Horace Poems

Rough descriptions of certain poems

Satire 1.6

Addresses Maecenas, and talks about how Horace is a freedman, how Vergil introduced the two, and how Horace is happy because he lacks ambition.

Satire 1.9

Horace goes for a walk on the Via Sacra, and has a pest pester him, asking to be introduced to Maecenas. Horace is too polite to say no, and the pest keeps following him around. Eventually his problem is solved by the pest being arrested and brought to court.

Satire 1.5

Horace and friends go on a diplomatic mission to Tarentum or somewhere. Imitates an earlier poem by Lucilius. Horace notably focuses on the trip more than the mission, such things as he and Vergil making excuses to not play ball with Maecenas, the singing competition of a drunk man and a sailor, the burning-down of a house they’re staying in, and getting blue-balled by a girl.

Epode 1

Addresses Maecenas going off to Actium. Says he wants to accompany him, even if he can’t help much in battle. Compares himself to a mother-bird, and Maecenas to his chick. Specifies he cares for Maecenas because of friendship, not in hope of riches. Notable for having traditional Archilochan themes (sailing and friends and fighting and comradery) but also subverting them (Is this really an Epode? It’s not against anyone).

Epode 3

Horace talks for a long time about how much he hates garlic. Compares it with a bunch of mythic poisons, and says he hopes Maecenas gets rejected cause his breath smells like garlic. (Mankin 1995) suggests that Garlic had connotations of countryside and military, and thus Horace is rejecting his own manliness. He also notes Maecenas’ practical joke, though traditionally epodic, comes dangerously close to breaking the traditional ‘philotes’ with Horace. The poem could perhaps be interpreted as the acceptance of an apology. This is also notable for painting Maecenas as the epodic ‘threat to societal values’

Epode 4

An attack against a freedman who achieved freedom after a naval battle. He’s gotten rich afterwards. Horace asks why it matters to win if this (a former slave getting rich) is what it costs? (Mankin 1995) includes this in the list of Epodes which also target Horace, as Horace himself had a freedman father who probably got rich afterwards (despite what Horace may claim). In (Oliensis 1998)’s model of gaining and losing face, this seems to be an attempt to make us forget that; by so vigorously defacing the freedman who got rich, Horace is putting himself among the ranks of Romans who do not have relations with freedmen, elevating his own status while denigrating that of the freedman. While the figure is a stock character, there were people who fit this description, notably Pompeius Menas, though he died before the poem was published (Mankin 1995).

Epode 7

Formatted as an address to senators, chastising them for their actions. Civil war is terrible, and even animals don’t practice it (though in reality they do). This is clearly punishment for Romulus’ crime of fratricide. Line 14 gives an impression of extemporaneousness by requesting a response.

Epode 10

A prayer to the winds to destroy the ship carrying Maevius. Literally all the winds are asked. Requests a journey similar to Locrian Ajax’s, who was smited by Athena. Describes Maevius’ cowardly reaction to a sinking ship, and offers to sacrifice a goat and a ewe to bring about this prayer.

Epode 13

The weather is bad, so Horace says “let’s drink!” The use of luxury is appropriate to relieve anxieties, as Chiron instructed Achilles before he went to Troy.

Epode 14

Maecenas asks Horace why he’s taking so long to write the Epodes. Horace says a god is stopping him, gives Anacreon as an example of another poet smitten with love, and says that he himself is smitten with Phryne. (Mankin 1995) lists this as another Epode where Horace goes against himself. In this case, it’s a concession that he hasn’t been writing the Epodes, because he’s been in love with Phryne, a freedwoman. In Satire 1.2, Horace recommends freedwomen as a ‘safer’ option, but seems to have fallen victim to his own advice.

Ode 1.1

The first Ode, addressed to Maecenas, goes through a bunch of different professions and says they’re all happy doing what they’re doing. Horace then claims that if Maecenas puts him among the Lyric poets, he’ll hit his head on the stars. Plays with the idea of the Kleos-bargain, where the patron gives the poet money and security and all that, and the poet praises and immortalizes the patron in the poem. Horace here seems to promise this, but raises himself more than Maecenas. (Sullivan 2021) suggests that all the different professions alluded to are references to the nine canon Lyric poets (Pindar, Stesichorus, Bachyllides, Alcman, Simonides, Anacreon, Alcaeus, Ibycus, and Sappho). Horace weaves himself into these nine, presupposing his lyric success and furthering the sense of arrogance in the poem. This is subverted, however, by the bathic ending, which lowers Horace in the poem’s language, while raising his greater literary standing.

