Ovid, Germanicus, and the Sorrows of Old Augustus

Abstract

The final section of Ovid's Pont. 2.1, where a future triumph is boldly announced to Germanicus, shows a careful juxtaposition between the exiled poet's and his addressee's fate and condition: in particular, Ovid seems to allude to the need for Germanicus to come back home safe, just like the poet hopes to survive the life-threatening barbaric environment in which he is now living. The poet's omina are thus part of a strategy through which he tries to negotiate his presence in Rome, not without subtly exacerbating Augustus' own worries about his family members' well-being and safety.