Chronological table of fifths of Horace Flaccus. Quintus Horace Flaccus - short biography. Odes: politics, philosophy of life, love

“Epodes” (“Choruses”) is a collection of poems written in iambic meter. In these works, Horace focuses on the ancient Greek lyricist Archilochus. The collection contains 17 episodes. They contain themes from the contemporary Roman reality of the poet. Most episodes have the character of a personal invective, but with an orientation towards exposing individual aspects of social reality.

In Epode IV, Horace attacks some upstart freedman (name not given), who, thanks to his wealth, “sits like a prominent horseman in the front row” (verse 35); The poet angrily attacks the witchcraft that was widespread at that time, branding the old women involved in this craft (the common name of the sorceress Canidius) - Epodes III, V, XII. Episode V talks about the murder of a boy by witches in order to prepare a “love potion” from his entrails. Horace addresses them with threats:

“All of you, vile old women, stoned
The crowd will beat you on the street,
And the corpses of wolves will be torn to pieces by predatory
And the birds of the Esquiline"
(epode V, verses 97 – 100; trans. F.A. Petrovsky).

The motive of condemnation of the civil wars that were shaking Rome and shaking its former power (epodes VII and XVI) was heard with great force. Epode VII, addressed to the Roman people, begins with the words:

“Where, where are you going, criminals,
Snatching swords in madness?!
Are the fields and sea waves really not enough?
Covered in Roman blood?..”
(epode VII, verses 1–4; trans. A. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky).

In Epode XVI, written in 40 BC. e. - ten years before the release of the entire collection, Horace speaks about the disastrous consequences of civil wars, that Rome is dooming itself to suicidal death:

“For two generations now we have been languishing in civil war,
And Rome is being destroyed by its own force..."
(epode XVI, verses 1–2; trans. A. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky)

The poet does not see a way out of this situation; he enthusiastically sings of the wonderful life on the “blessed islands,” calling on his compatriots to flee to these islands, which have not yet been affected by the general collapse. But there is no answer to the question posed by the poet himself about the location of the fabulous happy islands in this (XVI) era. Thus, the “blessed islands” are just a pipe dream. And then Battle of Actium in Epode IX, facing Patron, Horace, having ridiculed Antony for his submission to Cleopatra, glorifies the princeps for the first time. This is the only episode where the poet expresses his positive point of view and expresses a positive attitude towards the politician. As for the first epod (by location in the collection), it should be highlighted especially for the programmatic motives expressed by Horace regarding his position in life, and his attitude towards Octavian Augustus and Maecenas. The poem is the last of the epodes in terms of the time of creation. The addressee of this work is the poet’s patron, Maecenas, to whom Horace declares his devotion:

“And on this and every other trip I am ready,
hoping for your love,
And not at all in the hope that I will succeed
Harness more oxen to the plows..."
(epode I, verses 23–26, trans. N. Gunzburg).

Close to Archilochus in the nature of its attacks is Epode X, addressed to Horace’s literary enemy, the poet Maevius. The character of the epic is parodic, built in the spirit of parting words with wishes for a good journey, common in Hellenistic literature. However, Horace wishes Mevia not success, but all sorts of misfortunes on the way, and the addressee is endowed with all sorts of offensive names:

“Then the goat is prodigal along with the sheep
Let him be a victim to the storms!”
(epode X, verses 23–24; trans. N. Gunzburg).

The collection contains episodes with lyrical themes - these are episodes XI, XIII–XV. There are ironic and parodic moments in them, but there are no sharp attacks or denunciations. Epode XI parodies a sentimental love elegy. In Epode XIII, addressing his friends, the poet urges, despite difficult circumstances, to “snatch an hour sent by chance,” because wine and songs save from severe sorrow. In Epode XIV, justifying his “languid inaction” to Maecenas, Horace confirms that “he had long promised to finish the song clean,” but refers to his passion for the “slave Phryne” and speaks ironically about the power of love interests. In Epode XV, addressed to a woman named Neera, he reproaches her for treason and says that there will be retribution - Flaccus will find himself another, more worthy, and then: “it will be my turn to laugh.”

