Philosophy in Ovid, Ovid as Philosopher

Ovid has long been celebrated for the versatility of his poetic imagination, the diversity of his generic experimentation throughout his long career, and his intimate engagement with the Greco-Roman literary tradition that precedes him; but what of his engagement with the philosophical tradition? Ovid's close familiarity with philosophical ideas and with specific philosophical texts has long been recognized, perhaps most prominently in the Pythagorean, Platonic, Empedoclean, and Lucretian shades that have been seen to color his Metamorphoses . This philosophical component has often been perceived as a feature implicated in, and subordinate to, Ovid's larger literary agenda, both pre- and post-exilic; and because of the controlling influence conceded to that literary impulse, readings of the philosophical dimension have often focused on the perceived distortion, ironizing, or parodying of the philosophical sources and ideas on which Ovid draws, as if his literary orientation inevitably compromises or qualifies a "serious" philosophical commitment. Philosophy in Ovid, Ovid as Philosopher counters this tendency by considering Ovid's seriousness of engagement with, and his possible critique of, the philosophical writings that inform his works. The book also questions the feasibility of separating out the categories of the "philosophical" and the "literary" in the first place, and explores the ways in which Ovid may offer unusual, controversial, or provocative reactions to received philosophical ideas. Finally, it investigates the case to be made for viewing the Ovidian corpus not just as a body of writings that are often philosophically inflected, but also as texts that may themselves be read as philosophically adventurous and experimental. The essays collected in this volume are intended at the individual level to address in new ways many aspects of Ovid's recourse to philosophy across his corpus. Collectively, however, they are also designed to redress what, in general terms, remains a significant lacuna in Ovidian studies. "This volume contains sixteen essays on various aspects of Ovid's engagement with philosophical trends and topics. Ovid has long been celebrated for the versatility of his poetic imagination, the diversity of his generic experimentation throughout his long career, and his intimate engagement with the Greco-Roman literary tradition that precedes him; but what of his engagement with the philosophical tradition? Ovid's close familiarity with philosophical ideas and with specific philosophical texts has long been recognized, perhaps most prominently in the Pythagorean, Platonic, Empedoclean, and Lucretian shades that color his Metamorphoses. This philosophical component, however, has often been perceived as a feature subordinate to Ovid's larger literary agenda; and because of the controlling influence conceded to that literary impulse, readings of the philosophical dimension have often focused on the perceived distortion, ironizing, or parodying of philosophical sources and ideas. This book counters this tendency by (i) considering Ovid's seriousness of engagement with, and his possible critique of, the philosophical writings that inform his works; (ii) questioning the feasibility of separating out the categories of the "philosophical" and the "literary" in the first place; (iii) exploring the ways in which Ovid may offer unusual, controversial, or provocative reactions to received philosophical ideas; and (iv) investigating the case to be made for viewing the Ovidian corpus not just as a body of writings that are often philosophically inflected, but also as texts that may themselves be read as philosophically adventurous and experimental"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half title Philosophy in Ovid, Ovid as Philosopher Copyright Contents Preface Contributors Introduction Part I 1. Ouidius sapiens: The Wise Man in Ovid’s Work Part II 2. Elegy, Tragedy, and the Choice of Ovid (Amores 3.1) 3. Ovid’s Ars amatoria and the Epicurean Hedonic Calculus 4. Criticizing Love’s Critic: Epicurean parrhesia as an Instructional Mode in Ovidian Love Elegy 5. Ovid’s imago mundi muliebris and the Makeup of the World in Ars amatoria 3.101–​290 6. Ovid’s Art of Life Part III 7. Keep Up the Good Work: (Don’t) Do It like Ovid (Sen. QNat. 3.27–​30) 8. Venus discors: The Empedocleo-​Lucretian Background of Venus and Calliope’s Song in Metamorphoses 5 9. Labor and pestis in Ovid’s Metamorphoses 10. Cosmic Artistry in Ovid and Plato 11. Some Say the World Will End in Fire: Philosophizing the Memnonides in Ovid’s Metamorphoses Part IV 12. Ovid against the Elements: Natural Philosophy, Paradoxography, and Ethnography in the Exile Poetry 13. Akrasia and Agency in Ovid’s Tristia Part V 16. Philosophizing and Theologizing Reincarnations of Ovid: Lucan to Alexander Pope Works Cited Index of Passages General Index Index of Latin Words Index of Greek Words Ovid is celebrated for his intimate engagement with the Greco-Roman literary tradition; but what of his engagement with the philosophical tradition? This volume addresses in new ways many aspects of Ovid's recourse to philosophy across his corpus, and thereby seeks to redress what remains a significant lacuna in Ovidian studies