"Foebus abierat" echoes the poetry of Ovid in both language and situation, most strongly the "Heroides" — particularly "Epistula" 13 in which Laodamia addresses her bridegroom Protesilaos, who has just sailed for Troy; and "Epistula" 10, in which Ariadne awakes to find herself abandoned by Theseus — and the Ceyx and Alcyone episode of "Metamorphoses" 11.