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
dare fear sins truly
If she is chaste when there is no fear of detection, she is truly chaste; she who sins not because she dare not, does the sin
fate opportunity sin
Had I not sinned what would there be for you to pardon. My fate has given you the opportunity for mercy.
punishment bears sin
Indulgent gods, grant me to sin once with impunity. That is sufficient. Let a second offence bear its punishment.
men jupiter sin
If Jupiter hurled his thunderbolt as often as men sinned, he would soon be out of thunderbolts.
roots evil sin
He who sins easily, sins less. The very power Renders less vigorous the roots of evil.
men jupiter sin
If Jupiter should hurl a bolt whenever men sin, His armory would quickly be empty.
night ugly woman
At night there is no such thing as an ugly woman
borne
The burden which is well borne becomes light.
whether women
Whether they give or refuse, it delights women just the same to have been asked.
believe
He who can believe himself well, will be well.
darkness fault hid night woman
Blemishes are hid by night and every fault forgiven; darkness makes any woman fair.
anger becomes belongs fair ferocious peace
Fair peace becomes men; ferocious anger belongs to beasts.
death frown sneer worried
A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.
prince
A prince should be slow to punish, and quick to reward.