Women In Ovid's The Art Of Love

Ovid published a book titled “The Art of Love” to help men win over women they desired. This book gives inside on what must be done to win women, as well as the Ovid’s opinion of women. It also showcases the immoral he brings to the Roman Empire. Ovid believes that a man should focus on his appearance and his behavior to make women fall in love with him.

According to Ovid, a man must look his best to attract women. He believes that a man will look his best if “... you have your hair waved, or use powder on your skin”, so he must be clean. Ovid goes on to say that “simplicity in dress is what best befits a man”, there is no need to dress fancy. He gives the examples of Theseus and Ariadne, Phædra and Hippolytus, and Adonis and a goddess. Each man was simple in his attire and clean, and he encourages that men “study to be clean, let your skin be tanned in the open air, wear well-cut clothes, and see there are no spots on them”. Ovid expects for a man to “have a clean tongue, and let your teeth be free from tartar”, perform some basic dental hygiene. No man should have unmanaged hair, or beard, and certainly not bad breath. To be successful a man must also take care of his fingernails, and any nostril hairs he has. Appearance is not the only thing Ovid tells men he has to focus on, but behavior as well.

From Ovid’s book of love, a ma must be on his best behavior to win the heart of a woman. He tells men to “never drink enough to cloud your brain or make your gait unsteady;