The Amores, by Publius Ovidius Naso, will leave your loins on fire and your heart as cold as ice. Coming from a time of Roman warriors and Greek gods, Publius Ovidius Naso, better known as Ovid, set the world and its many women on fire. With his mentions of charm and perfect bodies, he captures his audiences' hormones, as well as their imaginations. In The Amores, Ovid expresses sexual reminiscences of a woman named Corrina who may just as well be fictional. He tells us of her beautiful long hair and the body she possesses that is nothing short of perfect. Ovid shares with us his analysis of love as well as life.

Review: Ovid's Amores
The three books of Ovid's Amores depict a mockery of the values held during the first century of the Christian era. Ovid attempts to show the world the lack of importance in the great virtues presented in many of the major epics of the time. Amores uses satire to describe the author's wooing of women to waging war. It suggests that Ovid's efforts to romance his lovers are much more essential to life than the battles that are taking place during the time period. In that, he proposes that one should live for the day. Duty and valor are all pointless in the end. These ideas were of course very unpopular with the emperor Augustus. After the writing of one of his works the emperor banished Ovid from Rome.
Ovid was a Roman elegist who expressed a carpe diem attitude during a time where duty and honor were more valuable than life itself. He was born Publius Ovidus Naso in the town of Sulmo (now called Sulmona), near Rome in the year 43 BC. He was a highly educated man, originally skilled in the art of law. However, his passion was for literature and he spent a great deal of his time writing his own works rather than studying the past. His poetry of love probably stems from his own relationships, for by the age of 30 he had married three times and was divorced twice, with rumors of affairs. He lived an extravagant life and was well-it respected by the people of Rome. This high profile Roman life lasted until approached the age of 50 when he was banished from Rome by Augustus. The reasons behind the banishment are unclear. Some say it is a result of a disapproval by Augustus of Ovid's work while others say that Ovid knew too much of a scandal that involved the emperor's daughter Julia. He was exiled to Tomi, in the Roman province of Dacia, and although he never lost his citizenship, he never returned to Rome and died in Tomi in the 17 AD.
Ovid's works can be categorized into three periods: his early works, his middle works, and the works written after his exile from Rome. His works, in contrast to popular works of the time such as Vergil's Aenied, are sharp in contrast. Although his ideas ran contrary to the beliefs of the time, Ovid was extremely popular in Rome. Amores was written in his early period, when the focus of his writings was on love. His middle works concentrate more on mythology and creationism, while his latter works, those written after his exile, have a depressing and bitter tone. He is said to have influence many English writers, including William Shakespeare and John Milton, and was one of the Roman poets with a tremendous impact on the writers of both the Middle Age and Renaissance periods.
During this time period in Rome the emperor Augustus favored and promoted the ideas of honor and duty. Those loyal to Rome were expected to embrace these values without question. Because of this writers such as Vergil gained much approval with the emperor. Their writings embraced these ideas and even portrayed them as being greater than love. Ovid's style and theme in Amores as with most of his writings favors a less dutiful attitude toward life.
Ovid's Amores also known as The Erotic Poems describes the poet's love affair with a woman named Corinna. In a series of three books Ovid depicts the phases of his relationship. He starts buy telling us how he came to write about love, and his encounter with cupid. (...)Corinna becomes the target of Ovid's love. During an afternoon he tells us of a rendezvous experienced with his new found love and spares little detail. As Ovid goes through his tale of love with Corinna he describes many experiences with her that begin to change from beginning to end. Ovid begins comparing his love affair and love in general to the efforts of war. (...) Here we see his analogy of war with love. When Carinna locks Ovid out during the writing of an epic he explains the unimportance of his work. (...)Ovid explains how his words are more effective then the strongest weapons. Poetry can open the doors of any young girl. Ovid's message is clear throughout Amores. Things such as duty and honor should not be worried about. One must live for the moment.

