Ovid

Born in Sulmo in 43 BCE, Ovid grew up in a well-off family and was educated for public life, but he chose poetry instead. Writing during the age of Augustus, he became one of the most celebrated poets in Rome, admired for his polished style, quick intelligence, and gift for making ancient myths feel vivid and alive.

His best-known work, Metamorphoses, is a sweeping poem that gathers together mythological tales of change and transformation, from the creation of the world to the age of Julius Caesar. He also wrote influential works on love, including the Amores and Ars Amatoria, as well as the Fasti, a poem tied to the Roman calendar.

Late in life, Ovid was exiled by Augustus to Tomis on the Black Sea, a punishment that remains partly mysterious. From exile he wrote poems of longing and complaint, including the Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto. His voice has endured for two thousand years, inspiring writers, artists, and composers with its energy, elegance, and sympathy for human desire and change.