Ovid advises his lover to act innocently and deny any wrongdoing, while encouraging her to indulge her passions secretly. He tells her to be naughty in a private place, then leave her sins there and speak modestly in public so as not to damage her reputation.

1. Amores.III.14
Lines 11-20

2. Summary
• Don’t let your sins be exposed
• Act like you are innocent
• Deny that you have indulged in naughtiness
• There is a place – be naughty there!
• Leave your sins in that place

3. TU TUA PROSTITUTES FAMAE PECCATA SINISTRAE
COMMISSI PERAGES INDIUMQUE TUI?
TU TUA – alliteration is punchy and makes it seem both inquisitive and
accusatory
COMMISSI – (misdeed) emphasis at the start of line
COMMISSI + INDICIUM - legal vocabulary being used by Ovid
while he is undercutting the laws of Augustus

4. SIT TIBI MENS MELIOR, SALTEMVE IMITARE PUDICAS,
TEQUE PROBAM, QUAMVIS NON ERIS, ESSE PUTEM
MENS MELIOR – alliteration mimics the strength of the mind
PUDICAS – placement means emphasis on the fact that she herself is not
modest
QUAMVIS NON ERIS – (although you are not) placement in-between what
Ovid thinks shows how it is stuck in his mind and it is mixed up in his
thoughts

5. QUAE FACIS, HAEC FACITO: TANTUM FECISSE NEGATO
NEC PUDEAT CORAM VERBA MODESTA LOQUI.
QUAE FACIS, HAEC FACITO – repetition = emphasis and almost a bit
confusing and imperative shows desperation
NEGATO – imperative = desperation perhaps and placement emphasises as
essentially this is the most important thing he wants her to do
NEC...LOQUI – turning morality on the head as due to roman morals, this
was the opposite of what was meant to happen

6. EST QUI NEQUITAM LOCUS EXIGAT: OMNIBUS ILLUM
DELICIIS INPLE,STET PROCUL INDE PUDOR
DELICIIS – (pleasures) emphasis at beginning of line as to what this
place is really about and enjambment heightens this
NEQUITAM – encouraging licentiousness and choice of vocabulary has
very sexual connotations
PROCUL – (far away) heightens sense that Ovid really wants his girl to
‘go wild’ in this place

7. HINC SIMUL EXIERIS, LASCIVA PROTINUS OMNIS
ABSIT, ET IN LECTO CRIMINA PONE TUO
SIMUL + PROTINUS – gives a sense of urgency and perhaps that he is
getting worried as his girl is leaving the place and so he wants her to as
quickly as possible stop being naughty!
ABSIT – emphasis at beginning of line as this is essentially the most
important part of the sentence as he wants her to stop these things.
CRIMINA – legal vocabulary gives a sense of perhaps how awful the things
she is doing are
IN LECTO – it is quite a sexual reference and it reminds us how Ovid is
aware of what she is doing