Ovid: Ars Amatoria, Book III (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries) by Roy K. Gibson

by Ovid

Book 3 of Ovid's Ars Amatoria teaches women how to catch and keep men and is presented in this modern edition, based on the revised Oxford Classical Text by E.J. Kenney. In his extensive introduction and commentary, Gibson responds to recent developments in interpreting didactic poetry and the treatment of women by classical authors, especially the Latin elegiac poets. He explores how the interests of male readers are covertly served in a book addressed to women.

Genres: Poetry, Ancient, Classics

Paperback

First published January 1, 2

About the author

Publius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horatius, with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. The Imperial scholar Quintilian considered him the last of the Latin love elegists. Although Ovid enjoyed enormous popularity during his lifetime, the emperor Augustus exiled him to Tomis, the capital of the newly-organised province of Moesia, on the Black Sea, where he remained for the last nine or ten years of his life. Ovid himself attributed his banishment to a "poem and a mistake", but his reluctance to disclose specifics has resulted in much speculation among scholars.
Ovid is most famous for the Metamorphoses, a continuous mythological narrative in fifteen books written in dactylic hexameters. He is also known for works in elegiac couplets such as Ars Amatoria ("The Art of Love") and Fasti. His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and greatly influenced Western art and literature. The Metamorphoses remains one of the most important sources of classical mythology today.

Reviews

[Uma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not surprised at the negative reaction to this book - to many, this is a book that is misogynistic and falls short to the mark of satire, plain and simple. However, I would have to disagree. I quite enjoyed this book and while this is not Ovid’s best work, each page was enjoyable and satirical to my taste. Given the cultural and social context to when this was written, I think it’s a fun piece of literature and I especially do recommend this for women. You will have to go to this with an open mind and it is not for everyone but I’m biased towards Roman literature. 3.8 stars would be more befitting.

[Grace Cooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it satire? Is it a reflection of Ovid's real views on the best behaviour of women? Is it all just a response to the new morality laws under Emperor Augustus or a way for Ovid to pull some women and get some action?
This text only received a three-star rating because I had to cut him some slack for the time he was writing. The fact that women have been paid so much attention at all in a work from Ancient Rome is uncommon, regardless of the contents of the text. Much of the text reads as deeply satirical because of the absurdity of Ovid's instructions and his tongue-in-cheek references to how sexy poets are not unaccounted for.
However, I think his comedy is lost on me. This was useful as an insight into Roman societal views on women, especially in the more oppressive Augustan regime that Ovid was rebelling against. But.. that's about it.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Ovid’s more “satirical” works. While the satire is not lost on me, it comes across as humourless and dry even for my tastes. I won’t chalk this up to this not being to someone’s palate because I feel it was misogynistic. Full stop. Maybe if this had been written by his less recent peers like Aristophanes or Sophocles it would’ve been slightly easier digest as a caricature of Greco-Roman views on women and their duties. Alas, Ovid had a strong reputation as a man who was more than likely against the vindication of women from his time so I feel my rating is justified.

[Riv · Rating 1 out of 5]

i don’t care what the “deeper” meaning of this piece of literature is. it sucks so much i hate it

[☾⋆｡ A °✩.⟡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ick, poem XVIII especially

[millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inscribe on your trophies 'Ovid was my master.'
I cant wait to use this in my day to day life thanks ovid 😍😍
In all seriousness studying this is great, its actually very interesting

[Book busy · Rating 3 out of 5]

sexist satire, what more can I say