Ars Poetica

Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known as Horace, lived from 65-8 BCE. Much of what historians know about Horace comes from his poetry, which contains autobiographical details and sketches of his childhood and hometown in southern Italy, Samnite. Despite being the son of a freed enslaved person, Horace received a rigorous education at private academies in Rome. Following his father’s death, Horace traveled to Athens where he studied at the Academy, the renowned institution founded by Plato. After his studies, Horace served in the Roman army under the leadership of Marcus Brutus, a conspirator in the assassination of Julius Caesar. Although Brutus’s campaign eventually ended in defeat, Horace was permitted under an amnesty to return to Rome and served as a civil clerk in the government.

Horace’s reputation as a writer of satires, epistles, and odes drew the attention of a wealthy patron named Maecenas. Maecenas afforded Horace the time, money, and place to write and refine his verses. Horace wrote most of his poetry from his country villa in Licenza, given to him by Maecenas. Dedicated to his patron Carmina, the Odes reflect the unique verse form developed by Horace. The Odes consists of Latin lyrics written in four books and exemplifies the distinctive Horatian