A Companion to Ovid
Chapter One
A Poet's Life
Peter E. Knox
Introduction
Late in his career, Ovid defined his place in recent literary history by drawing up a
list of names (Tr. 4.10.41-54):
temporis illius colui fouique poetas,
quotque aderant uates, rebar adesse deos.
saepe suas uolucres legit mihi grandior aeuo,
quaeque nocet serpens, quae iuuat herba, Macer.
saepe suos solitus recitare Propertius ignes,
iure sodalicii, quo mihi iunctus erat.
Ponticus heroo, Bassus quoque clarus iambis
dulcia conuictus membra fuere mei.
et tenuit nostras numerosus Horatius aures,
dum ferit Ausonia carmina culta lyra.
Vergilium uidi tantum, nec auara Tibullo
tempus amicitiae fata dedere meae.
successor fuit hic tibi, Galle, Propertius illi;
quartus ab his serie temporis ipse fui.
The poets of that time I cultivated and cherished, and for me poets were so many gods.
Often Macer, already advanced in years, read ... read full excerpt from A Companion to Ovid ebook