Horace - "Satires"

Another important part of Horace’s works, “Satires,” is represented by two collections: the first contains 10 satires, the second – 8. In the satires, the poet addresses moral and philosophical themes. Criticizing certain human vices and shortcomings, Horace expresses his life principles. The main principle of “contentment with little,” based on the philosophy of Epicurus, results in the preaching of rural life in the lap of nature, far from the worries of the bustle of the city. The problem of personal happiness is associated with the philosophy of moderation, an example of which Horace considers his own life; he is content with a quiet life on the estate given to him by Maecenas, where he is served by only a few slaves, and with the fruits of the land of his estate.

Horace reads his satires to Maecenas. Painting by F. Bronnikov, 1863

This “philosophy of moderation” was a unique form of acceptance of the Augustan regime by wide circles of the nobility and the poet himself, allowing them to maintain the illusion of independence and freedom. At the same time, Horace does not create a positive ideal in his satires, although he quite clearly shows how not to live. While decrying the vices and shortcomings of individuals, Horace avoids too harsh criticism in his works. His satire has the character of preaching virtue and wisdom; it is devoid of harshness and accusatory power. A number of satires (Book I, satires 4, 10; Book II, satires 1, 3) address issues of literary theory. The polemical part of these works is largely associated with the name of Horace’s predecessor in this genre - the poet Lucilius:

“Yes, I, of course, said that Lucilius’s poems are rude,
That they run without order. Who, senseless, will
To protect him in this? However, on the same page
I praised him: for the caustic salt of his jokes.
This merit belongs to him, but I cannot acknowledge others.”
(book I, satire 1, verse 10; trans. M. Dmitriev).

Indeed, in Horace’s satires there is no “caustic salt” of Lucilius, who dared to make sharp political denunciations. Horace accuses Lucilius that his satires flow in a “muddy stream,” meaning haste in poetic work, which led to insufficient finishing of the verse. Horace himself strives for consistency in the presentation of his thoughts and grace in the finishing of his works. But Horace recognizes the merits of Lucilius and calls him the “inventor” of the genre of satire.

Horace - "Odes"

The greatest fame was brought to Horace by his “Odes” (“Songs”), a collection of lyric poems consisting of four books. In these works, Horace focuses on famous Greek poets: Alcaeus, Sappho, Anacreon. Taking their best traditions, adapting their poetic meters, using the achievements of previous Roman poetry, Horace reaches the pinnacle of perfection of Roman lyricism.

The themes of Horace's odes are varied: they include friendly messages, philosophical reflections, hymns to the gods, love and civil lyrics. The first book opens with a poem where Horace speaks of his poetic calling, which received the support of the powerful patron Maecenas. The first lines of the ode are addressed to him:

“Glorious grandson, Patron of the royal forefathers,
O my joy, honor and refuge!
(book I, ode 1, verses 1–2; trans. A. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky).

Horace lists the hobbies of people that they prefer in their lives: sports, the political arena, agriculture, trade, idle pastime, war, hunting. For everyone, their own occupation constitutes “the highest happiness.” And then in two stanzas (the poem is written in the first stanza of Asclepiades), in an exquisite poetic form he speaks about his calling: “a cool grove brings me close to the heights, where nymphs and satyrs dance in a circle.” Horace expresses his hope for the mercy of Maecenas:

“If you count me among the peaceful singers
I will raise my proud head to the stars"
(Book I, Ode I, verses 35–36; trans. A. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky).

The second ode of the first book is addressed to Augustus, whom Horace portrays as the god Mercury, “the winged son of the blessed Maya,” who received the name Caesar on earth. Thus, already the initial works of the collection give an idea of the ideological orientation of Horace’s lyrics. And further, delving into the reading of Horace's works, the reader can see that the political motives that permeate the collection turn out to be connected with the glorification of Augustus and his politics.

Emperor Octavian Augustus ("Augustus of Prima Porta"). 1st century statue according to R.H.

In the spirit of official ideology, Horace glorifies ancient Roman valor in the so-called cycle of Roman odes (Book III, odes 1–6), which form a certain thematic unity and are written in the same poetic meter - Alcaeus stanza. These odes are united by a common theme - they reflect the positive ideal put forward by the Augustan program; the poet’s focus is on the state and its interests, the poet talks about the harmful influence of luxury and wealth, paints a picture of the degradation of Roman society, destroyed by corruption: “a fighter whose freedom was bought with gold, will he become bolder?” (Book III, Ode 5, verses 25–26). Horace sees a way out of this disastrous situation in the restoration of the old order, in a return to the beliefs of the gods, in the restoration of destroyed temples:

"The guilt of the fathers is an innocent defendant
You will, Rome, until it is restored
Gods fallen dwellings,
Their statues in black smoke"
(book III, ode 6, verses 1–4; trans. N. Shaternikov).

