Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.871-9
Iamque opus exegi, quod nec Iouis ira nec ignis
nec poterit ferrum nec edax abolere uetustas.
cum uolet, illa dies, quae nil nisi corporis huius
ius habet, incerti spatium mihi finiat aeui:
parte tamen meliore mei super alta perennis
astra ferar, nomenque erit indelebile nostrum,
quaque patet domitis Romana potentia terris,
ore legar populi, perque omnia saecula fama,
siquid habent ueri uatum praesagia, uiuam.
And now I have completed my work, which not Jupiter’s anger, and not fire nor steel, nor all-consuming time can destroy. Whenever it will, let that day – which only has power over my body – end the uncertain course of my life. However, the better part of me will be carried, immortal, beyond the lofty stars, and my name will be everlasting. Wherever Roman power extends over conquered lands, I will be read on the lips of men, and, if there is any truth in the poets’ prophecies, I will live on in fame through all the ages.
| Relevant guides | Ovid |
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