The Political Nature of Ovid’s Error
The Political Nature of Ovid’s Error

Summary/Abstract: In his libellus of self-defence, Ovid admits that he has been driven to ruin by duo crimina, carmen et error. While he defends himself with regard to the carmen, which can be identified with the Ars amatoria, he prefers saying nothing about the error: in fact as a careful observer of political events and aware of the people’s repercussions that the disclosure of his criminal act would cause, he prefers to live silently his culpa, aligning with Augustus's behaviour, who, before political attacks, reacts either preventing the disclosure of the news or downgrading them to crimes against morality, which are punished under the proper regulations.

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