Ovid's writings from the period of his exile consist of poems sent in the form of letters, with the following titles: Tristia, Ibis, and Ex Ponto. The value of studying Ovid's Epistulae ex Ponto is both literarily and historically valuable in their own right. Edward Gibbon comments on this:

The nine Books of Epistles, which Ovid composed during the seven first years of his melancholy exile, possess, besides the merit of elegance, a double value. They exhibit a picture of the human mind under very singular circumstances; and they contain many curious observations, which no Roman, exc

Ex Ponto is Ovid's last collection of letters and is his final testament to the journey he passed through being ended peacefully. His first thoughts in Tomis were of utter fear of dying away from the comfort of his wife and without last rites. The end of his journey found him at peace with his fate of being exiled.

Ovid's frail mental state when writing Ex Ponto is illustrated in the following line: "everything human hangs by a slender thread" (IV.3.35). Mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally Ovid was challenged by his exile. Tomis was a harsh country in which Ovid documents unending winters of perpetual snow (I.3.50), dark and stormy seas, uninhabited land, and sparse vegetation with few fruits and vegetables (I.3.53-54). The most damaging aspect of Ovid's exile was the climate and his living conditions, which only sped his mental state into a downward spiral that would not pick up until he began to come to terms with his fate.

So it is true that Ovid had a unique perspective on Roman culture and also on the more primitive culture of Tomis and was in a unique position to report on both, having time on his hands and the inclination to expound on his experiences.

The splendid Asian cities at your side

How one accepts this explanation is dependent upon how merciful they feel towards Ovid's motives for making his writings public. Certainly one can understand how a man would want to plea his position and circulate his case, especially when the readers of the poems are as noteworthy as the emperor Augustus; however, Ovid's previous volume of poems, Tristia, accomplishes a much more distinct and enjoyable literary structure and it can be speculated that Ex Ponto could achieve the same success from Ovid. This lack of effort, if that is what it is, may be evidence of his final giving up on his freedom and is mere clamoring of a desperate man.

Often our road seemed shortened by our talk:

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I toured, and Sicily with you for guide;

There did I spend most of a gliding year

Ovid. Sorrows of an Exile: Tristia. Translated by A.D. Melville; introduction by E.J. Kenney. Oxford; New York: Clarendon Press, 1992.

st stage, many things motivate those who are spurred to risk leaving their familiar world. While Ovid had no choice, he did leave the unfamiliar for a new journey. In the second stage, the hero finds himself in the uncertainty of uncharted territory. All is at stake. It is the hero's ideology that he self-sacrifice to an idea or purpose or vision or dream that he sees as greater, bigger than himself. Ovid did feel that he was a sacrifice for his art and being persecuted for his trade. Therefore, the greater good was the opportunity to be a poet in society. The third stage of the heroic journey begins when the hero returns to community with the hope of successful acceptance of his forging. At this point, Ovid's recognition of his lot is his heroic transformation and he becomes a tragic hero when he dies without his freedom but at peace with his existence.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2200
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)