In a new book, prof translates ancient advice for the lovelorn

Says Fontaine: “There’s some actionable advice, some stuff that’s questionable, and some stuff that can’t possibly be taken seriously.”

Some of Ovid’s wisdom echoes the common-sense advice you’d get from your besties after a romantic reversal: staying busy, taking up a new hobby, going on vacation, and (in the poet’s words) “minimizing and belittling your ex’s best features.”

Even the most broken-hearted readers, however, will likely decline another of Ovid’s tips: putting your lost love out of your mind by going off to war.

“Ovid is known as the biggest jerk in all of antiquity,” Fontaine says with a laugh.