Erotica Romana, also known as the Roman Elegies, is a cycle of poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe composed after his Italian journey of 1786–88. Written in the tradition of Latin elegists such as Ovid and Propertius, the verses celebrate love, sensuality, and the classical world with a warmth and directness unusual for German literature of the period.
Goethe circulated these poems privately before their eventual publication, and they remain a fascinating counterpoint to the philosophical weight of his other works. This free EPUB offers readers direct access to a more intimate and playful dimension of the great poet’s art.