20 Most Famous Quotes From the Roman Poet Ovid

Ovid, born Publius Ovidius Naso, was a Roman poet best known for his epic work, Metamorphoses, his love poems, and his mysterious banishment from Rome.   Metamorphoses is a narrative poem comprised of 15 books and stands as one of the most important works of classical mythology. It recounts the history of the world from the creation of the universe up until the life of Julius Caesar by telling over 250 myths.   Born to a well-to-do family in 43 BCE, Ovid pursued poetry despite his father’s hopes that he would delve into law and politics. The young man made a wise choice. His first book, Amores (The Loves), a collection of erotic poems, proved an instant success. He followed that with two more impressive collections of erotic poetry,  Heriodes  (The Heroines), Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love), and a number of other works.   Sometime around 8 CE, Ovid was exiled from Rome by Emperor Augustus and his books were ordered removed from Roman libraries. Historians are not certain what the writer did to offend the rules, but Ovid, in a poem called Epistulae ex Ponto, claimed  that â€Å"a poem and a mistake† were his undoing. He was sent to the Black Sea city of Tomis in what is now Romania. He died there in 17 CE. Whatever his crimes, his work endures and he ranks among the most important and influential poets of his time. Here are 20 of his most famous quotes on love, life, and more. Keeping an Optimistic Outlook Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you. /  Dolor hic  tibi  proderit  olim There are a thousand forms of evil; there will be a thousand remedies. On Bravery The gods favor the bold. Courage conquers all things; it even gives strength to the body. On Work Ethic   He who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow. /  Qui  non  est  hodie  cras  minus  aptus  erit Either do not attempt at all or go through with it. A burden which is done well becomes light. /  Leve fit, quod bene  fertur,  onus   Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. The workmanship surpassed the subject matter. /  Materiam  superabat  opus   Dripping hollows out a rock. /  Gutta  cavat  lapidem   On Love To be loved, be lovable. Every lover is a soldier and has his camp in Cupid. /  Militat  omnis  amans  et  habet  sua  castra Cupido Wine gives courage and makes men more apt for passion. Everyone is a millionaire where promises are concerned. General Words of Wisdom It is art to conceal art. /  Ars est  celare  artem Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses. /  Saepe  creat  molles  aspera  spina  rosas We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings. Habits change into character. In our play we reveal what kind of people we are. He who has lived in obscurity has lived well. /  Bene  qui  latuit  bene  vixit