Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC - 18 AD) originally began his career being educated in the subjects of law and other magisterial pursuits. He soon learned however that writing was his real conviction. Ovid was a favorite among his contemporaries, and was often considered the most brilliant poet of his generation. However, his elegant and richly detailed verses on love created problems with the emperor Augustus.
The golden age of Roman literature was also an age of vast moral reformation, and Ovid was eventually exiled. While the true nature of the exile is unknown, his verses certainly played a role, though additional scandal likely played a part. For nearly 10 years, Ovid languished in the small fishing village of Tomi, far from his beloved Rome. His poetry continued in this period, however, before he died in 17 AD.
Ovid's influence continued long after his death with his most famous work, The Metamorphoses, having a profound impact on the writers of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Works:
Metamorphoses, Amores (Love)
Heroides, Ars Amatoria (Art of Love)
Remedia Amoris (Cures for Love), Ibis
Tristia, ex Ponto
Fasti
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