Ovid One Cool Dude
Life Stats Publius Ovidius Naso = nickname nightmare! March 23, 43 BC – 17 AD Rome, Italy Law? NO!!!! Poetry? YES!!!! Widely influenced literature and art Excellent source for classical mythology
Scandal! Ran with an “unruly crowd” instead of Rome’s elite Poetry not really considered serious Accused of irreverence to the state Sent into exile Poems present a balanced view of both the creative and the destructive forces of human passion
“The Metamorphoses” Written in 15 books Encyclopedically catalogues transformations in Greek and Roman mythology Stories follow each other in the telling of human beings transformed to new bodies — trees, rocks, animals, flowers, constellations, etc.
“The Metamorphoses” Dactylic hexameter epic poem Dactyl “hex” long, short, short Greek for “finger” “hex” six sets of dactyls per line -UU-UU-UU-UU-UU-UU