Ars Amatoria: The Art of Love

'Ars Amatoria: The Art of Love' is an instructional elegy series of three books by the ancient Roman poet Ovid. The first two books, aimed at men, contain sections that cover such topics as 'not forgetting her birthday', 'letting her miss you – but not for long' and 'not asking about her age'. The third gives similar advice to women, sample themes include: 'making up, but in private', 'being wary of false lovers' and 'trying young and older lovers'. Although the book was finished around 2 AD, much of the advice he gives is applicable to any day and age. His intent is often more profound than the brilliance of the surface suggests. In connection with the revelation that the theatre is a good place to meet girls, for instance, Ovid, the classically educated trickster, refers to the story of the rape of the Sabine women. It has been argued that this passage represents a radical attempt to redefine relationships between men and women in Roman society, advocating a move away from paradigms of force and possession, toward concepts of mutual fulfillment.