A Commentary on Ovid, Ars Amatoria 2, 1-294

Abstract

This thesis ('A commentary on Ovid Ars Amatoria 2, 1-294') is submitted to The University of Manchester for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. It examines the methods through which Ovid presents internal unity and structure to the poem: through the use of the progress metaphor, and a sense of narrative progression. It also examines the generic positioning of the Ars within Ovid's wider oeuvre, with special reference to the Amores and Heroides. It treats the poet's use of mythological exempla, and how these are used as models (whether positive or negative) for the lover. This provides rich intertextuality with Ovid's elegiac predecessors. As well as mythological figures, Ovid uses the models of the kolax ('Flatterer') and of the canvassing electioneer as a means of reconciling the lover's traditional role as 'slave of love' with that of a free Roman male. These themes are exposed and analysed through a systematic, line-by-line commentary on the first 294 lines of Ars 2.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Roy Gibson (Supervisor) & Alison Sharrock (Supervisor)