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Who was the anonymous enemy attacked in Ovid’s poem Ibis?
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Ovid
Ovid, copper engraving, c. 17th century.
In his poem Ibis, written shortly after his arrival at his place of exile in Tomis, the Roman poet Ovid directs a long and elaborate curse at an anonymous enemy. The identity of this individual remains unknown, as Ovid does not name the target of his invective in the work. The poem serves as a display of his extensive mythological learning, which he composed largely from memory while isolated from his library.1