The three poetic books of Ovid’s “Ars Amatoria” taught men and women of the Roman Empire how to master the art of love. His astute love advice has been passed down through the generations and across different cultures in the following centuries. Ovid’s poetry taught men and women the art of seduction and love.
The first two books teach men how to flirt with, converse with, and seduce women. Ovid’s love poetry offers wise and entertaining advice to men and women on how to find and keep a lover.
Even though people today live in a different time and place than the ancient Romans did, I think they will still find these books fascinating and interesting to read. Many old ideas about love are still useful and good for people who want to learn how to love in the present day. So, I used parts of these books from Anthony Kline’s translations of Ovid’s magnificent books and posted them in several articles on this blog (Kline, 2001).
The delightful poetries of Book 1 teach us about
“What Is His Task” (Part 1),
“How to Find Her” (Part 2),
“Search for Love While Walking” (Part 3),
“Search for Love while at the Theatre” (Part 4),
“Search for Love at the Races or Circus” (Part 5),
“Triumphs that Are Good to Attract a Woman” (Part 6),
“Search for Love around the Dinner-Table and on the Beach” (Parts 7 and 8),
“How to Win Her” (Part 9),
“How to Know the Maid” (Part 10),
“How to Be Attentive to Her” (Part 11),
“How to Make Promises of Love to Her” (Part 12),
“How to Woo and Seduce a Woman” (Parts 13 and 14),
“How to Captivate a Woman at Dinner” (Part 15),
“How to Make Promises and Deceive” (Part 16),
“How Tears, Kisses, Taking the Lead Can Help in Love Affairs” (Part 17),
“Psychology Love Tricks in the Art of Love” (Parts 18-19).
Here are Parts VIII and IX of Ovid’s Book II, teaching how giving her favor, compliment, and comfort in sickness are the important things in the art of love.
Favor Her and Compliment Her, Part VIII of Book II:
Here is Part VIII of Ovid’s Book II, teaching men how giving her favors and compliments can help win her love.
“Then what you’re about to do, and think is useful,
always get your lover to ask you to do it.
You promised liberty to one of your slaves:
still let him seek the fact of it from your girl:
if you stay a punishment, forgo the use of cruel chains,
let her be thankful to you, for what you did:
the advantage is yours: the title ‘giver’ is your lover’s:
you lose nothing, she plays the mistress’s part.
But whoever you are, who want to keep your girl,
she must think that you’re inspired by her beauty.
If she’s dressed in Tyrian robes, praise Tyrian:
if she’s in Coan silk, consider Coan fitting.
She’s in gold-thread? She’s more precious than gold:
She wears wool, approve the wool she’s wearing.
She leaves off her tunic, cry: ‘You set me on fire’,
but request her anxiously to beware of chills.
She’s parted her hair: praise the parting:
she waves her hair: be pleased with the waves.
Admire her limbs as she dances, her voice when she sings,
and when it finishes, grieve that it’s finished in words.
It’s fine if you tell her what delights, and what gives joy
about her lovemaking, her skill in bed.
Though she’s more violent than fierce Medusa,
she’ll be ‘kind and gentle’ to her lover.
But make sure of this: don’t let your expression
give your speech the lie, lest you seem a deceiver with words.
Art works when its hidden: discovery brings shame, and time destroys faith in everything of merit.”
Kline, A. S. (2001). Translation of Ovid’s Ars Amatoria: The Art of Love.
Comfort Her in Sickness, Part IX of Book II:
Here is Part IX of Ovid’s Book II, teaching men how giving her comfort in sickness can help win her love.
“Often in autumn, when the season’s loveliest,
and the ripe grape’s dyed with purple juice,
when now we’re frozen solid, now drenched with heat,
the body’s listless in the changing air.
Your girl’s well in fact: but if she’s lying sick,
feels ill because of the unhealthy weather,
then let love and devotion be obvious to your girl,
then sow what you’ll reap later with full sickle.
Don’t be put off by the fretfulness of the patient,
let yours be the hand that does what she allows.
And be seen weeping, and don’t shrink from kisses,
let her parched mouth drink from your tears.
Pray a lot, but all aloud: and, as often as she lets you,
tell her happy dreams that you remembered.
And let the old woman come who cleanses room and bed,
bringing sulphur and eggs in her trembling hands.
The signs of a welcome devotion are in all this:
by these means into wills many have made their way.
But don’t let dislike for your attentions rise from illness,
only be charming, in your earnestness:
don’t prohibit food, or hand her cups of bitter stuff:
let your rival mix all that for her.”
Kline, A. S. (2001). Translation of Ovid’s Ars Amatoria: The Art of Love.