Chapter 41

offence, and in _Sat._ i. 10 he gives reasons for his former criticism. Horace's Epicureanism is more pronounced in Book i. than in Book ii. In _Sat._ i. 1 and i. 3 (cf. ll. 99-124) the influence of Lucretius is seen. In i. 3 he takes up an antagonistic position to Stoicism (cf. ll. 124-142). In ii. 3 he shows less hostility to Stoicism though he still criticizes it.[58] In _Sat._ ii. 7, where the slave Davus enunciates the Stoic doctrine, +hoti monos ho sophos eleutheros+, Davus' arguments from l. 75 onwards have been taken by Horace from Cic. _Parad._ 5.

Horace does not pretend that his Satires (or Epistles) are poetry, and makes several statements to that effect. _Sat._ ii. 6, 17,

'Quid prius inlustrem satiris musaque pedestri?'

_Ep._ ii. 1, 250,

'Sermones ... repentes per humum.'

So _Sat._ i. 4, 39-44.

The _Epodes_ are called _Epodi_ in the MSS. +Epôdos+ was the name given to a piece composed of couplets, the first line of which is longer than the second. Horace calls them _iambi_ (_Epod._ 14, 7; _Od._ i. 16, 3). Their style is an imitation of that of Archilochus of Paros. _Ep._ i. 19, 23-5,

'Parios ego primus iambos ostendi Latio, numeros animosque secutus Archilochi, non res et agentia verba Lycamben.'

This is seen in the personal attacks made in many of them, as well as in the +aischrologia+ employed, and also in the versification. The dates of several can be fixed. _Epod._ 16 was written B.C. 41, and refers to the Perusian war. Horace takes no part with either side, but advises his countrymen to leave Rome, like the Phocaeans of old. _Epod._ 7 was written B.C. 39; and _Epod._ 1, 9, and 14, about B.C. 31. The order is strictly metrical. Epodes 1-10 are simple iambics (trimeter and dimeter alternately); 11-16 more complicated forms; 17, the last, in iambic trimeters.

The _Odes_ Horace himself calls _carmina_. The metres are nearly all taken from Sappho and Alcaeus, the two poets whose works Horace wished to present to his countrymen in a Roman dress. Cf. _Od._ iii. 30, 13-4,

'Princeps Aeolium carmen ad Italos deduxisse modos.'

The metrical differences between himself and his originals are due to the difference in the genius of the two languages and to the fact that he adopted the views on metre current in his time. Catullus' metre, on the other hand, was closely modelled on that of the Alexandrian poets. The odes are largely founded on the best Greek lyric poetry, with which Horace was thoroughly familiar; cf. his first intention to write in Greek (_Sat._ i. 10, 31-5). Alexandrian influence is little seen, and his mythological allusions are seldom obscure. Examples of imitation (which is commonest in Book i.) are: _Od._ i. 9, the beginning of which is from Alcaeus (so i. 10; 11; 18); i. 12 (beginning) is from Pindar; i. 27 from Anacreon. Bacchylides is imitated, _e.g._ in ii. 18.

_Subjects of the Odes._--1. Love and wine form the themes of many. _Od._ i. 6, 17,

'Nos convivia, nos proelia virginum sectis in iuvenes unguibus acrium cantamus.'

Cf. _Od._ ii. 1, 37-40; iii. 3, 69-72.

The love-poems show no trace of personal passion, and the names of the women whose charms are sung are taken from Greek; thus Pyrrha (a well-known name from Attic comedy) i. 5; Lydia, i. 13, etc.; Lalage, i. 22; ii. 5. Cinara (iv. 1; iv. 13) is probably the only one that represents a real person. Wine is celebrated, _e.g._ in i. 9; 18; 27; ii. 7; iii. 21. A tone of moderation is observed throughout the drinking-songs. It is highly probable[59] that in _Od._ i. 27, 1-4 the unrestrained bacchanalian spirit of Catullus (cf. c. 27) is reproved,

'Natis in usum laetitiae scyphis pugnare Thracum est. Tollite barbarum morem verecundumque Bacchum sanguineis prohibete rixis.'

2. In _Od._ i. 24 we have the beautiful dirge on the death of Quintilius Varus.

3. _On political subjects._--The chief of these are as follows: i. 2 (towards the end of B.C. 28); i. 12; i. 14; i. 35 (in B.C. 26); i. 37 (in B.C. 30); ii. 1. The most important, however, are _Od._ iii. 1-6, which form one whole, and are written on the new name of Augustus, and the ideas therewith connected. They were all written about B.C. 27.[60]

In iii. 1, which is general, the rising generation is addressed by the prophet of the empire; ll. 3, 4,

'Musarum sacerdos virginibus puerisque canto.'

The lesson of the ode is 'A moderate life is the best. Lucky is the man who is spared the trouble of managing the State.'