S.Julius Hyginus

Hyginus is the chief clerk of the library, a direct descendant of C.Julius Hyginus, the second head librarian at this site. Hyginus is a pleasant man with neither the intellect nor the personality of his illustrious ancestor. He has a good heart, though somewhat maudlin, and he also has a favorite poem, Ovid's Tristia 3.1, which his ancestor originally turned away from this library. This is what he has to say about the poem:

"Tristia 3.1 was written by one of our greatest but unwise poets of the past. Ovid was famous and infamous during the time of our glorious emperor Augustus and displayed poor judgment in composing popular poems which unintentionally challenged the moral program of the emperor. His Art of Love, for example, caused a minor scandal, although by today's standards it is very mild. Ovid was eventually exiled to the Black Sea region, where he finally died. I advise you to go to library in the Atrium Libertatis (on the Clivus Argentarius just off the Forum) to read this poem. Its narrator is one of Ovid's books that has been sent to Rome to find a good home. The little book is unsuccessful, but visits our library on the Palatine during its quest, a quest as sad as the author's own life. The final lines open a special connection between you, the reader, and Ovid, for by reading this work you fulfill his wish."