It contains the translation of four Ovid's long poems: Amores, The Art of Love, Cure for Love, and On Facial Treatment for Ladies. The three first are very popular (and, yes, "erotic"), but the last one i think is interesting too since as it is indicated by the title, it tells the how-to do facial treatment during his time. It is great to imagine Ovid's time as the time when poem is positioned not only as "literary work" but as "literature" in general.
The edition is translated by Peter Green and he gives a long important introduction (80 pages) which gives the information about the context. Besides, the 160 pages of notes and references also very useful to understand the poems.

I had to buy this book for a class, but the teacher had a stroke and the new teacher didn't bother to include the book in the curriculum. Needless to say, I feel ripped off so I hopefully will find the time to finish up the book.

There were about a dozen that resonated. Not bad for 2000 year old poems. The others seemed contrived. But, it might well be the translator not Ovid.

ovid's love poetry is pretty good (though a bit p r o b l e m a t i c at times), and it's quite funny to read it while taking into account that he's a pretentious (and quite lazy tbh) 18 year old writing in imperial rome.

This was beautiful to read. Funny, satirical, and wondefully written. Melville's translation was thoroughly enjoyable.

From 2005-2006, this was my favorite book. The rhythm. The rhyme. The substance. I love this book.

Should have named it the misogyny poems

Ancient set of poems on themes of love and desire...a little quaint by modern standards, sometimes dipping to the droll. But that may be the fault of the translator. And yes, I had some problems with him, most notably his all-too-modern terminology (I highly doubt "bump and grind" ever came out of Ovid's mouth or pen. But I may be wrong). That, at times, had me almost putting the book down. Nonetheless, it's been on my tbr list for far too long and now, finished. If you enjoy ancient poetry...Honestly, I wouldn't put this at the top of my list of things to read, it did give me a laugh here and there (Not sure if Ovid intended that but I'd like to think so). So, you might find some tidbits here to make it worth the time.

I love Ovid's style of writing! Can't get enough of the cynicism and view of love as sport. Studied it twice now and with growing appreciation would be happy to read it again!

This was my first time reading ancient poetry and i dont know if i loved it, but it was definitely interesting. Ovid’s way of talking about women was questionable; but i just kept in mind that this was written in 16 AD

28. Ovid : The Love Poems (Oxford World's Classics) translated by A. D. Melville
Introduction: E. J. Kenney
other translations used B. P. Moore's 1935 translation of The Art of Love, & Christopher Marlowe translations for Amores 1.5, 3.7 & 3.14
published: 1990
format: Paperback
acquired: Library
read: June 18 - July 7
rating: ??

Contains four collections of poems:
Amores - 16 bce
Cosmetics for Ladies - date unclear, but before The Art of Love
The Art of Love - 2 ce
Cures for Love - date unknown, probably close to 2 ce

What first struck me about Ovid's Amores was how unromantic they are. I think I was expecting beautiful musings or something like that. While Ovid plays with muses and especially on the idea of Cupid and his arrows, these poems are largely on petty problems with woman who are married or suspicious or whatnot. They are full-out sarcasm and humor on the surface, often quite rude or offensive in a way that leaves one suspecting that was the intention. It seems Ovid was first and foremost being clever, and intent on showing how clever he is. And most of what he accomplishes, he does so through cleverness. Melville tells me Ovid successfully undermined the whole of Roman love poetry, which had a long tradition, even has he wrote it, exposing it while mastering it.

As a reader, I was left with the impression of writer who was never entirely serious, but also, at the same time, very serious. The poems drift from practical issues to mythology and back again, referencing a wide assortment of well known and obscure mythology (obscure even to well educated Romans). He also brings in a wide sense of world knowledge, referencing many writers and many oddities, even Judaism twice.

Amores is the most complex of the works here and hard to summarize other than to say love poetry or humor based on it. The Art of Love is a faux-handbook for young men on how to find love. Full of humor, it crosses lines, mainly by implication. It apparently may have been the cause of Ovid's exile from Rome, announced personally by Augustus. Cures for Love is pure humor on ways to get over a relationship. It reads as if it was intended to be pared with The Art of Love. Cosmetics for Ladies is only partially preserved and is the guide the title suggests it is, but just done in clever poetry, mock seriousness and humor.

