Ovid begins the poem by stating that he has heard about his friend's faithlessness; he asks what possible excuse there might be for this behaviour (1-28). He then warns his friend that Fortune is changeable, and gives four examples of famous men who fell from prosperity (29-48). He ends the poem by stating once again that Fortune is undependable, and gives his own catastrophe as an instance; his friend should remember this, and moderate his behaviour accordingly (49-58).
The poem has points of contact with the earlier poems of reproach. _Tr_ I viii is addressed to a friend who failed to visit Ovid after his disaster: he can scarcely believe his friend is human. In _Tr_ III xi, Ovid asks his enemy why through his actions he makes his punishment even worse. _Tr_ IV ix is a warning that if Ovid's enemy does not cease attacking him, he will through his poetry make his enemy's name infamous throughout the world. _Tr_ V viii, the poem closest in theme to the present one, is a warning to his enemy that Fortune is changeable and Augustus merciful, so he and Ovid might one day change situations.
The _Ibis_, being primarily a catalogue of literary curses, stands somewhat apart from the other poems of reproach in structure as in size; yet the opening of the poem, in which Ovid describes his enemy's conduct and the ways he might respond, offers a number of parallels to the present poem.
=1. CONQVERAR AN TACEAM.= Kenney (_Nequitiae Poeta_ 204-5), commenting on _AA_ I 739 'conquerar an moneam', cites other instances of the same rhetorical device at _Aen_ III 39 ' eloquar an sileam?' and _Met_ IX 147 'conquerar an sileam?', as well as the present passage.
=1. CONQVERAR.= The choice of verb is significant: this poem is a rhetorical _conquestio_ transferred to verse. Kenney cites Cicero's definition of _conquestio_ at _Inu_ I 106: 'conquestio est oratio auditorum misericordiam captans ... id locis communibus efficere oportebit, per quos Fortunae uis in omnes et hominum infirmitas ostenditur; qua oratione ... animus hominum ... ad misericordiam comparatur, cum in alieno malo suam infirmitatem considerabit'.
=1. PONAM SINE NOMINE CRIMEN.= 'Shall I put my accusation in my poem without naming you?'. The same sense of _ponere_ at _Tr_ I v 7 '_positis_ pro nomine signis', _Tr_ IV iv 7, and _EP_ III vi 1-2 'Naso suo (_posuit_ nomen quam paene!) sodali / mittit ab Euxinis hoc breue carmen aquis'.