Ars Amatoria; or, The Art Of LoveOvidOmniClassics · Literature
Ars Amatoria; or, The Art Of Love
OvidA witty instructor turns courtship into an elaborate literary art, revealing as much about his performance as about love.
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About the book
Ovid adopts the voice of a teacher who claims to organize desire through rules, examples, and practical advice. Public entertainments, dress, letters, conversation, and mythological stories become materials for his instruction. The confident system is also a comic performance, and readers can notice how frequently the language of control encounters the unpredictability of another person. Henry T. Riley's English prose translation supplies extensive notes that explain references and alternative readings. This historical poem contains assumptions about gender and conduct that should not be mistaken for contemporary relationship guidance. Its literary interest lies in the inventive treatment of an apparently teachable subject, the gap between authority and self-display, and the use of familiar myths in unexpected argumentative roles.
- Desire and performance
- Persuasion
- Literary instruction
Why read it
For a playful didactic voice whose elaborate confidence invites scrutiny as well as amusement.
English prose translation with notes by Henry T. Riley