1.2.) Horace Epistle 1.2: Intro
1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 This poem is addressed to Lollius Maximus, a young man who is studying declamation in Rome. Horace stresses, however, the lessons that one can derive from the works of Homer. These may be better than even the works of philosophy for providing examples of proper behavior and the results of anger, war, and emotional excess. War and the passions of the leaders often result in trouble for the people (quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi), whereas Horace finds more positive examples in the Odyssey, particularly in the form of Odysseus. One may wonder if the Aeneid is being somehow alluded to in the combination of Iliad and Odyssey, but there seem to be few allusions to Vergil’s epic (which was published at about the same time as the Epistles). The latter half of the poem has a number of moral lessons that address anger, learning (the famous sapere aude, 40), greed, and being content with one’s lot. These are often tied back into the larger context of the Iliad and Odyssey, but also may indicate a rather pointed “reading” of those works (see Keane 2011). The position of this poem indicates already that Horace is slightly changing the philosophical thrust found in the first poem. Literature assumes importance for developing and critiquing one’s ethical behavior and we should assume that Horace would also recognize that his own poetic production will do so as well. His reader, whether Lollius or us, should read these poems with an eye toward their own philosophical lessons.