In his works, Horace turns his gaze to the patriarchal gods, which corresponded to the official policy of Augustus, calls for ancient Roman good morals, simplicity of life and former valor (Book III, Ode 2). He sees the embodiment of valor in Augustus, who rises above all people. In Ode 3 of Book III, Horace prepares the apotheosis of Augustus: “from now on I will allow him (meaning Augustus) to join the host of the blessed gods” (verses 35–36). The reign of Augustus on earth is compared with the reign of Jupiter in heaven (Book III, Ode 5). The “Roman odes” adhere to the principle of unity of composition, adopted from Hellenistic poetry: the first and last poems of the cycle (odes 1 and 6) contain the same number of verses (48 each), both are addressed to the people, although with a slight difference: ode 1 is addressed to youth, to the new generation; There is no age limit in ode 6.

The philosophical motifs of “Horatian wisdom” running through the entire collection of lyrical poems are associated with the praise of enjoying the joys of life: love, feasts, the benefits and beauties of nature. In the spirit of superficially perceived Epicurean philosophy, the poet put forward the principles of “seize the day” (Book I, Ode 11) and “use the present without thinking about the future” (Book I, Ode 25), that is, enjoy the joys of today. This call is combined in the works of Horace with the preaching of “contentment with little” and the life principle of adhering to the “golden mean”, which was formalized in an ode to Licinius (Book II, Ode 10):

“Choosing the golden mean measure.
The wise will avoid the dilapidated roof,
Will escape the palaces that give birth to people
Black envy.

The wind bends the centuries-old pines stronger,
It is harder for the tallest towers to fall.
Lightning strikes more often
Mountain Heights"
(book II, ode 10, verses 5–12; trans. 3. Morozkina).

Even in such a traditional theme for the ancient poetic tradition as feasts and wine, Horace maintains his point of view regarding moderation. In the feasting verses that are often found in his lyrics, he does not give free rein to bacchanalian excess and does not lose power over his own actions:

“But for everyone there is a limit in drinking: Liber observes the limit.
The battle of the centaurs arose after wine with the Lapiths - here
Drunk people have the best lesson."
(Book I, Ode 18, verses 7–9; trans. N. Ginzburg).

In Ode 3 of Book II, Horace, in accordance with the philosophical views of the moderate Stoics, writes:

“Try to keep your spirit calm
In days of adversity; on happy days
Don't get drunk with jubilation
Subject to death, like all of us, Dellius"
(book II, ode 3, verses 1–4; trans. A. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky).

Odes dedicated to friends occupy a significant place. Of particular interest is the poem “To Pompey Varus” (Book II, Ode 7), translated by A. S. Pushkin, in which Horace recalls his flight from the battlefield when he “threw his shield at Philippi.” This was in 42 BC. e. after the defeat of the Republicans led by Brutus, under whom the poet served. The theme of “loss of the shield” was found in the poems of the Greek poets Archilochus, Alcaeus, and Anacreon. In the works of Horace this theme is presented in his own way - the author uses literary reminiscences from Greek lyric poetry.

There is no passion in Horace's love odes. Horace is never in the grip of love. He observes the passions of others (Book I, Ode 5) or calls to the joys of love (Book II, Ode 12). The heroines of his lyrical works are numerous: Chloe, Pyrrha, Lalaga, Neobula, etc. Among all the poems on this topic, only one ode (book III, ode 9), addressed to Lydia, stands out for its lyrical tone. This poem is a dialogue between Horace and Lydia, where in an elegant form and a humorous tone the poet talks about past mutual love, the happiness of new love when the objects of passion change, and the possibility of renewing relationships with each other. The poem ends with the words: “I want to live with you and die loving.” But in this poem on a love theme, as in others, Horace does not create the image of his beloved. The poet’s heroines are not very specific, each time they are endowed with some quality peculiar only to her alone: Chloe is timid and unapproachable (Book I, Ode 23), Pyrrha is golden-haired (Book I, Ode 5), Glikera “shines brighter than marble Paros" (Book I, Ode 19), Myrtala "was more stormy than the sea" (Book I, Ode 33). Horace is alien to the suffering of his beloved’s betrayal: if one rejects him, then he can find consolation with the other. Therefore, he himself, with a playful reproach, turns to Barina, who “drives the young men of the crowd crazy”:

“You know how to lie, remembering in oaths
And father's ashes and the night sky,
And the silence of the stars and the gods who did not know
Death is cold.

