Heroides, XVI-XXI

This is Ovid's wittily imagined version of the letters exchanged by three famous pairs of lovers. Heroides XVI-XXI constitute an artfully constructed triptych: Hero and Leander's tragedy of high romance and fleeting happiness framed by two ironic comedies, that of Paris and Helen distinctly black, that of Acontius and Cydippe ending the book on a note of tantalising ambiguity. This is the first edition of these poems with commentary in any language since 1898. It provides a substantially improved text, together with all the guidance needed by students for the understanding of Ovid's Latin and the appreciation of his poetic art. The Introduction offers the first adequate discussion ever published of the poet's treatment of his literary sources and models, and deals succinctly but decisively with the question of authorship.