Ovid

Question 1

Born in:

Answer 1

Sulmo, 90 Miles from Rome, Apennines

43 BC. Ovid was an Eques

Question 2

Heroides

Answer 2

Letter-elegies to heroines of myth who got dumped by their guys

Question 3

Ars Amatoria/Art of Love

Answer 3

“Expert of love” who gives advice somewhat sarcastically

Question 4

Medea

Answer 4

Lost :(

Question 5

Fasti

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Metamorphoses

Answer 6

Ovid worked on it until the time of his exile in 8 AD. Ovid’s only hexameter poem. An “epic of love.”

Question 7

Family

Answer 7

“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.

Question 8

Brother

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Birthday

Answer 9

He was born in March at the festival sacred to Minerva.

Question 10

“But I, even in boyhood, held out for higher matters, and the Muse was seducing me subtly to her work”

Answer 10

Even as a child, Ovid wasn’t interested in becoming an orator. He wanted to be a poet.

Question 11

“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.”

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

Cursus Honorum

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Who inspired Ovid?

Answer 13

Corinna

Question 14

What did Ovid do with writing he thought was defective?

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Was Ovid involved in any scandals?

Answer 15

NOPE! Despite that “the smallest spark would ignite me”

Question 16

How many wives?

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Grandkids?

Answer 17

His daughter was twice pregnant (but by different husbands) and made him a grandfather early on.

Question 18

Family matters

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

At what age was he exiled?

Answer 19

Over 50 (the olympics had happened 10 times since his birth)

Question 20

Why was he exiled?

Answer 20

His associates and house-slaves betrayed him after Augustus’ pride was injured

Question 21

“Took arms on occasion with unpracticed hand”

Answer 21

Ovid took a trip by sea and land into exile

Question 22

Helicon

Answer 22

The land for poets. Ovid was given the rare gift of being famous while still being alive

Question 23

What does Ovid think about his poems?

Answer 23

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!

Question 24

Tibullus

Answer 24

Died early on, was an Elegiac guy. Ovid wrote a sad poem after his death.

Question 25

Propertius

Answer 25

A good friend of Ovid’s, maybe 10 years older. Also wrote in Elegiac.