Abstract

Exile was decreed for the renowned poet Ovid, yet his works are effectively untouched

by such a plight. With exile as Ovid’s Muse, the resulting Tristia nonetheless presents itself as a

paradoxical work that rivals the Metamorphoses while being overshadowed by Ovid’s insistence

on its inferiority. Reaffirming Claassen (2008) and McGowan (2009), both of whom conduct a

philological analysis of Ovid to reappraise the Tristia, this study provides a cross-examination of

Ovid’s pre- and post-exile works that offers a new intertextual approach for situating the Tristia

within the Ovidian corpus. A close reading with an emphasis on continuity in Ovid’s art unveils

a cache of mythological allusions across these works, attesting to his high level of self-awareness

sustained over time. Further, Ovid ironically projects his poetic decline and identity loss through

his control of meter and artful rendition of his environs. The Tristia thus stands out as an unsung

literary monument to Ovid’s poetic art; through exile, the poet shapes his legacy as an immortal

poet.

Advisor

Shaya, Josephine

Department

Classical Studies

Keywords

Ovid, Exile, Tristia, Metamorphoses, Poetic Immortality, Intertextuality, Self-Awareness

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2026 Nathan E. Budge