The fact of living in a rural or urban setting determines a person’s way of life. Village life with all its benefits was a favourite topic of most ancient Roman poets of the Augustan Age. In their works, village life, in general, entails tranquillity, modesty, safety and freedom. Virgil, Horace, and Ovid are some of the most significant authors of the Augustan Age and rural topics are present throughout their poetic oeuvres. The three poets lived in the same century, in the marble Rome ruled by the powerful emperor Augustus. They were renowned and esteemed by the educated Roman citizens and held in high regard by Augustus himself, but their poems express a longing for solitude and tranquillity of rural life. The question arises of what was the reason for such a desire to escape the glorious Rome and why they considered the village an idyllic place, in spite of all the benefits of city life they enjoyed. It can be assumed that one of the reasons for this was their occupation, i.e. they needed to spend some time away from the urban hustle and bustle, in a tranquil natural setting, in order for their poetic ingenium to flourish. In his poems, Virgil expressed his envy for the people living in villages, away from wars and the city noise. For him, rural life was a privilege, and work the source of happiness. Another reason could be the poets’ philosophy of life. Horace’s work incorporates elements of Epicurean philosophy, centred around moderation, restraint, and modesty, as opposed to the busy life on the Roman forums and at its courts, led by a desire to make a quick profit. His vision of true happiness was not based on money or power, but a village life spent in good company and celebrated with good wine. He was aware of the fact that life goes by quickly and should be used well. His works create the impression that Horace was a cheerful and sociable person, who would fit in perfectly in a rural setting. Wine is an essential component of village life for Horace. The type of wine served defines how much an occasion is happy and idyllic. The greater the reason for celebration, the older and higherquality the wine and, naturally, special occasions call for bottles kept hidden in the most remote parts of the cellar. In Satires, the village represents an escape from annoying and imposing people encountered in the city. In Odes, the village symbolises the opposite of rough seas and the dangers of life in general. As for Ovid, he used the concept to express his bitterness over the corrupted nature of his contemporaries, who valued money above everything else. In Fasti, he expressed his regret for the Rome of the times gone by. It can be assumed that Ovid’s life was clouded by the fear of offending someone with his verses and that he suffered inside in spite of all the fame his work already brought him during his lifetime. Still, his work The Art of Love allows the conclusion that he nevertheless enjoyed the debauched urban lifestyle. Ovid did not consider money to be crucial for a happy life. The mere fact of him being a poet imposes this conclusion. He came from a wealthy family but still chose to pursue the occupation of a poet, even though, as he stated himself in his letter to Severus, his father used to tell him that not even the great Homer was able to make a living as a poet. In the same letter, he confessed that he wrote numerous poems, but he let the fire correct those he considered to be wrong. This leads to the conclusion that he was afraid of the people surrounding him. Under the assumption that his desire to escape from the city comes from his wish for tranquillity and safety, it should be noted that Ovid, unlike Horace and Virgil, did not live in a time of war and therefore their attitudes towards rural life were different. Furthermore, it is important to compare the poetic devices used by Virgil, Horace, and Ovid. In this thesis, I will attempt to analyse the symbolism of rural life in the names and situations found in the works of these great poets.