Just out of curiosity, would there be any interest in an Ovid study group?
I have been thinking a lot about this 
I don’t know exactly what works of Ovid we could concentrate on as he wrote so much.
If there is any interest in this, let me know!
Dean
I’d be interested. Although my Latin is very new and I probably wouldn’t be able to contribute much. His Metamorphoses would be good because they are such an important part of Western Lit, but his Amores would probably be more fun. 
-Yvonne
I have always been and still am very fond of Ovids Tristia, five chapters of exile poetry in hexameters and pentameters.
The Metamorphoses are somewhat lighter and more playful, as are of course his poems about love, but I do not believe there is any work that can really compare to the outstanding, humorous and yet very emotional Tristia.
I have the Oxford Edition right here, and I’ve spent many hours reading i it already. While reading, I noticed I had trouble correctly translating the first 50 to 100 lines, which I read at a very low speed, about 10 lines per hour. Then later on, I could speed up to -now- almost 40 lines per hour, and I have less trouble understanding the difficult things. When trying to read some verses from the Metamorphoses last week, I went through it with about 75 verses per hour and it all seems quite easy now.
Let me give you an example of his excellent work:
[Tristia, I, III, 77-86]
Tum vero exoritur clamor gemitusque meorum,
et feriunt maestae pectore nuda manus.
Tum vero coniunx umeris abeuntis inhaerens
miscuit haec lacrimis tristia verba meis:
‘non potes avelli. Simul hinc, simul ibimus:’, inquit,
'te sequar et coniunx exulis exul ero.
et mihi facta via est, et me capit ultima tellus:
accedam profugae sarcina parva rati.
te iubet e patria discedere Caesaris ira,
me piets. pietas haec mihi Caesar erit."
I will not translate this into English right now, because I do not yet feel comfortable enough with translating Latin into English to do so let alone give you a good translation. Maybe someone will do it for me?
I did translate it into Dutch of course, but I don’t think there will be many people who would care for a Dutch translation. 
Tum vero exoritur clamor gemitusque meorum,
et feriunt maestae pectore nuda manus.
Tum vero coniunx umeris abeuntis inhaerens
miscuit haec lacrimis tristia verba meis:
‘non potes avelli. Simul hinc, simul ibimus:’, inquit,
'te sequar et coniunx exulis exul ero.
et mihi facta via est, et me capit ultima tellus:
accedam profugae sarcina parva rati.
te iubet e patria discedere Caesaris ira,
me piet[a]s. pietas haec mihi Caesar erit.
A roughish translation for anyone who needs one, though I don’t say it’s a good one (any corrections gratefully received). Ovid is about to go into exile having offended Caesar (by publishing ars amatoria iirc):
Then the shouting starts; my family weeping; mourning hands beat on the naked breast. And my wife, clinging to my departing shoulders, mixes these sad words with my tears: “You cannot be pulled asunder from me. Together; we shall go from here together,” she says. “I will follow you, and be an exile’s exiled wife. My path is mapped, and the land at the end of the world takes hold of me [?]: I shall add a little cargo to the ship as it flees. Caesar’s anger is what commands you to leave your homeland: for me, it’s dutiful love. This duty will be Caesar for me.”
You’d be surprised 
.
Ingrid
I did translate it into Dutch of course, but I don’t think there will be many people who would care for a Dutch translation.
O jawel, als je ze op de computer hebt staan, mag je me ze gerust eens sturen. Er zitten hier wel een aantal Nederlandstaligen hoor, je moet ze alleen weten te vinden tussen de bosjes en het struikgewas.
For those who don’t know Dutch and would know what I said, you should learn Dutch!
But because I am a friendly man, I will translate what I said in Dutch, but you can only read it if you promess to learn Dutch. If you don’t knoiw Dutch and you have no intention to learn it, you have to translate the text above yourself!
I said that there are a few Dutch - speakers here, so she can mail her translation to me if sche want to.
Greetz,
groetjes,
ik
Soemthing that I remember very well from the Tristia because I had this to translate in class.
