Love and war — a tale as old as time in “Amores” II 12 by Ovid

Abstract

The article contains a translation into Polish and an analysis of Ovid’s elegy Amores II 12, which deals with the theme of the similarity between love and war — a recurring motif in his oeuvre. The poet finds justification for his own romantic conquests in tradition, as he refers to a number of legendary kidnappings of women that resulted in wars. With typical self-irony, however, he emphasizes that his own victories are more praiseworthy than those won by mythical heroes, as his triumphs were individual and bloodless.