The origins of "Ozymandias" were humble: a playful contest with a friend, Horace Smith, a jolly London poet-stockbroker, who was staying with Shelley at Marlow.

“奥西曼迭斯”这首诗的创作缘由很一般：雪莱有一位与他同在马洛的朋友贺拉斯·史密斯—他是一位快乐的伦敦股票经济人，同时也是一位诗人。