The displacement of Apollo by Cupid in am. 1, 1 forms part of an Ovidian project of sidelining the god in order for the poet to assert his own greatness.
Ovid 's disavowals of divine inspiration reinforce the picture of his independence.
Analysis of the various appearances of Apollo in Ovid 's love poetry (ars 1, 25-30 ; 2, 493-510 ; 3, 789-792 ; rem. 75-78 and 703-706), as well as some instances when we might have expected him to appear, but he does not (ars 2, 1-16 and 2, 45 ; rem. 361-396 and 811-814), reveals not a string of unconnected jokes at Apollo 's expense, but a rejection of Apollo with both poetic and political ramifications.
