“An vos Nasonis carmina non legitis?”: Ovid in Ausonius’ Epigrams.

Starting from the explicit reference to Ovid in an epigram by Ausonius focusing on sexual metamorphoses (72), this paper examines a series of erotic (14; 20; 91; 102-103) and mythological (11; 108-114) epigrams by this author, which show a significant presence of Ovid (especially of the Amores, the Ars and the Metamorphoses). The aim of this analysis is to highlight on the one hand the various forms taken by of Ausonius’ allusive technique, on the other the particular success of certain elegiac themes and Ovidian metamorphic myths, which Ausonius adapts to the short form of epigram, following the significant precedent of Martial. Most importantly, Ausonius’ miniaturised myths always grasp the essential aspects of the Metamorphoses tales or else play on taking their distance from them, in an ongoing dialogue with the model which presupposes a careful and insightful reading of Ovid's text.