ABSTRACT
Publius Ovidius Naso, commonly known as Ovid, was born on March 20, 43 bce at Sulmo, a town located about 100 miles east of Rome. He was born to a family of equestrian rank, and he received an excellent education which was meant to prepare him for a legal career. Although he did hold some minor public offices, Ovid instead felt compelled to write poetry. In Tristia 4.10.17–26, Ovid recalls his early devotion to poetry: frater ad eloquium viridi tendebat ab aevo, fortia verbosi natus ad arma fori; at mihi iam puero caelestia sacra placebant, inque suum furtim Musa trahebat opus. saepe pater dixit “studium quid inutile temptas? Maeonides nullas ipse reliquit opes.” motus eram dictis, totoque Helicone relicto scribere temptabam verba soluta modis. sponte sua carmen numeros veniebat ad aptos, et quod temptabam scribere versus erat.
My brother tended towards oratory from a young age; he was born for the strong weapons of the wordy forum. But for me already as a boy heavenly worship was pleasing, and the Muse stealthily was drawing me into her work. Often my father said: “Why do you attempt a useless pursuit? Homer himself left no wealth.” I was moved by his words, and, with Helicon altogether left behind, I tried to write words freed from meter. Of its own accord, song came to fitting numbers, and whatever I tried to write was verse.
