (his 3rd and last) kept his property safe for him – but he never did return.
Augusted never relented and Ovid died in exile in A.D. 17
Source: http://www.classicalresourcecentre.com/articles/Ovidslife.doc
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Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)
March 20, 43 BC – 17/18 AD
We know a lot about him because he tells us a ton, especially in his Tristia (4.10).
Was born in Sulmo (east of Rome), educated in Rome and traveled to various places (Athens for one) after his brother died. Father wanted him to be a lawyer, he wanted to be a poet. Was friends with a number of Augustan Age poets (Propertius and Horace and rest in Circle of Maecenas) and was very popular in his life. In 8 AD, he was exiled by Augustus to Tomis (although he was allowed to keep his possessions).
Ovid was exiled for unknown reasons, although he says Carmen et error. Julia, Augustus’ daughter, and Agrippa Postumus were exiled around the same time. Julia’s husband, Lucius Aemilius Paullus, was executed for some part in a conspiracy against Augustus. Marriage laws were published in 18 BC, of which the Ars Amatoria ran afoul.
His tombstone says ingenio perii (I perished by my talent).
Works:
Heroides (19 BC?), Medea (lost tragedy; sometime between Heroides and Amores); Amores (16/15 BC about Corinna; as a complete three volume set 8-3 BC), Medicamina Faciei Femineae (turn of century); Ars Amatoria (2 AD); Remedia Amoris (2 AD); Metamorphoses (mostly done by 8 AD); Fasti (unfinished at exile); Tristia, Epistulae ex Ponto (13-16 AD); Ibis (curse-poem).
Metamorphoses
15 books cataloguing nearly 150 different Greco-Roman myths, each loosely connected in a sort of quasi-historical organization by a transformation. It begins with the creation of the world and ends with deification of Caesar and a laudation of Augustus.
Source: http://www.yaggyslatin.com/lessonplans/documents/Ovid%20biography.doc
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