Cum subit illius tristissima noctis imago,
Qua mihi supremum tempus in Urbe fuit,
Cum repeto noctem, qua tot mihi cara reliqui,
Labitur ex oculis nunc quoque gutta meis.
Iam prope lux aderat, qua me discedere Caesar
Finibus extremae iusserat Ausoniae.
Nec spatium nec mens fuerat satis apta parandi;
Torpuerant longa pectora nostra mora.
The very words that Ovid uses makes this passage quite sad.
When comes into mind the o so sad image of that night,
in which the last time in the City took place for me,
when I remember the night, on which I left behind so many dear to me,
flows from my eyes now too a tear.
The light had then almost come, by which Caesar had commanded me
to leave the borders of the furthest Italy.
Nor time nor spirit had there been to make enough preparations;
the long waiting had paralysed our chests.
Ulpianus, I really like that translation of yours.
Hi Dean,
If you would agree to be the group leader, we can set you up with a study group. We can always make the start date sometime in March, and if there are enough subscribers the group can move forward and if not, it can be delayed or cancelled.
Also, I do have a very nice Ovid reader waiting in the wings.
let me or William know.
thanks,
jeff
Jeff,
That would be great if we had an Ovid reader. That was my biggest worry…the reading material!
It will also be as big a challenge for me as for everyone else.
Maybe we could start in late March or early April.
Let me know either through the forum or my email
dhm323@comcast.net
Thanks!
Dean
what is going to be studied exactly?
I am a student of Latin in a form of self study. While franticaly looking for an online dictionary, I stumbled upon this forum. I had already intended to translate Metamorphosis and am very interested in taking part in a study group, though as Yvonne said I am not a master of the Latin and may not be able to contribute immensly.
talking about dictionaries; www.latijnnederlands.nl is a very good one for Dutch people, I recommend the Words-program for English people (accepts all forms of any word)
It’s funny but if I sit there and look at the Dutch language on this web page about the Latin to Dutch dictionary I can almost read it. Must have been because I had a German crash reading course. I still remeber some of it.
Dean
I would also be interested in setting an Ovid reading group. I am a bit self-taught, and I have been reading Cicero lately. It would be great to change! I was wondering.. does anyone know if there is any book (texkit online) available with comments and notes? (such as for the Odyssey). I see there is a litteral translation of Metamorphoses, but I would also like some help with difficult passages, explanatory notes…
You askeddoes anyone know if there is any book (texkit online) available with comments and notes? Yes there will be one in the next few weeks I hope
It has a vocabulary and notes by Allen and Greenough.
I was just thinking maybe we could do a few passages enough to last a month or so. That way you would at least be exposed to Ovid’s style.
Ovid is somewhat easier than some of the other poets. I was exposed to Ovid (and the other elegiac poets: Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius) before Vergil.
I think Ovid is a poet to be enjoyed…After all it is…
Ovid with Love!
Great! Yes, I think Ovid is a good starting point. I once tried Lucretius: he is sooo difficult!
Stay tuned><More details to follow!
I just ordered a copy of the text!!!
Best Regards.
Dean
Being well and truly hitched I have no practical use for it but I am thoroughly enjoying a
version of the “Art of Love” (Dating is the more appropriate term) which is pocket sized and displays the necessary vocabulary line for line,together with a FOLD-OUT vocabulary at the end of the book so you can also refer to that while you are studying
The book is edited by Graves Haydon Thompson and seems to be still be in print
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0865163952/102-5078766-3915314?v=glance
It amazes me to see the creative way Ovid will insert a Greek myth in the book with the flimsiest of pretexts.He will say for example it is difficult for any mortal to catch the wing of Eros-as he flies about all the time-flight-flight of Icarus.But that must have been what his readers were expecting..
Ovid is a beautifully visual poet-his Metamorphoses blends and weaves tales together like a clever film technique.I’m up for a study group too.
Yes, it’s a truely amazing piece of art, cadoro. Although I enjoy the Tristia more at the particular moment in time because of the way hexameters are followed by pentameters, the Metamorphoses truely are inspiring and beautiful. Fun too.