10 h 59 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 10 h 59 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if every date on the calendar opened a door to a god, a ritual, or Rome’s tangled past?
In Fasti, Ovid follows the Roman calendar from January to June, asking where its festivals, temples, and customs come from. His long poem unfolds in elegiac couplets, with a book for each month. Janus opens the year; February brings purification; March turns to Mars and the founding twins.
April brings Venus and Ceres, while May and June gather gods and stars. Along the way, Ovid meets speaking gods, recalls Lucretia, and tells of Ceres searching for her daughter. He is a curious presence in his own poem, guiding you through Roman religion and memory with wit, questions, and a sometimes mischievous edge.
What you’ll discover
- A doorway into January Meet two-faced Janus, the keeper of gates and beginnings, at the threshold of Rome’s year.
- The stories behind rituals Explore the myths and customs behind festivals such as the Lupercalia, Parilia, and Lemuria.
- Gods with speaking parts Hear Venus remind the poet of love that he remains her servant.
- Praise with a quiet edge Discover why readers find more than simple praise beneath Ovid’s celebration of Augustus.
- Learning worn lightly Follow a witty guide from sacred rites to rivers, constellations, and old kings.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy myths retold with wit, Roman festivals, the origins of old customs, or poetry that moves from stars to gods to history.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The calendar holds many stories
- Janus makes beginnings matter
- February joins cleansing with remembrance
- Sacred limits stand against abuse
- Women and law restrain weapons
- March gives gatherings their gods
- A goddess arrives with public proof
- The harvest depends on sacred care
- Households and traders seek divine protection
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Fasti in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Fasti
by Ovid · 8
A Roman poet walks the calendar day by day, and gods step out of the festivals to answer his questions.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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In short
What if a whole year could be walked like a street, one door per day, with a god or a story behind each door? That is the idea behind the Fasti, a poem by the Roman writer Ovid.
Fasti at a glance
- Reading time
- About 8 h 10 min6 h 30 min fast, 9 h 40 min slow
- Length
- 116,400 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- about AD 8by Ovid
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Ovid sets the Roman year to verse
The Fasti follows the Roman calendar, month by month and day by day. Ovid promises two things. He will give the causes of the seasonal festivals, and he will tell when the constellations rise and set.
He dedicates the work to Germanicus, the young prince. Others may sing of Caesar's wars, he says, while he will sing of Caesar's altars and the days added to the calendar.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 8
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 7 h 10 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Ovid. Fasti. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/fasti.
Ovid. (2026). Fasti. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/fasti (Original work published ca. 8)
Ovid. Fasti. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/fasti.
@book{ovid2026fasti,
author = {Ovid},
title = {Fasti},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/fasti},
note = {First published ca. 8}
}
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What is the Fasti about?
The Fasti is a poem that follows the Roman calendar. Ovid explains the origins of festivals, rites and sacred days, and he tells when stars rise and set, using myths and Roman history as his answers.
Why does the Fasti only cover six months?
Six books survive, running from January to June. Ancient tradition and the poem's own plan point to twelve books, but the later six are not part of the text we have.
Who is Janus in the Fasti?
Janus is the two-faced god of doorways and beginnings. In the first book he tells Ovid that he was once Chaos, that he guards the gates of heaven and that January is his month.
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