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Ovid, the young dandy none of the most beautiful women of Rome could resist, in the Amores describes his crazy love to the etera Corinna. There is one obstacle to this love. Ovid, as a young artist, lacks money and she is encharged by a rich man for long. The young and charming Ovid, though, meets her secretly. From poem to poem, the Relationship develops. Very funny scenes are to be found, when the young lovers try to avoid the control of Corinna's sponsor, e.g. as the three of them are invited at the same party, or when Ovid discovers that Corinnas erotic skills have increased and learned things that Ovid for his part has not told her. You simply enjoy the light an witty style of the poems. As to the Art of Love, Ovid uses the genre of Didactic Poetry to write a brilliant parody of Love's euphory and melancholy. The "master of love" as he calls himself, particularly teaches us not to take love that seriously- an occasion to flirting is everywhere, and "at first you shall be convinced that every woman can be conquered." The third book is written for women- I cannot say if the advises given are good- but a girl-friend of mine confesses to hate Ovid because he has discovered so many strategies which should not be made public. Also the Art is worth reading as marvellous literature anyway- one of the most funny books about love! The shorter Cures of Love and Facial Treatment for Ladies are only short Appendices, but also nice to read. With all these works Ovid proves to be a master of the art of love as well as of poetry.

This is one of the best books that i have read on "love".Intellectual eroticism always gives a sophisticated veneer to less lofty primordial sexual impulses.Throws new light on the Roman decadence and hedonistic society.So if you want to take a journey and delve into the very essense of Ovid's eroticism and human sexuality or just learn to show some 'love' read this book.

I read the Duane Humphries translation. His preface is superbly written--he is definitely a superb English stylist. Since I don't read Latin, I cannot attest to his accuracy.

He observes in his preface, and emphasizes in his translation, the commonalities between Ovid's scene, and that of our contemporary world. You will get a strong sense of a society that was very similar to that of our own.

Ovid's Loves, the Art of love, the Art of Beauty, and Remedies for Love are combined in this book and show how Ovid lived and loved. The poetry is surprising at times when I didn't expect someone from around 2 B.C. to write about impotence, sex, and how to get a lover. That is not all that he writes about, though. His poetry of Corrina, a woman he loved, is described with elegance and passion. The Art of Love tells how to court and win a lover and surprisingly many of the ideas can be directly related to modern day life. I found this book to be very interesting in poetic content and also in seeing how alike the world is today with that of the ancient roman empire.

The Camden and Atlantic Railroad was built to connect Camden and Absecon Island in 1854 and provided faster access than by stagecoach. The terminus was named "Atlantic City" (p.15). By 1880 Atlantic City was a thriving summer resort. Its Convention Center was built in 1929 - the largest unobstructed room in the world (488 feet long, 288 feet wide, 137 feet high). Chapter 2 explains how any political machine must work to be successful: provide gambling, prostitution, alcohol, and drugs 24X7. With police protection for those who pay for it. (This ignores any commercial rivalry or union breaking.) The Depression and changing fashions led to the downfall of this Queen of Resorts.

Did corruption and crime kill Atlantic City? Can any resort area outlive changing fashions? Chapter 5 points to Newark. With its seaport, airport, and train station, New York close by, it should be NJ's best city, not a national example of urban decay. Does this reflect the policies of the state's Ruling Class? Chapter 8 tells of the politics in passing a referendum to allow gambling in Atlantic City. It names the politicians and fixers behind this deal. Does NJ have the reputation as the most corrupt in the nation? It was run in turn by large landowners, railroads, insurance companies, and big banks (p.62). Could this be due to its powerful state government and the relative lack of democratic power of the people?

Part II tell "The Way It Is" and covers the decade after the Casino Control Act was passed. It has all the big names in Jersey politics, and the squalid scandals. Read it for all the stories on corruption that they will never teach you in school. Since the book ends in 1985 it doesn't cover the effects of the other casinos across the country, or in nearby Connecticut. Too many casinos chasing fewer gamblers? This and changing fashions could mean another decline for Atlantic City. Or maybe not, it they can change with the times. Pages 204-5 tell how Bally moved from pinball machines into video games, and opened "family amusement centers" in shopping malls, and acquired theme parks, health clubs, and the biggest supplier of lottery tickets in the nation.

After gambling was legalized, property taxes, water, sewer, and utility bills increased by 200-300%; street crimes, prostitution, and drug abuse went up 500% (pp. 367-8). Ninety percent of the businesses operating in 1976 were gone by 1985 (p.378). So who really profited?

Chapter 31 gives "The Bottom Line" and summarizes the effects of legalized gambling. Where it once had 30,000 rooms and was a family vacation resort now has a fraction of that in first-class hotel rooms. Las Vegas has far more (but this may reflect travel times). "Gambling is a parasitic enterprise that thrives on the weaknesses of people. It leaves in its wake corruption, debasement, despair, and the subversion of moral authority. That is the real bottom line" (p.424).

