acquainted not only with the faith and customs of the Thracians from Scythia Minor
(Romanian Dobrogea), but also with the ideas of the Greek speaking philosophers,
thus including those propagated by the Stoics.
Indeed, at Tomis, Ovid proved to be a humanist interested in kalokagathia
(beautiful and good), which was disseminated by ancient philosophers; the
Roman poet incarnated these values – first of all – in his verses, in his Ars poetica,
that he actually saw as matchless and, ipso facto, destined to eternity.
As already stated, Ovid had not been acquainted with the Stoic conception of
“man” and “humanity” when he arrived at Tomis (where he would speak and write
poems in the local language of “Scythia Minor”, i.e. the language of the GetoDacians and of the Sarmatians, Thracian tribes, – being otherwise inspired even by
one of the daughters of these tribes, who served as his muse, as confessed by the
poet himself). This is attested by the fact that, subsequent to his acquaintance and
familiarization with the Tomitan civilization and culture, Ovid paid due attention to
the Gentiles that were labeled as “barbaric” only because they did not speak Greek
and Latin, and, ipso facto, because their population was not educated in line with
the Greco-Roman culture and civilization, but in line with one that had been
overtaken in terms of time and brilliance, i.e. the Thracian culture and civilization.
4.2 Ovid’s Poems Written in Getic Language, a Real
Documentary Source for a Better Knowledge
of the Tomitan Civilization and Culture
Referring to the contribution that the informations provided by Ovid’s Elegies
would have had to a better knowledge of the Tomitan civilization and culture,
some specialized Romanian historians state that these were assessed “differently by
modern researchers” (Vulpe 2010). In some opinions, the only reliable historical
facts evoked in his poems and confirmed by other sources are the Roman fights held
in order to conquer Aegysus (Tulcea) – before 12 p. Chr. n. – and to recapture
Troesmis (Iglit ¸a, Turcoaia, Tulcea county) by 15 p. Chr. n. According to those
historians, the rest of the informations consist of descriptions (exaggerated in a
negative sense) of the climate, of the frequent invasions over the Danube, of the
barbarians’ habits, including the Getae, and of the vegetation (“absence” of the
vine). Moreover, they specify that both the data on the climate and those on the
vegetation are focused on common places, evoking some conditions that were
unbearable to a Roman accustomed to the luxurious life from Rome; additionally,
the landscape imagined by the poet was more appropriate to the Northern Pontic
steppes than to Dobrogea (Vulpe 2010).
Nevertheless, beyond the exaggerations and incongruities that appear in Ovid’s
Elegies – some of them being inherent to his aim, i.e. to obtain the Emperor’s
clemency, and, ipso facto, to revoke the Edict of exile – it is noteworthy that they
can be used as “historical source”. This was done both by Romanian and foreign
4 About “Publius Ovidius Naso” ({ 17 p. Chr. n.) and His. . .
69
(Romanian Dobrogea), but also with the ideas of the Greek speaking philosophers,
thus including those propagated by the Stoics.
Indeed, at Tomis, Ovid proved to be a humanist interested in kalokagathia
(beautiful and good), which was disseminated by ancient philosophers; the
Roman poet incarnated these values – first of all – in his verses, in his Ars poetica,
that he actually saw as matchless and, ipso facto, destined to eternity.
As already stated, Ovid had not been acquainted with the Stoic conception of
“man” and “humanity” when he arrived at Tomis (where he would speak and write
poems in the local language of “Scythia Minor”, i.e. the language of the GetoDacians and of the Sarmatians, Thracian tribes, – being otherwise inspired even by
one of the daughters of these tribes, who served as his muse, as confessed by the
poet himself). This is attested by the fact that, subsequent to his acquaintance and
familiarization with the Tomitan civilization and culture, Ovid paid due attention to
the Gentiles that were labeled as “barbaric” only because they did not speak Greek
and Latin, and, ipso facto, because their population was not educated in line with
the Greco-Roman culture and civilization, but in line with one that had been
overtaken in terms of time and brilliance, i.e. the Thracian culture and civilization.
4.2 Ovid’s Poems Written in Getic Language, a Real
Documentary Source for a Better Knowledge
of the Tomitan Civilization and Culture
Referring to the contribution that the informations provided by Ovid’s Elegies
would have had to a better knowledge of the Tomitan civilization and culture,
some specialized Romanian historians state that these were assessed “differently by
modern researchers” (Vulpe 2010). In some opinions, the only reliable historical
facts evoked in his poems and confirmed by other sources are the Roman fights held
in order to conquer Aegysus (Tulcea) – before 12 p. Chr. n. – and to recapture
Troesmis (Iglit ¸a, Turcoaia, Tulcea county) by 15 p. Chr. n. According to those
historians, the rest of the informations consist of descriptions (exaggerated in a
negative sense) of the climate, of the frequent invasions over the Danube, of the
barbarians’ habits, including the Getae, and of the vegetation (“absence” of the
vine). Moreover, they specify that both the data on the climate and those on the
vegetation are focused on common places, evoking some conditions that were
unbearable to a Roman accustomed to the luxurious life from Rome; additionally,
the landscape imagined by the poet was more appropriate to the Northern Pontic
steppes than to Dobrogea (Vulpe 2010).
Nevertheless, beyond the exaggerations and incongruities that appear in Ovid’s
Elegies – some of them being inherent to his aim, i.e. to obtain the Emperor’s
clemency, and, ipso facto, to revoke the Edict of exile – it is noteworthy that they
can be used as “historical source”. This was done both by Romanian and foreign
4 About “Publius Ovidius Naso” ({ 17 p. Chr. n.) and His. . .
69