Ovid’s Pontic Epistles to his wife

Abstract

Focusing on Ovid‘s two letters to his wife in the Epistulae ex Ponto, this investigation examines the personal narrative of exile as expressed through Publius Ovidius Naso. Adopting a diachronic approach, the study aims to foster a understanding of Ovid's letters not merely as literary artifacts but as windows to the socio-emotional landscape of Augustan Rome. Standard Ovidian research predominantly centres on his poetry's literary merits, often neglecting the rich historical context these letters provide. Therefore, this paper contributes to scholarship by foregrounding the historical and emotional realities of Ovid's domestic life, political turmoil and the institution of marriage in ancient Rome. This work employs a multi-disciplinary methodology. It integrates a philological examination of the texts with historical analysis, anchored by a theoretical framework based on Roman social history and epistolary theory. Ovid's discourse provides not only testimony to his own psychological condition and personal circumstances but also implies broader implications for understanding gender roles, familial expectations, and the impact of political exile on family dynamics. This study underscores the resilience of personal relationships under the strain of political upheavals. It also indicates the need for a reassessment of the value of literary sources in historical reconstructions, advocating for their recognition as more than metaphorical or poetic devices.