简介：MichaelWoodexploresthelife,worksandinfluenceofoneoftheworld'sgreateststorytellerswhodied2,000yearsago.WhenanElizabethanliterarycriticsaidthatthewittysoulofOvidlivedonin'honeytonguedShakespeare'theywerejuststatingtheobvious.Ovid,everyoneknew,wassimplythemostclever,sexyandfunnypoetinthewesterntradition.HisMetamorphoses,ithasoftenbeensaid,isthemostinfluentialsecularbookinEuropeanliterature. Uniqueamongancientpoets,Ovidleftusanautobiography,fullofrivetingintimacy,aswellasironicalandslipperyself-justification.UsingOvid'sownwords,broughttolifebyoneofBritain'sleadingactors,SimonRussellBeale,thefilmtellsthestoryofthepoet'sfame,andhisfatefulfallingoutwiththemostpowerfulmanintheworld,theRomanemperorAugustus. BorninSulmonaincentralItaly,OvidmovedtoRometostudylawbut,seducedby'themuseofpoetry',hesoonabandonedthatcareerpath.PartofRome'spost-war,younggeneration,Ovidrosetospectacularfamewithhispoemsaboutsex-LoveAffairs(Amores)andTheArtofLove(ArsAmatoria)-anamoralguidetoseductionandadultery.TodaysomeofhispoemsareseenasproblematicandevencarryahealthwarningwhenstudiedinUSuniversities.Butheisdifficulttopigeonholeashealsotookthefemalesideinapowerfulseriesoffictionallettersbywomenheroes. Byhistwentieshewasaliterarysuperstarandathornintheemperor'sside,hispoetryofsexandseductionfallingfouloftheemperor'snewpuritanism,whichhadevenoutlawedadultery.Inthemidstofasensationalsexscandalinvolvinghisdaughter,theEmperorAugustusbanishedOvidtothefarthestedgeoftheempire-thewildsoftheBlackSeacoastandthemarshesoftheDanubedelta.It'satalefullofsex,dramaandscandal,buthisbanishmentisstillamystery-asheputit,'mydownfallwasallbecauseofapoem-andamistake-andonthelattermylipsaresealedforever'. ExileinRomaniawasunbelievablyharshanddangerous,butworseforOvidwasasenseofseparationandloss.HispoetryfromtheBlackSeahasinspiredtheEuropeanliteratureofexileformillennia,fromDanteandPetrarchtoMandelstamandSeamusHeaney.Thepoems,themystery,andOvid'simmenselegacyinworldliteratureandart,arediscussedwithleadingexperts,whotracehisinfluenceon,amongothers,Titian,TurnerandevenBobDylan,whoseModernTimesalbumquarriesOvid'sexilepoetry.HisgreatestandmostinfluentialworkMetamorphoses,acompendiumofthegreattalesofGreekmyth,becameoneofthecoretextsofWesternculture.ArtisticdirectoroftheRSC,GregDoranlooksatOvid'sinfluenceonShakespeareandthemythsintheMetamorphosesthatpervadeourart,music,andliterature.ProfessorAlessandroSchiesarodiscussesOvidandthepostmodernimagination;ProfessorRoyGibsonuntangleshisrelationswithAugustus;whileDrJenniferIngleheart,authorofanewstudyonRomansexualpolitics,looksatOvid'sambition,psychologyandinfluence.LisaDwan-theleadinginterpreterofthedramaofSamuelBeckett,anotherexileandOvidfan,exploresthepoet'suseofthefemalevoiceandhispoetryofexile,whichhasinfluencedwesternwritersandartistsforthelasttwomillennia. FollowinginOvid'sfootsteps,MichaelWoodtravelsfromthepoet'sbirthplaceinthebeautifultownofSulmona,tothebrightlightsofthecapital,Rome.HerewevisittheHousesofAugustusandLivia,recentlyopenedafter25yearsofexcavationandconservation.Insidetheemperor'sprivateroomsglowwiththecolouroftheirnewlyrestoredfrescoes.WoodthenfollowsOvidintoexileinConstantaintoday'sRomania,andontotheDanubedelta,wheredramaticfootageshowstheDanubeandtheBlackSeafrozenoverinwinterjustasOviddescribedinhisletters. ThroughoutthefilmOvid'sownwordsrevealanengagingpersonality:avoiceofstartlingmodernity.'Heisfunny,irreverent,focusedonpleasureandobsessedwithsex'saysProfRoyGibson.But,saysGregDoran,heisalsoapoetofcrueltyandviolence,whichespeciallyfascinatedShakespeare.Ovidraisesverymodernquestionsaboutthefluidityofidentityandgender,andthemutabilityofnature.Healsoexplorestherelationshipbetweenwritersandpowerandtheexperienceofexile,themesespeciallyrelevantinourtimewhen,asLisaDwanobserves,exilehasbecomepartofthehumancondition.Butaboveall,saysMichaelWood,OvidisthePoetofLove,and2,000yearsafterhisdeathheisbackinfocusasoneoftheworld'sgreatestpoets:ironical,profound,andrelevant.…