Introduction
- Who were the “leading lights in the literary culture of Augustan Rome”?
- How were wealthy Roman women different from women of classical Athens?
- "Fearful that Roman society was becoming too decadent,” what did Augustus do?
The Art of Love
- How does he refer to Love at the beginning of the poem?
- According to Ovid, how is a successful man expected to behave toward women?
- What is Ovid’s view of the nature of women?
- What purpose do allusions to Greek and Roman mythology serve? Are they just “window dressing” or do they significantly enhance the ideas set forth concerning love?
- What picture of life in Augustan Rome does this poem give you?
- Describe some of the specific “arts” or techniques recommended by Ovid. Do you think that some of them are used today?
