Portrait of Ovid

Ovid

Metamorphoses

Ancient influential 162 sayings

Sayings by Ovid

Quidquid erit, superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book XIV, line 290
General Unverifiable

Vincit amor patriae laudumque immensa cupido.

~8 AD — Fasti, Book I, line 499 (often attributed to Virgil, Aeneid VI, 823, but Ovid uses a similar phrase)
General Unverifiable

Carmina sola carent fato.

~16 BC — Amores, Book I, Elegy XV, line 23
General Unverifiable

Cedere non semper turpe est.

~1 BC — Ars Amatoria, Book II, line 197
General Unverifiable

Scilicet est aliqua, quae te quoque dicat amare.

~16 BC — Amores, Book II, Elegy XI, line 4
General Unverifiable

Nulla dies sine linea.

— A common proverb, often attributed to Apelles, but Ovid speaks of continuous effort in writing.
General Unverifiable

Ingenium quondam fuerat sine corpore virtus.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book I, line 249
General Unverifiable

Medio tutissimus ibis.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book II, line 137
General Unverifiable

Cura leves loquuntur, ingentes stupent.

— Heroides, XV, line 75 (often attributed to Seneca or others)
General Unverifiable

Ars est celare artem.

~1 BC — Ars Amatoria, Book II, line 313 (often simplified, the full line is: 'Si latet ars prodest; adfert d…
General Unverifiable

Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.

— Often attributed to Ovid, but appears in later works. Not a direct quote.
General Unverifiable

Credula res amor est.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book VII, line 826
General Unverifiable

Desine sollicitis animum tabescere curis.

~2 AD — Remedia Amoris, line 125
General Unverifiable

Et latet et lucet.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book II, line 597 (referring to the reflection of the sun)
General Unverifiable

Fallere credentem non est operosa puellam.

~1 BC — Ars Amatoria, Book I, line 243
General Unverifiable

Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis.

~1 BC — Ars Amatoria, Book III, line 339
General Unverifiable

Ignibus aequis.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book II, line 23
General Unverifiable

In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas corpora.

~8 AD — Metamorphoses, Book I, lines 1-2
General Unverifiable

Longa mora est nobis omnis, quae gaudia differt.

~15 BC — Heroides, IV, line 175
General Unverifiable

Multa petentibus desunt multa.

~8 AD — Fasti, Book I, line 211
General Unverifiable
Your Cart

Your cart is empty