Ovid's Amores, Book One

Book excerpt: Students of Latin have long enjoyed the poetry of Ovid, but his love poems, aptly titled Amores, have proved more difficult to introduce into the classroom. Curricular changes and increased appreciation of sophisticated love poetry are finally making room for the Amores. This edition of the first book of the Amores—the only one available for both intermediate- and advanced-level classes—addresses the needs of students of varying abilities and experience, helping them comprehend, and more fully enjoy, the rich complexities of Ovid's poetry. In their introduction to the volume, Maureen B. Ryan and Caroline A. Perkins recount Ovid's career as a poet, describe the elegiac genre, and explain elegiac meter and style. For the Latin text, they briefly introduce each poem, acquainting students with relevant subject matter and themes. Their commentary provides helpful notes clarifying grammatical constructions, word order, ellipsis, and other complexities of the Latin language that can challenge even the most experienced student. On the assumption that students will gain skills as they work through each poem, Ryan and Perkins give extensive and repeated assistance at the beginning of the text, tapering off as the student's facility increases. Throughout their commentary, they highlight thematic points of interest; explain mythological, cultural, and literary allusions; and stress the importance of Ovid's literary innovations. In addition to the critical apparatus accompanying each poem, this volume features a glossary of literary terms, a comprehensive Latin-to-English vocabulary, and an up-do-date bibliography.