Ode 1.2

There are omens and the Tiber is flooding. This isn’t a return to Deucalion’s flood, as some suppose, but it’s trying to avenge Ilia/Rhea Silvia. Jupiter stops it though. The youth will hear of civil war. Who should people pray to to stop this? Lists Apollo, Venus, Mars, and finally settles on Mercury as a saviour. Augustus is simply Mercury in disguise, and will return to heaven after death, but while he’s here, things will be great. Maecenas notably disappears from this poem. Augustus/Mercury returning to heaven pre-empts the deification present in later poems. Almost all the gods listed have connections to Augustus, Venus & Mars as ancestors, Apollo and Mercury as patrons. West says this is an example of Horace feeling his way towards Panegyric poetry. It imitates a variety of different Lyric poets too in its various sections. The civil wars are downplayed here, relegated to line 24 alone, and the true enemy is made out to be the Persians.

Ode 1.3

Addressed to a ship that is carrying Vergil to Greece, asking him to keep him safe. It then goes into a section on how arrogant man is in presuming to conquer the sea, which the gods intended to use as boundaries. There are several more examples of rebellion against the gods, getting faster and faster: Prometheus stealing fire (7 lines), Daedalus flying (2 lines), and Hercules going to the Underworld (1 line). In the end, humans keep trying to raise themselves, forcing Jupiter to punish them with his lightning bolts. Typical poem talking about the fall from a golden age to the iron age, and how we should just accept what the gods do. In typical Horatian style, decries ambition, with the example of trying to cross the sea. Notably, this is not Horace’s own ambition. Also notable for putting Horace in a position equal or superior to Vergil.

Ode 1.4

Spring has come, and everything is nice. Even the gods seem very happy. Don’t forget though, that death is inevitable, and all good things end. Notably still ends with descriptions of love. (Mayer 2012) holds that this is another drinking poem, with the implicit idea that because death keeps coming regardless, you need to drink and enjoy things now. (Will 1982) notes that the addressee, Sestius, has many relations with businesses that are similar/related to the actions described in the Spring.

Ode 1.5

Pyrrha is loved by a boy, but will be unfaithful, so the boy is miserable, or should be. (Mayer 2012) suggests that this introduces the idea that further love poems will focus more on other peoples’ affairs than the poet’s own. Most scholars also ignore this poem though, it tends to leave more of an impression on readers than scholars.

Ode 1.6

Horace says that Agrippa’s great deeds will be written of by Varius, not him. Horace then refutes his own ability to do Epic, deliberately messing about with phrases such as the ‘stomach of Achilles’ and ‘Duplicitous Ulysses,’ advancing to another stanza that, as (West 1995) claims, demonstrates Horace’s ability to write Epic, with mention of Augustus and Agrippa sandwiched between. The descriptions here are interesting in that very few of them actually match the characters they describe: Meriones never has black dust, Mars never has an Adamantine Tunic, Diomedes is equal to the gods, but not to his parents, as Agamemnon claims in Iliad 5. The final stanza sets out Horace’s own preferences, which are the battles of girls and virgins, and parties, solidly Lyric themes. Notable for negotiating genre and connecting to political themes. Also has some links with 1.15, a epic prophecy narrated to Paris.

Ode 1.7

Horace says others will praise Greek Epic places, but he’s more inspired by the rural Italian locations. He reminds Plancus to rejoice even in sorrow, with a recollection of how Teucer urged his followers to dispel their cares with wine, after he was banished from Salamis and had to go found a new city in Cyprus. (Mayer 2012) notes that the odes largely resists analysis. While (Moles 2002) says the poem is largely praise of Plancus, (Nisbet and Hubbard, 1970) disagree, saying that we know a lot about Plancus and most of what we do know isn’t relevant. West probably also has something to say about this but I haven’t checked yet.

Ode 1.8

Horace asks Lydia why she’s destroying Sybaris, who now has become unmanly. He compares Sybaris now to Achilles, hiding as a woman before the Trojan War. (Mayer 2012) notes that it’s another love poem focused on the affairs of others, but that it implies more criticism of Sybaris than Lydia. The allusion to Achilles, however, opens up the possibility that Sybaris will recover and become even more manly than before.

