Ovid's Life And Accomplishments
Ovid, the name itself sparks a few thoughts: poetry, Latin, literature. Indeed, he was perhaps the most important and central figure of Latin literature and poems. Behind such status though, is a man. A man who lived a life beyond just his writings, who worked hard to establish career, a man with personal conflicts with his family and society. So, why are his works still legendary and an important portion of literary curriculums today? It is because his writing tells stories, it sets the reader back in time and enhances the historical context of the writing. Once one splashes into the works of Ovid, they experience ancient Rome through their own eyes.
Depending on prior knowledge or expectations, it is a bit surprising that Ovid came from …show more content…
Some of his most popular writings are the most meaningful. At the beginning of his career, love was the focus of his writings. Amores is a collection of arousingly explicit poems praising Corinna, an imaginary woman; it became incredibly popular and brought success. Later on Ovid wrote Epistolae Heroidum (Heroides) which was a series of letters written in the perspectives of mythical goddesses and heroes to their missing lovers. Following with the theme of love, Ovid wrote Ars Amatoria an intriguing work full of advice and techniques to make one’s relationship work such as: finding a woman, keeping a woman, and a woman’s guide to understanding men and its sequel Remedia Amoris which was more advice focusing on avoiding pain caused by failed love or rejection. Ovid seemed to romanticize women’s physiques also visible in his work Medicamina Faciei Femineae which consists of separate pieces on women’s beauty treatments and the defense of cosmetic makeup, it also contains a number of recipes for homemade facial treatments. His most ambitious work was the grand Metamorphoses, an epic poem consisting of thousands of lines written in dactylic hexameter, also known as “heroic hexameter” or “the meter of epic”. It contains mythological tales and stories which take place from the beginning of the universe up to the death and appraisal of Julius Caesar. Another story focusing on mythological gods was Fasti a Latin poem constructed of six separate works that each represented the months of January to July, respectively. This work was a collection of reports and first person perspectives of Roman deities explaining the origins of Roman traditional holidays and customs. Toward the end of his writing career, Ovid experienced a personal transformation within his writing -- it shifted away from romantic topics and focused on hypocrisy and hatred, most
Depending on prior knowledge or expectations, it is a bit surprising that Ovid came from …show more content…
Some of his most popular writings are the most meaningful. At the beginning of his career, love was the focus of his writings. Amores is a collection of arousingly explicit poems praising Corinna, an imaginary woman; it became incredibly popular and brought success. Later on Ovid wrote Epistolae Heroidum (Heroides) which was a series of letters written in the perspectives of mythical goddesses and heroes to their missing lovers. Following with the theme of love, Ovid wrote Ars Amatoria an intriguing work full of advice and techniques to make one’s relationship work such as: finding a woman, keeping a woman, and a woman’s guide to understanding men and its sequel Remedia Amoris which was more advice focusing on avoiding pain caused by failed love or rejection. Ovid seemed to romanticize women’s physiques also visible in his work Medicamina Faciei Femineae which consists of separate pieces on women’s beauty treatments and the defense of cosmetic makeup, it also contains a number of recipes for homemade facial treatments. His most ambitious work was the grand Metamorphoses, an epic poem consisting of thousands of lines written in dactylic hexameter, also known as “heroic hexameter” or “the meter of epic”. It contains mythological tales and stories which take place from the beginning of the universe up to the death and appraisal of Julius Caesar. Another story focusing on mythological gods was Fasti a Latin poem constructed of six separate works that each represented the months of January to July, respectively. This work was a collection of reports and first person perspectives of Roman deities explaining the origins of Roman traditional holidays and customs. Toward the end of his writing career, Ovid experienced a personal transformation within his writing -- it shifted away from romantic topics and focused on hypocrisy and hatred, most