OVID, PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASD, a celebrated Roman poet, was born at Sulmo, near Abruzzo, on the 20th March, 43, before Christ. Being intended for the bar, his father sent him early to Rome, and afterwards to Athens, in the sixteenth year of his age. He made rapid progress in eloquence ; but his passion for poetry interfered with those studies which his father was desirous he should pur sue. Being at last prevailed upon to turn his mind to business, he plead some causes with great snccess, and acted as one of the triumvirs, to whom criminal jurisdic tion was committed. The death of his brother seems to have freed him from the restraints of his profession, as he afterwards devoted himself entirely to gaiety and to the muses.
About the 50th year of his age, he is said to have been guilty of a shameful amour with Livia, the wife of Au gustus ; and in consequence of this, or some similar crime, he was banished by the emperor to To:nos, on the Etr;ine Sea. Here he offered the most disgusting adulation to
Augustus, no doubt from the hope of being recalled ; but both Augustus, and his successor Tiberius, were deaf to all his flatteries, and resisted the most earnest solicitations of his friends.
Ovid died at Tomos, in the 59th year of his age, A. D 17. His principal works are his Metamorphoses, in fif teen books ; his Fasti, in twelve books; his Tristia, in five books ; his Elogia ; his Heroides ; his three books of .//morum ; his three books De Arte Amandi ; his book De Remedio Amoris ; his Ibis ; and the fragment of a tra gedy called Medea.
The best editions of the works of Ovid are those of IIeinsius, Elzevir, 3 vols. 12mo. 1629; Burman's, 4 vols. 4to. Amst. 1727 ; that of Utrecht, 4 vols. 12mo. 1713 ; Wetstein's, 3 vols. 12mo. Amst. 1751 ; Barbou's, 3 vols. 12mo. Paris, 1762; and Fischer's, 4 vols. Svo. Lips. 1773.