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Which poems did Ovid write during his exile?
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Ovid
Ovid, copper engraving, c. 17th century.
During his exile in Tomis, Ovid turned to more personal and introspective poetry, primarily focusing on his misery and pleas for clemency. The works he wrote during this period include:
- Tristia (Sorrows): A collection of poems, including an autobiographical account of his life and an ironical defense of his earlier work, the Ars amatoria, in Book II.12
- Epistulae ex Ponto (Letters from the Black Sea): A series of letters addressed to the emperor, his wife, and his friends, in which he describes his hardships and continues to appeal for a mitigation of his sentence.12
- Ibis: A long, elaborate poem written shortly after his arrival at Tomis, which serves as a curse directed at an anonymous enemy.2
These works were sent to Rome at a rate of approximately one book per year starting in 9 ce.2