But these vows only make Venus laugh,
And the nymphs laugh, and the cruel one himself
Cupid, sharpening on a bloody block
Burning Arrows"
(book II, ode 8, verses 9–16; trans. F.A. Petrovsky).

Horace's love works, more than others, were influenced by Hellenistic, Alexandrian poetry. The most characteristic in this regard in book 1 is ode 30, addressed to Venus.

Horace devotes the final verses of books II and III to his poetic calling and the theme of the immortality of the poet in his works. He begins Ode 20 of Book II with the words: “I will ascend on powerful, unprecedented wings, a two-faced singer, to ethereal heights” (verses 1–2).

Ode 30 of Book III, called "Monument", has achieved the highest fame and enjoys worldwide fame. Here are the final lines of this work:

“...With well-deserved glory,
Melpomene, be proud and supportive,
Now crown my head with the laurels of Delphi.”
(book III, ode 30, verses 14–16; trans. S. V. Shervinsky).

Thus ends the third book of Horace's lyric poems.

According to the poet’s original plan, the collection was to consist of three books, and “Monument” was conceived as an ode that completed this work. But at the insistence of Octavian Augustus, 10 years after the publication of the collection of three books, a fourth book was written, containing 15 poems. The poet continues to glorify Augustus and his political activities, and also glorifies the stepsons of the princeps - Tiberius and Druze; pays a lot of attention to the theme of the poet's immortality.

Horace also owns an anniversary hymn (“Song of the Ages”), written for the national celebration, which was supposed to mark the onset of the “golden age” ensured by Augustus. The anthem was written for choral performance. His words are addressed to the gods Apollo and Diana with a prayer to promote the prosperity of Rome and the divine Augustus.

Horace - "Epistle"

Horace's last works are the Epistles. These are letters in poetic form that have specific addressees. They are written in hexameter. The themes of the messages are varied due to the use of extensive illustrative material from life and literature. As for the main semantic orientation, in the first collection of “Epistles” Horace strives to reveal the “art of living” that he has already achieved (stick to the “golden mean”, not be surprised by anything, be able to be content with the accessible joys of life), and the second collection (of the three “Epistles” ") is devoted to issues of literary theory. Of particular note is the last “Epistle” - “Epistle to the Piso” (“Science of Poetry”). The ancients already singled out this message as a separate work, considering it as a statement of the theory of poetic art. Horace formulates the most important aesthetic principles of classicism about the unity, simplicity and integrity of the work. He talks about the content of art, about the means of influencing the audience, about the social significance of poetry and about the role of the poet. Much attention is paid to the artistic form and composition of the work, and to the criteria for assessing poetic skill. The poet himself speaks about the tasks that he sets for himself in this, in his opinion, theoretical guide:

“Without creating it myself, I will show what the gift is, what the duty of the poet is,
What gives him means, forms him and nourishes him,
What is good, what is not, where is the right path, where is the wrong one.”
(Epistle, book II, last 3, verses 306–308; trans. N. Ginzburg).

Horace's "Science of Poetry" is a monument to ancient classical aesthetics. This work served as the basis for “Poetic Art” by N. Boileau.

The full name of Horace, the famous ancient Roman poet, a prominent figure of the “golden age” of Roman literature, is Quintus Horace Flaccus. He was born in Venusia (southeast Italy) in 65 BC. e., December 8. His father was a freed slave, and, despite the fact that Horace himself, his son, was de jure considered freeborn, his “dubious” origin affected the formation of his personality and left a certain imprint on his creativity.