Ode 1.9

Addressed to one ‘Thaliarchus,’ a Greek word meaning “Master of the Feast.” It begins with a description of Soracte white with snow, asks Thaliarch to dissolve the cold with a log on the fire, and bring out the wine, and leave everything else to the gods. Enjoy youth while you have it. Everyone else seems to be, in the campus you can see youths meeting in love. Echoes the previous themes we have seen of ‘let’s go drink and have sex!’ (Mayer 2012) doesn’t have much of use to say on this.

Odes 1.13

Horace gets sad when Lydia talks about Telephus, and paints Telephus as a bad guy who hurts Lydia, then says that those in faithful relationships are happier.

Ode 2.3

Addressed to Dellius, advises him to remember that he will die regardless of how he lives, indeed everyone will, and his wealth will pass to his heir. I assume that this is similar to 1.4 in implicitly saying that you might as well party now, since you can’t take it with you.

Ode 2.5

Horace advises to not chase women who are too young to be interested, and instead wait for them to become interested. I think there’s also some gay stuff in the last Stanza. Notable for comparing women with cows extensively (potentially Simonidean?) and saying that having sex with kids is bad, but only because they don’t want it, if you can convince them, then it’s fine.

Ode 2.6

Horace tells his friend Septimius that even though he could go anywhere in the empire, he wants to be buried at Tibur, but if that’s not possible, he’ll go to Tarentum, identified by onomastia.

Ode 2.9

Horace tells Valgius that nothing is forever except for Valgius’ mourning for Mystes, his lost love. Nestor didn’t mourn Antilochus this long, nor did Priam and Hecuba mourn Troilus so long. Instead, they should be happy by singing praises of Augustus.

Ode 2.11

There’s no need to worry about foreign enemies; we should rather make the most of our youth and celebrate, drink, lay under a tree, and get Lyde to come play the Lyre for us.

Ode 2.16

Everyone wants peace of mind, but it cannot be bought or conquered. No matter how much you try, the only way to attain peace of mind is to be modest. Just enjoy the present. For his part, Horace is lucky to have a farm and a Muse.

Ode 2.20

Horace has wings, and proclaims his immortality. He flies over Anatolia, Libya, Hyperborea, Georgia, everywhere. He goes so far with the poetic immortality idea that he asks to have no funeral or tomb.

Ode 3.13

Horace addresses the fountain of Bandusia and offers to sacrifice a goat to it. The fountain gives sweet cold water to weary oxen. He will make the fountain famous by praising it. Works well for Horace talking about addressees, because it’s a spring, it can’t hear or read. So he’s clearly talking about something else, illustrating (Oliensis 1998)’s point that poems are not meant only for the addressee, but also for the overreader.

Ode 3.30

Horace has built a wonderful monument with his poetry. He has escaped death in this way, and his fame will be known forever. He claims to be the first to bring Lyric to Latin, ignoring Catullus. His muse is strangely given second place, and has to be content to crown Horace rather than be crowned herself.

Ode 3.1

Horace starts by saying he hates the mob. It’s best to be wanting little, then you’ll be happy. Sorrow keeps on if you’re rich, so why should you want to be rich? First of the Roman Odes, and the least political of them. It just seems like another of Horace’s normal ‘be a poor farmer and be happy’ poems, similar to numerous others in the collection, such as 2.3, 2.11, and 2.16.

Ode 3.2

Horace says the Roman Youth need to join the army, it will help him enjoy poverty, and toughen him up. He says it’s sweet and right to die for one’s country; death is coming anyway, so you might as well die fighting. Virtue rewards those who deserve it with eternal life, and doesn’t care about public opinion or elections. Horace says he doesn’t want someone who disrespects the gods with him, and that the wicked are punished. This, the second Roman Ode, is notable for encouraging Roman Militarism and justifying Augustus’ authoritarianism.

Ode 3.3

The Just Man is good, and holds resolute even if the world crumbles around him. Thus did Pollux and Hercules become gods, and Augustus will too. We go into a speech by which Juno affirms Romulus’ deification, and says that Rome is chill and should expand, as long as they don’t fall to greed or rebuild Troy. If they do that, Juno will strike them down with Greeks again. Horace rebukes his muse for contaminating Epic with Lyric. Notable for giving an explicit divine will for Roman expansion. This Ode has a lot of debate about whether Augustus intended to move the capital East or not, with the wide concensus (Woodman 2021), (West 2002), (Nisbet and Rudd, 2004) that he had no such intention; if anything, it’s a dig against Antony. Divine Sanction has some parallels with the much later American ‘Manifest Destiny.’ Probably based on an episode from Ennius (Nisbet and Rudd 2004).

