This project examines the ways in which Ovid uses the themes of physical and metaphorical movement to comment on the cultural and social changes of the Augustan Age. After civil wars and the end of the Republic, Augustus brought an age of peace – alongside many changes in laws, religion, art, and even the topography of the city of Rome. Although many artists of this era utilized the theme of movement to describe these changes and the feelings they evoked, it has not yet been widely discussed in scholarship. This project aims to closely examine all of Ovid’s surviving works for instances where he portrays movement and how they relate to the politics of the time, adding to the existing discourse about Augustus and the contemporary artists that portrayed his era.
I have been investigating this question by reading English translations of Ovid's works to identify points of interest to the project, then I read the same lines in the original Latin to confirm their relevance. Then, I write a short analysis of the lines, including any connections to other notable lines. This method allows for my faculty mentor to have a quick but thorough point of reference upon which he can build as he continues his work examining movement more broadly in the works of artists beyond just Ovid. My preliminary findings have revealed many exciting uses of movement as a theme in all of Ovid’s works in a way that is directly related to my faculty member’s research.