Horace: Life, Works and Legacy of a Roman Poet

Literature: Poetry in Rome

Poetry flourished in Rome from the Republic to the reign of Augustus, when Rome conquered Greece and Sicily. Context and wars, including the Punic Wars, shaped the literature of the period.

Horace

Horace (65–8 BC), of the family of the Dillius (a freedman family), was a member of the neoteroi or poetae novi (the "new poets") alongside Cicero, who described them as such. Everything was in ignorance of the relevant period. Virgil and Ovid can be considered Latin lyric poets, but Horace was the most representative, as his work reflects himself and his deep sentiments.

He was inspired by two great Greek lyric poets: Sappho and Alcaeus of Lesbos, who created lyric poetry in the 7th century BC. He adapted their main metres, which became a key advantage for Latin poets.

Precursors of Horace

The Latin poet Catullus (84–54 BC) is considered a precursor of Horace. He dedicated much of his work to his lover, whom he named "Lesbia" (Clodia). Clodia was the wife of the governor of Cisalpine Gaul, famous for her beauty and a scandal throughout Rome. Catullus lived with her in intense passion, but she also tormented him with her infidelities. He fled to Bithynia after an expedition, and when he returned, he discovered Clodia had betrayed him. Catullus died at the age of 30.

The Life and Works of Horace

Horace was born in Venusia (south of Rome) in 65 BC. His father, a freedman, took him to school in Rome, and after his training was complete, his father sent him to Athens, where he studied philosophy and perfected his skills.

Among the young Romans in Greece, there were many who studied, and the spirit of the republic dominated, in which fighting was common. When Horace joined the murderers of Caesar, led by Brutus, he was there and served as a military tribune. After Brutus was defeated, Horace returned to Rome to his father's house. His father was dead and their property confiscated. Life in Rome was difficult for him. He finally obtained a post as a clerk, which provided him with a stable living.

Whatever little free time he had was devoted to writing poetry and to his friendship with the poet Virgil, who introduced him to Maecenas, the counsellor of Augustus. Maecenas was a man of authentic sensitivity and eventually recognised Horace's talent, welcoming him into his circle of friends. This marked the beginning of a lasting relationship that lasted until Maecenas’s death. Horace died in 8 BC, a few months after the death of his friend and patron.

Early Works

His first works were the Epodes, youthful poems in the lyrical and archaic Greek style.

The Satires

The collection known as the Epodes consists of very short poems, written in iambic metre, that are sometimes harsh, violent and sarcastic. Their characters are anonymous prototypes who embody the vices of the era. Some are of love content, and others are inspired by the struggles of Roman citizens. There is also a bucolic poem of the type "Beatus Ille", which praises the life of the countryside. The first verses of this poem sing of the delights of rural life, in contrast to the problems that life in the city entails.

Shortly after he had written the first Epodes, he wrote two books of Satires, a collection of about 30 varied poems. These Horatian satires are driven by a moralising impulse. The poet portrays society, its vices and social ills, and the lack of a precise moral vision or the ambition and avarice that many possess.

In 35 BC, he wrote the Carmina or Odes, a collection of lyric compositions that followed the style of Catullus and became a rival to Greek lyric poetry. The Odes are thematically diverse, dealing with friendship, love and song, among other themes. Other odes are philosophical and reflect on moral philosophy. He also composed religious and political poems exalting Augustus as a peacemaker.

Later, he wrote two books of Letters. These are open letters addressed to various friends, especially Maecenas, in which the poet continues to reflect on the meaning of his own life. He shows life in the countryside, where nature provides tranquillity, the soul's happiness, and so on.

Notable among this group of letters is the famous Epistula ad Pisones (the Ars Poetica), which explains the principles of good poetry. Inspired by Plato and Aristotle, this epistle includes advice and general rules on the composition of a literary work. In the work, the emperor appreciated the value of poets who wrote in his honour. Horace wrote the Carmen Saeculare, a hymn sung by a chorus of boys and girls on the occasion of the ludi saeculares, celebrating the new era marked by peace and prosperity. Lively and exalted, this hymn was written as the last of his odes, presenting the emperor as a demigod.

Key themes: Beatus Ille, carpe diem.