Ovid
Roman poet exiled for a poem and a mistake.
Publius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He is ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature, alongside Virgil and Horace, and was considered by the Imperial scholar Quintilian to be the last of the Latin love elegists. Ovid is most famous for the Metamorphoses, a continuous mythological narrative in fifteen books, and for works in elegiac couplets such as Ars Amatoria and Fasti. His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages and greatly influenced Western art and literature.
- born
- 20 March 43 BC
- died
- AD 17/18
- field
- Poetry
- nationality
- Roman
- known_for
- Metamorphoses, Ars Amatoria, Fasti
Lore & Background
Ovid was born in the Paelignian town of Sulmo to an important equestrian family. He was educated in rhetoric in Rome but renounced law after his brother's death, traveling to Athens, Asia Minor, and Sicily. He held minor public posts but resigned to pursue poetry, a decision his father apparently disapproved of. Ovid's first recitation was around 25 BC, and he was part of the circle of Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, befriending poets such as Propertius and claiming to have heard Horace recite. He married three times, had one daughter, and his last wife helped him during his exile. For the first 25 years of his literary career, Ovid wrote erotic elegiac poetry, including the Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria. By AD 8, he had completed the Metamorphoses, a hexameter epic cataloging mythological transformations, and was working on the Fasti, a poem on the Roman calendar. In AD 8, Emperor Augustus banished Ovid to Tomis on the Black Sea, without Senate or judicial participation. Ovid attributed his exile to a carmen et error ('poem and a mistake'), but his reluctance to disclose specifics has led to much scholarly speculation. In exile, he wrote the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto, expressing his sadness and desolation, and learned Sarmatian and Getic.
Reader's Guide
Ovid's significance lies in his vast influence on Western art and literature, particularly through the Metamorphoses, which remains one of the most important sources of classical mythology. His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, shaping later literary traditions. The Ars Amatoria, a parody of didactic poetry, was cited by Ovid as the 'poem' that contributed to his banishment, reflecting tensions with Augustus's moral legislation. Ovid's exile poetry, especially the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto, provides a deeply personal account of isolation and longing, offering insight into the poet's life and the political climate of Augustan Rome. His legacy as a canonical Latin poet endures, with his works studied for their mythological richness, poetic innovation, and historical context.
Did You Know?
- Ovid was born on 20 March 43 BC, a significant year in Roman politics.
- He was exiled to Tomis, on the Black Sea, by Emperor Augustus without Senate or judicial participation.
- Ovid learned Sarmatian and Getic during his exile in Tomis.
- The medieval texts that mention Ovid's exile offer no credible explanations, with statements seeming to be incorrect interpretations drawn from his works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ovid?
Ovid was a Roman poet born in 43 BC who became one of the three great canonical figures of Latin literature, standing alongside Virgil and Horace. He was active during Augustus's reign and is often remembered as the final major voice of the Latin love elegy tradition.
What are Ovid's most famous works?
His masterpiece is the Metamorphoses, a sweeping fifteen-book narrative tracing the world from creation through countless tales of divine transformation. He also wrote the Ars Amatoria, a playful guide to the art of seduction, and the Fasti, a month-by-month calendar of Roman festivals.
Why was Ovid exiled by Augustus?
The emperor banished him to the remote Black Sea colony of Tomis, citing a 'carmen et error' — a poem and a mistake — though Ovid himself never revealed what either one was. He spent his final years there composing the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto, pleading for recall to Rome.
What is the Metamorphoses actually about?
It is a continuous mythological epic built around the theme of physical transformation, weaving together Greek and Roman legends from the birth of the cosmos all the way to Julius Caesar's deification. The work links roughly two hundred and fifty separate stories into a single unbroken narrative.
How did Ovid's life end?
He remained in exile at Tomis (modern Constanța, Romania) until his death around AD 17 or 18, never receiving the pardon he desperately sought. His last surviving words, in a poem addressed to Augustus, ask that his name be remembered even after his body is buried in a foreign land.
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