Some stylometric remarks on Ovid’s <i>Heroides</i> and the <i>Epistula Sapphus</i>

Abstract This article contributes to two well-worn areas of debate in classical Latin philology, relating Ovid’s Heroides. The first is the question authenticity (and, a lesser extent correct position) letter placed 15th almost every collection—the so-called Epistula Sapphus (henceforth ES). secondary question, although perhaps now less fervently debated, ‘Double Heroides’, by those who accept them as letters 16–21. I employ variety methods drawn from domain computational stylometry consider poetics and lexico-grammatical features these elegiac poems broader context corpus ‘shorter’ (from 20 546 lines) works five authors (266 all) representing most elegy. Based on techniques, measure gives clear indication that poetic style Heroides genuinely Ovidian, but distinctive; they can be accurately isolated Ovid more broadly. Single Double split into groups, with ES grouped consistently single letters. Furthermore, comparing ‘early’ (although there are complications this label) Amores late Ex Ponto, evidence supports sequential composition—meaning correctly placed—and, further, growing consensus double were composed significantly later, exile.