Ovid, Halieutica 1-6

The 130 lines of this poem survive in a rather corrupt form, and the work may not be by Ovid. Here is the opening of the text as it stands, although it is likely that this is not the original opening, and the meaning of these first lines is not clear.

accepit mundus legem: dedit arma per omnes
admonuitque sui: vitulus sic namque minatur,
qui nondum gerit in tenera iam cornua fronte;
sic dammae fugiunt, pugnant virtute leones
et morsu canis et caudae sic scorpius ictu,
concussisque levis pennis sic evolat ales.

The world has accepted a law. It has given weapons for every creature and has reminded every one of itself. For in this way does the calf make threats even though it does not yet bear horns on its tender forehead; in this way do the deer flee; lions fight with courage, the dog with its bite, the scorpion with a strike of its tail; and the light bird flies away with beats of its wings.

Ovid, Sorrows 3.4.25

crede mihi, bene qui latuit bene vixit.

Trust me – he who has kept well out of sight has lived well.

Part of Ovid’s bitter complaint from exile: if you want to survive in Rome, make sure you keep under the emperor’s radar!

Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.40-44

The Underworld reacts to Orpheus’ singing.

talia dicentem nervosque ad verba moventem
exsangues flebant animae. nec Tantalus undam
captavit refugam, stupuitque Ixionis orbis,
nec carpsere iecur volucres, urnisque vacarunt
Belides, inque tuo sedisti, Sisyphe, saxo.

As he sang like this and plucked the strings to his words, the bloodless ghosts began weeping. Tantalus stopped snatching at the receding water; Ixion’s wheel came to a standstill; the birds ceased their tearing at [Tityus‘] liver; the Belides were no longer occupied with their water-jars; and you, Sisyphus, took a seat on your rock!

Ovid, The Art of Love 1.637

One of Ovid’s more cynical lines.

expedit esse deos, et, ut expedit, esse putemus.

It is expedient for gods to exist, and, as it is expedient, let’s believe that they exist.

Ovid, Art of Love 1.759

pectoribus mores tot sunt, quot in orbe figurae.

There are as many characters in people’s hearts as there are shapes in the world.

Or is it (following Bentley’s emendation in ore of the manuscripts’ in orbe), ‘as there are shapes in their faces?’

Ovid, Art of Love 2.107

ut ameris amabilis esto.

If you want to be loved – be loveable!

Ovid, Remedies for Love 94

A warning against procrastination.

qui non est hodie, cras minus aptus erit.

He who’s not ready today will be less so tomorrow.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.107-112

The Golden Age, when crops grew spontaneously.

ver erat aeternum, placidique tepentibus auris
mulcebant zephyri natos sine semine flores;
mox etiam fruges tellus inarata ferebat,
nec renovatus ager gravidis canebat aristis;
flumina iam lactis, iam flumina nectaris ibant,
flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella.

It was eternal spring, and with warm breezes the gentle zephyrs caressed flowers born without seed. Soon the ground, unploughed, even began to bring forth crops, and the field, without being renewed, resounded with the heavy ears of corn. Rivers flowed now with milk, now with nectar, and yellow honey trickled from the green holm-oak.

Ovid, Loves 1.14.1-2

She’s had an unfortunate accident with the hair dye…

dicebam 'medicare tuos desiste capillos';
  tingere quam possis, iam tibi nulla coma est.

I kept saying ‘Stop dying your hair!’. Now you have no hair left to dye.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.140

Lovat’s speech continued, ‘in a vein of becoming moralising’, with this quotation from Ovid. At the debate over who should have the armour of the dead Achilles, Ulysses makes the following observation, urging that the case should be judged purely on its merits:

nam genus et proavos, et quae non fecimus ipsi,
vix ea nostra voco.

For our birth, our ancestors, and things which we have not ourselves done – these things I can hardly call our own.