Odes and Epodes

Horace (b. 65 B.C.) claims the lyric poetry of Sappho and Alcaeus as models for his celebrated odes. His four books cover a wide range of moods and topics: friendship is the dominant theme of about a third of the poems; a great many deal with love and amorous situations, often amusingly; others deal with patriotic and political themes. The seventeen epodes, which Horace called iambi, were also inspired by a Greek model: the seventh century iambic poetry of Archilochus. As in the odes, love and politics are frequent themes; some of the epodes also display mockery and ridicule, of a harsher variety than we find in Horace's satires.

Series No. 33 / 460 pages / ISBN 0-674-99037-4
  Satires. Epistles. the Art of Poetry

In the style originated by Lucilius, Horace in his satires mocks himself as well as the world's vices and follies. The main purpose of the first book (published about 35 B.C.) is to entertain; attacks on moral and literary faults frequently are directed at specific individuals, but the poet's tone is rarely abusive. The poems in the second book make playful use of dramatic presentation and humorous situations. The verse epistles, addressed to real people, seem to reveal many aspects of the poet's opinions and way of life. This volume also contains the Art of Poetry (Ars Poetica), a series of often memorably expressed maxims for the guidance of young poets, which famously set forth Horace's literary theory and critical judgments about theater as well as the poet's craft.

Series No. 194 / 540 pages / ISBN 0-674-99214-8