Ovid's
Fasti
, based on the festivals of the Roman year, is a brilliantly varied and original poem by one of the world's greatest storytellers, written in the late years of the emperor Augustus and cut short (only six books of the planned twelve were written) when the emperor sent the poet into exile. Its tone ranges from tragedy to farce, and its subject matter from astronomy and obscure ritual to Roman history and Greek mythology. Among the stories Ovid tells at length are Arion and the dolphin, the rape of Lucretia, the adventures of Dido's sister, the Great Mother's journey to Rome, the killing of Remus, the bloodsucking birds, and the murderous daughter of King Servius. The poem has been unjustly neglected until recently, and this accurate prose translation into modern English, with a scene-setting Introduction, will enable readers to appreciate its subtleties.