Amicitia sola : a reading and analysis of friendship in Ovid's exile letters
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"This dissertation focuses on and analyzes Ovid's depiction of friendship in real- life situations in his exile poetry. His similarities to philosophers, who wrote on friendship, are important to note. While Ovid himself was not a philosopher, he is clearly engaged with philosophical thought in his poetry. The experiences that he depicts in his exile, through his correspondence to his friends from his relegated position, show friendship through a less theoretical lens than has been shown in philosophical works done by people like Aristotle, Cicero, and Plato. These letters also reveal his relationship with Augustus, who, given their familial ties through marriage and their social ties through mutual friends, were amici by Roman definition. Ovid's friendship with Augustus is then discussed and analyzed, not just to provide context for Ovid's banishment to the Black Sea region, but also to understand the workings of friendship in the Empire as opposed to those in the Republic. Thus, the changing social situation in Rome during Ovid's life needs to be considered, and it is shown to have weighed heavily on Ovid while he was away from Rome. Additionally, Ovid writes to his friends, including Augustus, in exile as a way to demonstrate friendship and as a way to bring about his return home."--Page iv
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Ph. D.