Overall the tone lets the reader relax and just enjoy what Ovid's doing. I was entertained, and pretty content reading through these, casually. Sometimes I would get lost, but mostly he's fairly straightforward and Melville's translations are clear and his notes are good. Melville rhymes everything, which brings out some of the sense of play. But he's a little bland, and he can't replicate the Latin complexity. Moore read practically the same as Melville. Marlowe's additions were kind of special, but also, as I have just discovered, heavily altered by Melville.

from Amores book 3, elegia vii - "Marlowe's version slightly modernized"

Yes, she was beautiful and well turned out,
The girl that I'd so often dream about,
Yet I lay with her limp as if I loved not,
A shameful burden on the bed that moved not.
Thought both of us were sure of our intent,
Yet could I not cast anchor where I meant.
She round my neck her ivory arms did throw,
Her arms far whiter than Scythian snow,
And eagerly she kissed me with her tongue,
And under mine her wanton thigh she flung.
Yes, and she soothed me up, and called me sire,
And used all speech that might provoke and stir.
Yet like as if cold hemlock I had drunk,
It humbled me, hung down the head, and sunk.

(Marlowe's actual version can be found here (it helps to search for "Scythian"): https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21262... )

Ovid is a scoundrel and a creep; I'm glad Augustus banished him to the Black Sea. These poems have nothing to do with erotica, and I only give it one star for rhyming consistently and being relatively brief. I pity Ovid, having not the courage to pursue integrity.

Check out these gems:

"I may lack weight but not virility; And fun's the food that fortifies performance - No girl has ever been let down by me." (p.42) LOL

On being attentive to a potential (female) lover: "Small things please little minds: it profits much." (p.91) Nothing sexier than the challenge of wooing a bird-brain.

"First tell yourself all women can be won: Just spread your nets; the thing's good as done." (p.94) The "thing" being sleeping with married women. He actually said he prefers sleeping with wives and hiding from their husbands in the bushes.

"Though she deny them (kisses), take what she denies. Perhaps she'll first resist and call you rude, Yet, while resisting, longs to be subdued. But careful, lest her tender lips be scarred / By snatching, and she cry: 'You kiss too hard.'...'Brute force!' you'll say: it's force that women want, They love refusing what they long to grant." (p.105) Yes boy o boy do we love it. I think Ovid gave necessity to the phrase, "No means no"! A**hole.

"Brute that I was, I mauled her forehead, I used my nails to scratch her delicate face. She stood distraught, her features pale and bloodless, Like marble quarried from the hills of Greece. I saw her numb and faint, her body quivering...Her tears, long-hanging, down her cheeks came flowing...so my crime's sad signs may last no longer - Set your hair straight and put it back in place." (p.14) OMFG.

Ovid the pervert also recommends a great way for women to woo men is to literally steal from them. But then he goes on a tirade about how he cannot afford to buy presents for the many mistresses in his life, and how it frustrates him to no end. He also only describes women as "girls", and only in relation to how they make him feel (generally frustrated), never pausing to imagine their feelings, not once. God forbid one ever actually become vexed at him though, or cry; here's his genius remedy for assuaging the matter:

"Nor give her anger time to force...Into your bosom take the weeping thing; Kiss her, caress her, though she weep and weep: This way comes peace, and anger's put to sleep. When in full cry, on war she's plainly bent, Propose adjourning bedward; she'll relent." (p.120) When the "thing" is in "full cry", y'all!

Speaking of watery substances, his wisdom keeps flowing: "When man by cautious woman is refused, She just wastes water which she might have used. No, don't be whores; just banish from your thought / Vain fears of cost: your giving costs you nought." (p.130) Ovid is on full-charm mode here.

This vessel of vulgarity ends with, "Cured now, both man and woman, by my song." (p.173) OMG, only "cured" because this is done.

The only benefit of reading this book was it bringing me one book closer to my yearly Goodreads goal.