Ovid’s Art of Love (Ars amatoria)

Ideology, Poetry, Empire

Marine Venus – Pompeii, 1st cent. CE

Ovid

Agenda

Recap & UpdateVirtus romana, matrimonium, lex

Ovid’s ArsBackground, Structure, Theme

DiscussionWhat Would Ovid Say?

Recap & Update

Virtus romana, matrimonium, lex

Virtus romana, matrimonium, lex

mos maiorum (“way of the ancestors”)and virtus romana

matrimonial ideology The Augustan legislation

lex iulia et papia lex iulia de adulteriis

coercendis

Augustus

04/19/2023 5

The Augustan Legislation

Lex iulia et papia 18 BCE, 9 CE Sanctions on marriage

between members of the ordo senatorius and Freedpersons Infames Criminals Adulterers

lex iulia de adulteriis coercendis 18 BCE to Repress adultery

Ovid’s Ars

Background, Structure, Theme

Bio-Historical Background

27 BCE

accession

14 CE

death

18 BCE

marriagelegislation

reign of Augustus

184 BCE

Cato censor

ca. 60 BCE

Catullus

Ovid (43 BCE–17/18 CE, banished 8 CE)Art of Love, ca. 2 BCE-2CE

9 CE41 BCE

Death of Caesar

Sulpicia

Structure

BOOK 1-A“First … comes the task of finding an object for your love” (p. 167)

BOOK 1-B“Next, you must labor to woo and win your lady” (p. 167)

BOOK 2“Thirdly, ensure that the affair will last” (p. 167)

BOOK 3“Now I must fashion weapons for Penthesilea and her girls” (p. 214)

Selected Themes, Issues

Lascivi amores “wanton passions”

“Safe love, legitimate liaisons” (p. 167) venerem tutam concessaque furta …, / nullum … crimen

Masculinity “Cybele’s Votaries” Guilty Menelaus (p. 203)

Mos maiorum On Cosmetics: “Young girls didn’t cultivate their persons in the old days. … Let others

worship the past; I much prefer the present” (bk3, p. 217)

Feminine treachery Pasiphae et al.

Erotic asymmetry, violence Rape of the Sabine Women “It’s all right to use force…”

Adultery (?) “to please your lady’s escort” (viro placuisse puellae) (p. 184) “Husbands allow this latitude to lawful wives…” (p. 207)

Discussion

What Would Ovid Say?

What Would Ovid Say?