Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso, known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace 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. He enjoyed enormous popularity, but, in one of the mysteries of literary history, he was sent by Augustus into exile...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionPoet
fear shadow alarms
The wounded limb shrinks from the slightest touch; and a slight shadow alarms the nervous. [Lat., Membra reformidant mollem quoque saucia tactum: Vanaque sollicitis incutit umbra metum.]
education bulls taurus
In time the bull is brought to wear the yoke. [Lat., Tempore ruricolae patiens fit taurus aratri.]
education art men
To be thoroughly imbued, with the liberal arts refines the manners, and makes men to be mild and gentle in their conduct.
nymphs echoes babbling
That tuneful nymph, the babbling Echo.
dream morning jam
Those dreams are true which we have in the morning, as the lamp begins to flicker. [Lat., Namque sub Aurora jam dormitante lucerna Sommia quo cerni tempore vera solent.]
long joy delay
Every delay that postpones our joys, is long. [Lat., Longa mora est nobis omnis, quae gaudia differt.]
medicine delay may
Meet the disorder in the outset, the medicine may be too late, when the disease has gained ground through delay.
white black looks
Skilled in every trick, a worthy heir of his paternal craft, he would make black look like white, and white look black. [Lat., Furtum ingeniosus ad omne, Qui facere assueret, patriae non degener artis, Candida de nigris, et de candentibus atra.]
deceit fraud pious
A pious fraud. [Lat., Pia fraus.]
yield age teeth
Devouring Time and envious Age, all things yield to you; and with lingering death you destroy, step by step, with venomed tooth whatever you attack.
fear wings movement
The dove, O hawk, that has once been wounded by thy talons, is frightened by the least movement of a wing. [Lat., Terretur minimo pennae stridore columba Unguibus, accipiter, saucia facta tuis.]
hands fire house
What is more useful than fire? Yet if any one prepares to burn a house, it is with fire that he arms his daring hands.
temptation leisure bows
Remove but the temptations of leisure, and the bow of Cupid will lose its effect.
spring inspiration men
The glow of inspiration warms us; this holy rapture springs from the seeds of the Divine mind sown in man.