Ovid

Publius Ovid Nazon (43 g. Author of the poems "Metamorphoses" and "Science of Love", as well as elegies - "Love Elegies" and "Sorrowful Elegies."

There are many interesting facts in the biography of Ovid, which we will talk about in this article.

So, before you is a short biography of Ovid.

Biography of Ovid

Ovid was born on March 20, 43 in the city of Sulmo. He grew up and was brought up in a family that belonged to the equit (horsemen) class.

Childhood and youth

Since Ovid's father was a wealthy man, he was able to give his children a good education.

The boy's talent for writing began to manifest itself in childhood. In particular, he was able to compose elegies with ease. An interesting fact is that even when he had to write prose, he involuntarily came out poems.

Having received his education, Ovid, under pressure from his father, entered the civil service, but soon decided to abandon it for the sake of writing.

The head of the family was very upset by his son's decision, but Ovid was determined to do what he loved. He went on a trip, having visited Athens, Asia Minor and Sicily.

Later Ovid joined a group of famous poets, the leader of which was Mark Valerius Messal Corvinus. When he was about 18 years old, he first performed in front of the audience with his works. It was from this moment that Ovid's biographers began the countdown of his creative life.

Poetry

Until the age of 25, Ovid mainly composed poems of erotic themes. His earliest poem is "Heroids".

It is worth noting that today the authenticity of certain verses is questioned, but in most of the poems, Ovid's authorship is not in doubt.

His early robots include the collection of poetry "Amores", written in the spirit of the same love lyrics. Ovid dedicated it to his friend Corinna. He managed to masterfully convey human feelings, guided by his experience and observation of the people around him.

It was after the publication of this collection that Ovid gained immense popularity. He was among the most talented poets in Rome. Later he published the tragedy Medea and the major work Science of Love.

Both men and women read Ovid's poems to their beloved, trying to express their feelings with their help.

In 1 year Ovid presented another poem "The Medicine for Love", after which he was recognized as one of the best elegists. It was addressed to men who wanted to get rid of annoying wives and girls.

A few years later, having become full of elegiac works, the poet wrote the fundamental poem "Metamorphoses". It presented a mythological picture of the world from the appearance of space to the coming to power of Julius Caesar.

In 15 books, Ovid described 250 ancient legends, interconnected in both thematic and geographical areas. As a result, "Metamorphoses" was recognized as his best work.

During that period of his biography, Ovid also worked on a collection of couplets - "Fasty". He intended to describe all the calendar months, holidays, rituals, natural elements and give various interesting facts. However, he had to quit this job, due to the disfavor of Emperor Augustus.

Apparently Augustus, who later ordered the exile of Ovid from Rome to the city of Tomis, was angry with the lyrics because of an unknown "mistake" in one of his poems. Lyric biographers suggest that the emperor did not like the work, which undermined the ethical norms and principles of the state.

According to another version, creativity was just a convenient excuse to get rid of Ovid, hiding political or personal motives.

While in exile, Ovid felt a strong nostalgia for Rome, as a result of which he composed mournful works. He wrote 2 collections - "Sorrowful Elegies" and "Letters from Pontus" (9-12 AD).

At about the same time, Ovid created the work "Ibis", built as a curse, which is pronounced by the priest at the altar. Scientists still cannot come to a consensus about who exactly this curse is addressed to.

"Sorrowful Elegies" became the most important source of information regarding the creative and personal biography of Ovid.

In his work, the author described everyday life during his disgraced life, gave justifying arguments, turned to relatives and friends, and also asked for pardon and salvation.

In Letters from Pontus, Ovid's despair reached its climax. He begs his friends to intercede for him in front of August and talk about his difficult life far from his homeland.

In the last part of the collection, the poet asked the enemy to leave him alone and let him die in peace.

Personal life

From the works of Ovid it becomes known that he was married three times.

The first wife of the lyricist, whom he married at the insistence of his father, was supposed to protect him from frivolity and frivolous life. However, the efforts of the wife were in vain. The guy continued to lead an idle life, having several mistresses.

As a result, the wife decided to part ways with Ovid shortly after their marriage. After that, the lyricist married of his own free will. However, this union did not last long.

For the third time, Ovid married a girl named Fabia, whom he loved very much and looked for inspiration in her. For her sake, the man stopped leading a riotous life, spending all the time with his wife.

It is worth noting that Fabia had a daughter from a previous marriage. Ovid had no children of his own.

The idyll of love was interrupted by the expulsion of the poet to Tomis, where he found himself completely alone. Biographers suggest that Fabia was somehow connected with an influential patrician family, thanks to which she could support her husband in exile.

Death

As mentioned earlier, in exile, Ovid greatly yearned for Rome and his family. Relatives and friends could not persuade the emperor to take pity on him.

According to one of the popular quotes, Ovid dreamed of “dying in the midst of labor,” which later happened.

Immediately after writing the Letters from Pontus, Ovid died in 17 (18) AD. at the age of 59. The exact cause of his death is still not known.