This turned out to be a very good read about Atlantic City, New Jersey.You are able to read about the early history of this resort city. You are taken to the time period when gambling is legalized in the city.All of the major gambling companies that came to Atlantic City(as well as Donald Trump) are given time in this book.You are introduced to the politicians,the unions,as
well as some of the underworld elements that have come to dominate the Boardwalk. This is a very thorough book about gambling and Atlantic City,New Jersey. Buy this book and get the
story on the Boardwalk.

THIS BOOK ALTHOUGH STARTS OUT SLOW DOESA COME AROUND. Gives you full details as if you lived you know like you were there. Gives you an insight on the last mafioso and how the mobs were run. Answers questions about the Kennedy assassanation , C.I.A. moffia plot to kill castro.The guy ricardo on i love lucy tells why there was a hit out on him. Never done though. This book is an 8 for me also gives you pictures . Alot of names though so you have to go back and forth to remember these people

READ THIS BOOK THE FIRST TIME BACK IN 1983-84. SINCE THE I HAVE READ IT EVERY 3 TO 4 YEARS, ITS THAT GOOD. MAKES YOU FEEL AS IF YOU KNEW JIMMY PERSONALLY. OVID DEMARIS DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB.

As a philosopher, he wedded classical methods of inquiry to a Chrisitan faith. The Metamorphoses captures the scope and the fire of Ovid's genius as thoroughly as asny single volume can. It contains complete verse translation of Ovid's 15 books.

The purpose of the Metamorphoses was to edit in a poetic way a few stories from the greek mytholegy from the begionning of the world and until the times of Aogustus.

In all the stories the people and the gods change themselves into animals, beasts, birds, plants and rocks. Here took Oviduis the greatest task by selecting only the most interesting stories from the mytholegy and twist them together in a chronicle line.

This commentary on Ovid's Metamorphoses is directed at Latin students at the advanced undergraduate and early graduate level, but it also has a lot to offer to scholars and other people who are able to read and enjoy Ovid's original Latin. Written by one of the most distinguished experts in the field, the Latin text of the book follows that of Anderson's own Teubner edition (6.ed. 1993). The commentary reflects Anderson's deep familiarity with Ovid's poetry and his high critical acumen. For a more detailed and highly positive review, see, e.g., Stephen Wheeler in American Journal of Philology 120 (1999) 170-73.

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This is a really excellent book! I love it for the first reading, and I love it more at the second! Everyone who wants to think about the mankind, the history, the politics or the arts must read it.

The borders of the past and the present do not count any more. Fiction and reality take place in same time. To read this poetic and beautiful but dark lines, to imagine how Ovids exile at the Black Sea passed by, to get to know the old and strange stories of roman and greek mythologie, ... It is not at all amazing that Ransmayr got the highest european literature price for the Last World in 1992. How actual his story is shows the example of Romania of 1989 where the publication of the Last World was forbidden.

This novel has a very Eastern European flavor, with attitudes about power and empire that recall another Austrian, Robert Musil. Ransmayr's writing is beautiful and he has an excellent voice. I found it to be difficult, but very rewarding in the end.

Required reading by all Guyanese Children, and by the children of Guyanese resident abroad.

Ovid paints a factual, accurate, enthralling, entertaining and enlightening picture of Guyana, our Eldorado.

An easy book to read, well researched and written.

Ovid Abrams did a super job with this piece of writing. It takes discipline to work very hard. In my opinion, in general, Guyanese people should support writers. Writing requires courage. Metegee is now a powerful asset and resource for the aspiring writers in Guyana. I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Thank You Mr. Ovid Abrams.

Exceptional! A metegee is a traditional Guyanese dish with everything included and that's exactly what this is. As a daughter of Guynana, I was blown away. This will be my gift to all family members for the next year. Metegee includes culture, politics, sayings and was a fascinating study of life in a British post-colony. I was never bored reading it and suggest not only that all Guyanese families own one, but all Caribbeans. For a self-publishing volume, this book was very well done. I would love to take a class with the creative and gifted author.

Readers should note that if you do not read Latin (and I don't), you will not be able to read the actual epistles in this book - only the introduction and the commentary. Since I will have to order another version of the Heroides to actually read the ancient text, I cannot yet comment on the English commentary included in this book! I am giving it a two for now.

My Latin class is using this text this quarter, and we find it excellent. It includes a large introduction with explanations of the myths involved, and which tells about Ovid's life. The book also includes many, many notes that give suggested translations for difficult lines and explain ambiguous references. The text includes Heroides letters 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, and the "incerti auctoris epistula Sapphus ad Phaonem". Enjoy!

