Ovidius Classic Opera Omnia 1702 Engravings Fine NR!

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

This is volume 1 of one of the best Ovidius editions ever. A very important addition to a serious library specializing in historical, poetic, literary, or philosophical subjects, offered under no reserve. TITLE and DESCRIPTION : P. Ovidii Nasonis Opera Omnia, In tres Tomos divisa, Cum Integris Nicolai Heinsii, D.F.... Studio Borchardi Cnippingii. Amstelodami, Proftant apud Waesbergios, Boom, & Goethals. MDCCII (17020. Duodecimo (7.5 by 4.5 inches, 2 inches thick). xx + 848 pages including a full Index. VOLUME ONE ONLY. Two Beautiful engravings as shown attributed to Mulder. In Latin.Citation: Ovid, Nicolaas Heinsius, and Borchardus Cnippingius. 1702. P. Ovidii Nasonis Opera omnia: in tres tomos divisa . Amstelodami: Prostant apud Waesbergios, Boom, & Goethals. Very nice volume, fine binding with gilded raised bands and gilded labels. No bookworm or soling, some foxing due to paper. Fine Condition. BACKGROUND : Ovidius, roman poet, noted especially for his ARS AMATORIA and METAMORPHOSES. Ovid was the first major writer to grow up under the empire. He died far from home, in a desolate town by the Black Sea. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Ovidian stories were highly popular among artists, poets and in courts. In England the Metamorphoses was one of Chaucer's favorite books. I'm sorry for any fool who rates sleep a prime blessing And enjoys it from dusk till dawn Night in, night out. What's sleep but cold death's reflection? Publius Ovidius Naso was a member of the Roman knightly class. Ovid came from Sulmo in the territory of the Paeligni. His last name meant a 'nose', perhaps after some ancestor who had a big nose. Ovid's parents had destined him for a career in law. He studied rhetoric under Aurelius Fuscus and Porcius Latro and his education was completed in Athens, where he decided to become a poet, and rich and famous. With the poet Macer, Ovid travelled in Asia Minor and Sicily. In Rome he started to practise law as one of the judges who tried testamentary and sometimes criminal cases. Legal phraseology is seen later in his writing. Soon he decided that public life did not suit him. Ovid retired to devote himself entirely to writing. He was married three times; his only daughter was probably his second wife. In a short while, Ovid gained the reputation of being the most brilliant poet of his generation. Among his first series of poems were love elegies, AMORES, a fictitious romance between the poet and a woman named Corinna. It was followed by HEROIDES, written in the form of love letters between mythological lovers, such as Paris and Helen. At the age of forty Ovid published Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love), an instruction book about seducing in three volumes, two for men and one for women. The poet expressed in it his disillusionment with old ideals and stated: "Let others delight in the good old days; I am delighted to be alive right now. This age is suited to my way of life." Ovid's expectations of a quiet life was ruined when emperor Augustus banished him in 8 AD to Tomi, a fishing village on the northwest coast of the Black Sea. He had been hailed as the successor to Virgil , but lived his last ten years among barbarians, keeping up the hope of return to Rome. For Ovid, who had declared Rome to be his only home, exile was the hardest punishment. Augustus also had Ovid's works removed from public libraries. In his own time Ovid was an immensely popular writer, but he also said: "So long as you are secure you will count many friends; if your life becomes clouded you will be alone." The reasons behind the emperor's decisions are unsolved, but he may have objected to a rumored affair between Ovid and the emperor's nymphomaniac daughter Julia, whose portrait is drawn among others in Robert Graves 's Claudius novels. Perhaps Ovid witnessed the affair between Julia and Silanus. Augustus himself wanted to restore old Roman family values and criminalize adultery, but he wasn't a good example: he had divorced his wife to marry his mis... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.