9.4) Horace Epistles 2.1 Introduction
1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 This letter to Augustus provides Horace the opportunity to offer literary criticism to the princeps. It was probably written after his fourth book of Odes (published in 13 BCE), most likely in the following year (12 BCE). It can be difficult to date his second “book” of Epistles and the Ars Poetica, but these three works (this long letter to Augustus and an equally verbose letter to Florus) are all concerned with literary matters. Why, exactly, Horace believes Augustus would be receptive to such a letter and what, exactly, he hopes to teach or inform the princeps, can still seem up for debate even after reading the work. Clearly, Horace has an axe to grind with contemporary tastes for archaic works of poetry and theater and he wants to highlight the fine work being written by contemporary and recently deceased poets (like Vergil). His pleas are serious, but couched in humorous examples and in the meter and style (sermones…repentes per humum, 250-51) of his Satires and earlier book of Epistles. It is informed by the poetic theories of the time and the increased interest in writing according to Callimachean aesthetics and fusing the best of Greek literature with Roman ingenium.
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3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 In the commentary, students chose sections that were appealing to them and we have left them largely as the students wished. Readers might find some inconsistency in the commentary, but we thought it also might be a nice way for readers to see what interests students brought to the material (some were more interested in historical matters, others in word/sound-play). Students found the pieces by La Penna and Feeney to be of particular use, especially in tandem with the recent chapter by Citroni (all in the bibliography).