This commentary is erudite and insightful, full of information that is useful to scholars of all levels. What a fantastic book!

Let's just say if you have lot of time, you can try using method described in the book. But for lot of people in business of delivering the products in time, this may not be a good book to get influence from. There are some interesting examples in there that may be useful, but using as a reference....hmmmm.....think twice. There was an article published in ACM Interactions magazine while ago where they reviewed using OVID method, and they also came into same conclusion: high learning curve and implementation time was too long.

Book itself was simple to read, well at least for me. There are lot of examples, but I found them inconsistent. You may want to try IBM's website to get more information on OVID if you don't want to buy the book.

The following quotes are from the cover of the book:

"This book is of critical importance in our endeavors to leverage different world views in order to successfully develop software in combination with users, user interface designers, and programmers. I plan to incorporate this approach in my own work and hope you will see the worth of this in your work also."

Dr. Brad Cox, Author of Object-Oriented Programming: an Evolutionary Approach, George Mason University

"The effective translation of an understanding of the user into highly usable product design is one of the most significant challenges in the information technology industry. OVID directly addresses this challenge by defining a new, comprehensive approach that is based on solid, object-oriented methods."

Karel Vredenburg, Corporate Team Lead for User-Centered Design, IBM

"This is a very good book for introducing programmers to object-oriented GUI style, especially for applying programmers' object notations to OO GUI style. This is one of the rare sources on the critical topic of how to represent object "views" in those notations."

Tom Dayton, Senior Usability Engineer, Sun Microsystems Usability Labs & Services

"There has long been a need for a method which integrates Object Oriented Design of applications and their GUIs. This is it."

Paul Brebner, Software Research Engineer, CSIRO Land and Water, Australia

"Object-oriented interface design is an excellent way to bridge the gap between task data and fully realized systems. Object, view and interaction design (OVID) methodology provides indispensable guidance on bridging that gap successfully."

Christopher R. Hale, Senior Human Factors Engineer, Intel Corporation

User interface design has long been a mysterious area for many software developers. OVID blends the art and science of user-centered interface design and usability with the familiar and structured methodologies of Object-Oriented Design. I will use this book in my consulting work, seminars, and courses--and know its practical approach will be very well-received.

Theo Mandel, Ph.D., Interface Design/Usability Consultant, Interface Design and Development, Author of "The Elements of User Interface Design" and "The GUI-OOUI War"

"At the beginning of this decade, Don Norman characterized usability as 'the next competitive frontier.' Here at the end of the decade, OVID arms user interface designers for that competition, offering a series of proven design methods presented in a cogent framework, with the user kept at the center."

Randolph G. Bias, Manager, Usability Engineering, BMC Software, Inc., co-editor of "Cost-Justifying Usability".

Ovid knew where the bodies were buried in Rome and important people don't want his "natural" death investigated. At times a bit too musch like Carry On Romans rather than I, Claudius but very readable and smoothly written.

I have read several books of David Wishart and I have found them all very good, witty and enjoyable. 'Ovid', the first one of the series featuring Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus as an upper class Roman detective sets the plot for the subsequent books, 'Germanicus', 'Sejanus' and 'The Lydian Baker', giving new interpretations to known political misteries in the reign of Tiberius, all of it with humor and a very sarcastic (even explicit) language. Marcus Corvinus, a patrician diletant that spends his days and nights enjoying wine (in big quantities), Roman cooking (incredible recipes) and all sorts of entertainment without thought of following his ancestors duty and starting the first steps of his Cursus Honorum, see his lazy existence shattered when a primly and very attractive joung matron, Ovid stepdaughter, remainds him of his duty as a representative of Ovid's patron family to bring back Ovid's ashes from exile. A simple request that turns not so simple when it is rejected by a very scared bureaucrat at the imperial palace, with the note that it has been considered and refused by the highest possible authority, no further explanations given. Mustard up his nose and backed up by generations of stubborn, upper class Valerii, Corvinus sets up to find out what did Ovid really do, back in Augustus time, to have the imperial displeasure extended to a handful of ashes years later, even if that means confronting Tiberius and Livia! For those who enjoyed I Claudius, you will find here a new vision, not necessarily opposed, of the imperial Caesar family and, as the titles indicate in Germanicus and Sejanus, a new vision of some well know episodes of the Tiberius reign. David Wishart has published two additional biography books, 'I Virgil' and 'Nero', that I also recommend. Unfortunately, I have not found any of the books in Amazon, except for 'Ovid', but I hope this will change...