3.) Horace Epistles 1.4: Intro
1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 The addressee is probably the poet Albius Tibullus, who was known for his love elegies. One might see some of the topics in this letter, then, as being a “reading” of Tibullus’ poetry and Horace’s reception of Tibullus’ persona there. In his poetry (esp. the first book), Tibullus often celebrates the countryside, his love for his mistress(es), and the (lost) Golden Age. He does have a pessimistic streak and can, as most of the love elegists, be rather gloomy and maudlin. C. 1.33 is also addressed to an Albius and details his unhappiness because of love (“Don’t grieve too much, Albius…” Albi, ne doleas plus nimio… ). Horace’s poem begins by asking Tibullus if he is writing poetry or practicing philosophy, and then reminds him that he is privileged in both mental and physical attributes. It would appear that Tibullus himself read Horace’s poetry (especially his Satires) and Horace valued his opinion. This past dialogue revolving around literary criticism evokes public recitations as well as the way writers at this period shared their work with one another. It is a short poem (only 1.9 is shorter) and one may wonder if its 16 lines could evoke the 16 poems that make up the first two books of Tibullus’ poetry (there are also 16 lines in C. 1.33). Horace offers Epicurean advice to Tibullus before self-identifying in a comic way as Epicuri de grege porcum.