Breakups are the worst. On one scale devised by psychiatrists, only a spouse’s death was ranked as more stressful than a marital split. Is there any treatment for a breakup? The ancient Roman poet Ovid thought so. Having become famous for teaching the art of seduction in The Art of Love, he then wrote Remedies for Love (Remedia Amoris), which presents thirty-eight frank and witty strategies for coping with unrequited love, falling out of love, ending a relationship, and healing a broken heart. How to Get Over a Breakup presents an unabashedly modern prose translation of Ovid’s lighthearted and provocative work, complete with a lively introduction and the original Latin on facing pages.
Ovid’s advice—which he illustrates with ingenious interpretations of classical mythology—ranges from the practical, psychologically astute, and profound to the ironic, deliberately offensive, and bizarre. Some advice is conventional—such as staying busy, not spending time alone, and avoiding places associated with an ex. Some is off-color, such as having sex until you’re sick of it. And some is simply and delightfully weird—such as becoming a lawyer and not eating arugula.
Whether his advice is good or bad, entertaining or outrageous, How to Get Over a Breakup reveals an Ovid who sounds startlingly modern.
Michael Fontaine is professor of classics at Cornell University. His books include three other volumes in the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, How to Grieve, How to Tell a Joke, and How to Drink (all Princeton).
"[Fontaine’s] translation…is excellent. It strikes just the right light and humorous tone... a very amusing and well-written volume, accessible both to those with knowledge of Latin and the Classics and those with none. It skilfully demonstrates how Ovid’s Remedia Amoris is as thought provoking and relevant today as it was some 2,000 years ago"—Marion Gibbs, Classics for All
“By turns distinctly Roman and strikingly relatable, How to Get Over a Breakup offers the brokenhearted lover advice ranging from the useful to the hilariously unreasonable. Fontaine’s translation captures the playful philosophy of Ovid’s original, managing to be fast-paced, chatty, and contemporary without losing any of its first-century flavor.”—Honor Cargill-Martin, author of Messalina: A Story of Empire, Slander, and Adultery
“Capturing the spirit and fun of Ancient Rome’s most mischievous poet, Fontaine’s translation is full of color and verve.”—Daisy Dunn, author of The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny
“Michael Fontaine’s translation of Ovid’s Remedies for Love is lively, modern, hilarious, smart, and bold. Fontaine carefully gauges where Ovid is teasing or being serious, and Ovid’s voice as a ‘gleeful provocateur’ comes through on these pages.”—Jinyu Liu, Emory University
"A pleasure to read, Michael Fontaine's excellent new translation of Ovid's Remedies for Love truly brings the ancient text back to life. Most of all, it lets the universality of the psychological experience of 'love lost' shine through for contemporary readers, making Ovid's work accessible to students, lovers of classical antiquity—and anyone in need of breakup advice!"—Chiara Thumiger, University of Kiel, Germany
