Ovid in Tomis

[Ed Cryer]

Ovid got exiled to Tomis, modern Constanta, on the Black Sea, near where
the Danube pours into it.

Hister
congelat et tectis in mare serpit aquis;
quaque rates ierant, pedibus nunc itur, et undas
frigore concretas ungula pulsat equi;
perque nouos pontes, subter labentibus undis,
ducunt Sarmatici barbara plaustra boues.
(Tristia 3)

(The Danube freezes and crawls to the sea with its waters hidden; and
where boats had gone, feet now go and horses' hooves beat the cold-
hardened waves; and over new bridges (waters flowing below) Sarmatian
oxen draw barbarian carts.)

The Danube still freezes;
https://goo.gl/E1hRWV

Ed

[David Amicus]

So Global Warming has been around for 2,000 years.

[Ed Cryer]

aspera militiae iuvenis certamina fugi,
nec nisi lusura movimus arma manu;
nunc senior gladioque latus scutoque sinistram,
canitiem galeae subicioque meam.
(Tristia)

(I avoided the harsh toils of military service when I was young, and
only sported weapons for fun. Now I'm older and there's a sword at my
side, a shield on my left arm and a helmet over my grey locks.)

And this wasn't just metaphorical; the barbarians were very close, and
made constant raids.

Ed