preview

The Odess Of Horace : Summary : The Odes Of Horace

Good Essays

The Odes of Horace – Summary
Horace, whose full name in Latin is Quintus Horatius Flaccus, was a Roman lyric poet. He is best remembered for his poetic works The Odes, Satires, Epistles and the Episodes. His works, which were mostly in Latin, have been translated severally since they were first published more than 2000 years ago.
The Odes, which are now mostly referred to as the Odes of Horace, have been used widely for academic as well as recreational purposes. In total, Horace wrote 103 Odes which he arranged in four books. The first three books preceded publication, coming out around 23 BC, while the fourth Ode was published 10 years later, around 13 BC. In these Odes, he covers varying topics with the topics of love and friendship, parties and wines as well as birthdays particularly coming on strong. Horace’s use of satire throughout the Odes is well covered, and so is the use of different meters for each book and even poem. These diverse meters used by Horace were borrowed from lyric poets from Greece. In the Odes, Horace actually characterizes himself as the heir to the Greek lyric poets of the Generation past. Despite the heavy borrowing from the Greek poets, he still manages to display a unique and original sense of originality in the Odes.
Through the Odes, Horace introduces the reader to his everyday life and by sharing his personal experiences, he familiarizes a reader with the sophisticated side of the Roman Empire. Throughout the framework of the odes, Horace

Get Access