Ode 3.5

A brief rebuke of Romans, before giving them the positive example of Regulus, who tells Rome not to ransom PoWs, because the men won’t get their honor back anyways. He then leaves and goes to be tortured by Carthage, but is stoic about it. Puts the spotlight on the Glorious Roman Past that Augustus loved to emphasize so much, and paves the way for the next Ode, 3.6, which says the Romans are even worse than previously assumed.

Ode 4.1

Horace asks Venus what the hell he’s doing writing poetry again, Paulus Maximus is also skilled, and younger, better at this sort of thing. Horace disavows the glamorous subjects of the previous odes, Love and Drinking and Flowers, but then reveals that’s not entirely true, and he still wants Ligurinus.

Ode 4.2

Horace tells Iullus first about how cool and awesome Pindar is, and then says Iullus will write of Augustus’ triumphs, and that Horace will be there too, praising Augustus. The end I think is Callimachean again, with Iullus having Ten heifers and Ten bulls, while Horace has a tender calf. I’m like 90% sure that’s just Callimachus, and Horace saying Epic isn’t his thing again.

Ode 4.6

A kinda weird Postscript to the Carmen Saeculare. It addresses Apollo and Diana, and says that those who sang the Carmen Saeculare will boast of it later. Also has a bit that criticizes Achilles for a lack of clemency, notably something Augustus was also criticized for by Suetonius.

Ode 4.7

Horace quickly runs down the seasons, and we’re all gonna die. Spend money on yourself so your asshole heir doesn’t get it. Nothing can bring you back once you’re dead, not even gods or heroes. This is just 1.4 again, pretty explicitly. It even has the dancing nymphs, the ending winter, and of course the wonderful reminder of death.

Ode 4.10

Horace tells Ligurinus that growing old is hell, and you wonder why you’ve changed, both your appearance and your personality. It would be nice to have either the appearance of a young person and the personality of the old, or the appearance of an old person and the personality of the young.

Ode 4.15

Pretty rich panegyric of Augustus, starting with him bringing crops, then the standards being returned, closing the gates of Janus, instituted moral laws, brought back former Roman Glory and Virtue, preventing Civil War, keeps foreign foes away, and then says how everyone loves Augustus, and will sing the praises of him, and of Troy, Anchises, and Aeneas. This one is interesting in that it’s bald panegyric, with (Thomas, 2011) noting that scholarly reactions are very split. The end seems to promise even balder panegyric, but as (Oliensis, 1998) notes, it ends abruptly there and the promise is never fulfilled, with Horace perhaps disappearing from this crowd about to sing praises instead of melting into it. (Thommas 2011) also notes that the poem seems to frame Augustus as the fulfillment of Jupiter’s Prophecy about Rome in the Aeneid. I have some things to say about this poem, since I believe it’s a strong possibility for the Lit-Crit, but I’ll do that somewhere else.

Carmen Saeculare

Haha I’m not doing this shit.

Epistle 1.4

Horace addresses Albius, a critic of his, and asks if he’s doing well. He compliments him, saying the gods gave him a good body, a good mind, and riches. Horace says he’s happy for him, kinda claiming the position of his nurse. The rest is saying the usual imagine every day is your last, but then Horace claims to be a fat and plump pig from Epicurus’ herd, showing his philosophy in that way.

Epistle 1.9

Addressed to Tiberius, saying that Septimius has been asking Horace for a recommendation, and Horace praises Septimius’ ability to figure out how highly Tiberius thinks of Horace. Horace initially refuses, but thinks better of it, so he’s not thought greedy, and recommends Septimius. Personally, I have read no scholarship on this, but I think it’s a bit of a rehash of Satire 1.9, sharing the same number and the same scenario and the same meter (albeit in different form and with a different patron) but showing Horace’s growth with the different outcome.

Epistle 1.20

Addressed to the book of poetry itself. Horace assumes the book wants to go to the public, but warns it that that’s a mistake. After a few misadventures, the book will ultimately be used to tell readers about Horace, how he was a freedman’s son but grew too big for that role in life, befriended the leaders of Rome, and a few smaller details of his life, and his birthday.