Author Description

The Ars amatoria (English: The Art of Love) is an instructional book series elegy in three books by Ancient Rome Roman poet Ovid. It was written in 2 AD. It is about teaching basic Gentlemanly male and female relationship skills and techniques. Ovid offers advice to men on subjects such as, how to seduce and keep a woman, and also notably offers women advice on how to be attractive to men. He advises that, "if one is accompanying a lady to the horse-racing in the Circus Maximus, one should gallantly brush the dust from her gown. And if there isn't any dust there, brush it nonetheless. Also, "A young man should promise the moon to the object of his affections in letters-even a beggar can be rich in promises. A small woman, meanwhile, would be better advised to receive her suitor lying down ... but should make sure that her feet are hidden under her dress, so that her true size is not disclosed."