- Source
- Ovid. P. Ovidius Naso, Volume 1: Amores, Epistulae, Medicamina faciei femineae, Ars amatoria, Remedia amoris. Ehwald, Rudolf; Merkel, Rudolph; editors. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1907.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0959.phi001.humanitext-lat2:3.4.1-3.4.48
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
The poet advises a harsh husband that guarding his wife is futile, as chastity cannot be forced and prohibition only fuels desire. Citing myths and everyday examples, he argues that behaving with urban sophistication and allowing her freedom will ultimately benefit the husband.
Dure vir, inposito tenerae custode puellae
Harsh husband, by placing a guard over your tender girl
Nil agis; ingenio est quaeque tuenda suo.
you accomplish nothing; each woman must be guarded by her own disposition.
Siqua metu dempto casta est, ea denique casta est;
If any woman is chaste when fear is removed, she indeed is chaste;
Quae, quia non liceat,1 non facit, illa facit!
she who does not do it because she is not allowed, does do it!
Ut iam servaris2 bene corpus, adultera mens est;
Though you may now guard her body well, her mind is adulterous;
Nec custodiri, ne velit, ulla potest.
and no woman can be guarded so that she does not wish to sin.
Nec corpus servare potes, licet omnia claudas;
Nor can you guard her body, although you lock everything up;
Omnibus exclusis intus adulter erit.
when everyone is shut out, the adulterer will be within.
Cui peccare licet, peccat minus; ipsa potestas
He who is allowed to sin, sins less; the very power to do so
Semina nequitiae languidiora facit.
makes the seeds of wickedness weaker.
Desine, crede mihi, vitia inritare vetando;
Cease, believe me, to provoke vices by forbidding them;
Obsequio vinces aptius illa tuo.
you will conquer them more fitly by your compliance.
Vidi ego nuper equum contra sua vincla tenacem
I recently saw a horse, stubborn against his bonds,
Ore reluctanti fulminis ire modo;
go like a thunderbolt with resisting mouth;
Constitit ut primum concessas sensit habenas
he stopped as soon as he felt the reins given slack
Frenaque in effusa laxa iacere iuba!
and the loose bit lying on his flowing mane!
Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata;
We always strive for the forbidden and desire what is denied;
Sic interdictis imminet aeger aquis.
thus the sick man hangs longingly over forbidden waters.
Centum fronte oculos, centum cervice gerebat
He carried a hundred eyes on his forehead, a hundred on his neck,
Argus — et hos unus saepe fefellit Amor;
Argus — and these, Love alone often deceived;
In thalamum Danae ferro saxoque perennem
Into a bedchamber everlasting with iron and stone, Danae,
Quae fuerat virgo tradita, mater erat;
who had been delivered as a virgin, was a mother;
Penelope mansit, quamvis custode carebat,
Penelope remained, although she lacked a guard,
Inter tot iuvenes intemerata procos.
undefiled among so many young suitors.
Quidquid servatur cupimus magis, ipsaque furem
Whatever is guarded, we desire more, and the very care
Cura vocat; pauci, quod sinit alter, amant.
calls the thief; few love what another allows.
Nec facie placet illa sua, sed amore mariti;
Nor does she please by her own face, but by the love of her husband;
Nescio quid, quod te ceperit, esse putant.
they think there is something or other that captured you.
Non proba fit, quam vir servat, sed adultera cara;
She whom her husband guards does not become virtuous, but a precious adulteress;
Ipse timor pretium corpore maius habet.
fear itself has a price greater than her body.
Indignere licet,3 iuvat inconcessa voluptas;
Though you may be indignant, forbidden pleasure delights;
Sola placet, 'timeo!' dicere siqua potest.
she alone pleases who can say, ‘I am afraid!’
Nec tamen ingenuam ius est servare puellam —
And yet it is not right to guard a free-born girl —
Hic metus externae corpora gentis agat!
let this fear drive the bodies of foreign race!
Scilicet ut possit custos 'ego' dicere 'feci,'
Doubtless, so that the guard can say ‘I did it,’
In laudem servi casta sit illa tui?
must she be chaste for the praise of your slave?
Rusticus est nimium, quem laedit adultera coniunx,
Too rustic is he whom an adulterous wife hurts,
Et notos mores non satis urbis habet
and he does not sufficiently possess the known customs of the city,
In qua Martigenae non sunt sine crimine nati
in which the sons of Mars were not born without crime,
Romulus Iliades Iliadesque Remus.
Romulus, son of Ilia, and Remus, son of Ilia.
Quo tibi4 formosam, si non nisi casta placebat?
For what purpose do you have a beautiful woman, if she only pleased you when chaste?
Non possunt ullis ista coire modis.
Those things cannot combine in any way.
Si sapis, indulge dominae vultusque severos
If you are wise, indulge your mistress and cast off
Exue, nec rigidi iura tuere viri,
stern looks, and do not defend the rights of a rigid husband,
Et cole quos dederit — multos dabit — uxor amicos.
and cultivate the friends whom your wife will give — she will give many.
Gratia sic minimo magna labore venit;
Thus great favor comes with very little labor;
Sic poteris iuvenum convivia semper inire
thus you will always be able to enter the banquets of young men,
Et, quae non dederis, multa videre domi.
and see many things at home which you did not give.
- 3.4.4quia non liceat
The subjunctive 'liceat' in the 'quia' clause expresses a subjective reason or assumption in the mind of the subject ('because it is allegedly not allowed') rather than an objective fact.
- 3.4.5Ut iam servaris
The phrase 'ut iam' followed by the subjunctive ('servaris', a syncopated form of the perfect subjunctive 'servaveris') introduces a concessive clause meaning 'even though' or 'granted that'.
- 3.4.31Indignere licet
The impersonal verb 'licet' is used with the present subjunctive 'indignere' (second-person singular of the deponent 'indignor', with the suffix '-re' instead of '-ris') to express concession ('although you may be indignant').
- 3.4.41Quo tibi
A combination of the interrogative adverb 'quo' (for what purpose, why) and the dative of interest/possession 'tibi', with the verb (such as 'habes') omitted, expressing a strong rhetorical question ('why do you keep a beautiful woman?').