Final Jeopardy 3/4/24 (Poets of Ancient Rome) & Who Won Monday March 4 2024

The first-century poet who wrote, “the leader’s anger done, grant me the right to die in my native country,” while far from Rome, was Ovid. Born Publius Ovidius Naso, Ovid was a prominent Roman poet known for his influential works such as “Metamorphoses” and “Ars Amatoria.” His career and life took a dramatic turn when he was exiled by Emperor Augustus to Tomis (present-day Constanța, Romania) on the Black Sea coast, far from Rome, in 8 AD. The reasons for Ovid’s exile remain a topic of speculation, as he himself attributes it to “carmen et error” (a poem and a mistake), hinting at the scandalous nature of his writings and possibly a personal indiscretion. During his exile, Ovid wrote “Tristia” and “Epistulae ex Ponto,” works that express his despair, longing for Rome, and hope for clemency. In these writings, he often appealed to the emperor for mercy and the chance to return to Rome, or at least to a less remote place of exile. Unfortunately, Ovid never returned to Rome; he died in exile in Tomis in 17 AD.