Ovid

About Ovid

Publius Ovidius Naso, known simply as Ovid, was a preeminent Roman lyric poet whose influence on Western literature is immense. Living through the transition from the Roman Republic to the Augustan Principate, his major works, such as the Metamorphoses and Ars Amatoria, established him as a master of elegiac and narrative verse. The Metamorphoses, a sweeping epic poem detailing transformations in mythology from the creation of the world to the deification of Julius Caesar, is Ovid's most enduring legacy, securing his rank as the 266th most historically important figure according to the Pantheon project.

Despite this high historical ranking, Ovid's contemporary digital footprint is modest when measured against his influence. In 2025, his Wikipedia page registered 363K views. This level of attention is only about 1x what would be expected relative to his historical importance, suggesting he is holding his own, but perhaps less captivating than some peers. For comparison, fellow writer Charles Dickens, ranked #404 in historical importance, garnered 2.1 million views-over five times Ovid's attention-demonstrating a significant disparity between literary giants from different eras.

Furthermore, Ovid's digital interest appears to be waning; his 2025 annualized views showed a year-over-year drop of -16.1%, alongside a concerning -14% decline between Q1 and Q3 momentum. This suggests that while his works laid foundational concepts for later Western narrative, the immediate online attention he commands is decreasing.