Chapter 39

to Maecenas in the spring of B.C. 38. Now all the references to Maecenas, with the exception of the prologue in _Sat._ 1 (written last), are in the second half of the book, there being no mention of him in _Sat._ 2; 3; and 4. It is therefore probable that these three Satires were written when Horace knew Varius and Virgil, but not Maecenas, _i.e._ B.C. 40-38. _Sat._ 2 is probably the oldest we have, as is shown by other considerations, and by the number of archaisms it contains. _Sat._ 5 (on the journey to Brundisium) was written shortly after the spring of B.C. 37, when the events recorded took place. The date of the publication of the book cannot be exactly fixed, the only clue we have being the reference in _Sat._ i. 10, 86, to Bibulus, the political agent of Antony, whose presence in Rome B.C. 35 may be referred to. It cannot be proved that _Sat._ i. 1, 114 _sqq._, is imitated from Verg. _Georg._ i. 512 _sqq._, published B.C. 35.