The family moved from the provinces to Rome so that their son could receive a decent education, which would become a pass for him to another life. His father made money by brokering auctions, providing young Horace with the opportunity to learn. His education was typical of noble Roman youth of the time. As a twenty-year-old youth, Horace leaves for Athens, where he enters Plato's Academy. Successful mastery of the Greek language allowed him to fruitfully study Greek philosophy and literature.

In 44 BC. e. Caesar is killed, and about six months after this event, Junius Brutus, who was one of the organizers of the assassination of the dictator, arrives in the Greek capital under the pretext of attending lectures by philosophers. The real goal was to recruit young people into the republican army, which would fight Octavian and Antony, Caesar's successors. Horace joins its ranks, at the age of 22 becomes a military tribune and leaves for Asia Minor with Brutus. In November 42 BC. e. The famous battle of Philippi took place, and Horace, who participated in it, deserted the battlefield. The army of Brutus and Cassius was defeated, and its leaders committed suicide, which forced the future poet to abandon his previous beliefs. He later spoke of his fascination with republican ideas as an illusion that almost cost him his life.

Around 41 BC. e. he returned to his homeland, where he learned about the death of his father and about the confiscation of family property (Venusia was donated to Caesar's veterans). In 40 BC. e. Brutus's supporters were granted an amnesty, after which Horace moved to live in the capital, where he got a job as a secretary.

The beginning of his creative activity dates back to the same period of his biography. The first poems were written in Latin in 39-38 BC. e. and subsequently formed the basis of his first book, “Satyr.” They attracted public attention, and in 38 BC. e. Horace was introduced to Maecenas, a famous patron of artists, comrade-in-arms and friend of Octavian. This acquaintance played an important role in his poetic career, but Horace, despite the prospects that opened up for him due to his proximity to the court, did not turn into a flatterer, although he was grateful to the emperor for ending the protracted civil war. There is information that he refused the invitation of Octavian Augustus to become his personal secretary.

The first collection of poetry is “Satires,” published between 36 and 33. BC e., Horace dedicated it to his patron and friend Maecenas. The second book, “Satyr,” was published in 30 BC. e., and in the same year his Epodes were published, glorifying the victory of Augustus over his political opponents. From this time on, the poet began to periodically write lyrics, and poems of this genre were published in collections called “Songs” (23 and 13 BC). In 20 BC. e. The first book of Epistles was published - a collection of philosophical letters.

In 17 BC. e. Rome celebrated a series of public holidays designed to symbolize the beginning of its era of prosperity, and it was Horace who received the commission from the emperor to create a hymn for them, which meant the status of the first person in literature. Between 19 and 10 BC e. The second book of the Epistles was written, the main object of which this time was literature.

An unexpectedly developing illness put an end to Horace’s biography. November 27, 8 BC e. the great poet died at the age of 57 and was buried near the grave in which Maecenas was buried a couple of months ago.

lat. Quintus Horatius Flaccus; very often just Horace

Ancient Roman poet of the "golden age" of Roman literature

Quintus Horace

short biography

Full name Horace, famous ancient Roman poet, prominent figure of the “golden age” of Roman literature - Quintus Horace Eflaccus. He was born in Venusia (southeast Italy) in 65 BC. e., December 8. His father was a freed slave, and, despite the fact that Horace himself, his son, was de jure considered freeborn, his “dubious” origin affected the formation of his personality and left a certain imprint on his creativity.

Biography from Wikipedia

Quintus Horace Flaccus(lat. Quintus Horatius Flaccus), very often simply Horace(December 8, 65 BC, Venusia - November 27, 8 BC, Rome) - ancient Roman poet of the “golden age” of Roman literature. His work dates back to the era of civil wars at the end of the Republic and the first decades of the new regime of Octavian Augustus.

Quintus Horace Flaccus was born on December 8, 65 BC. e. in the family of a freedman, the owner of a modest estate in Venusia - a Roman military colony in southeastern Italy, on the border of Lucania and Apulia. His full name is attested in his works and in the caption to the "Anniversary Hymn", which he wrote on behalf of Emperor Augustus for the centenary games of 17 BC. e.; “Quintus Horatius Flaccus carmen composuit” (“Quintus Horatius Flaccus composed a song”).

Horace's father was a freedman. Legally, the children of freedmen were equated with freeborns, but such origin, nevertheless, was considered as a social inferiority, which was finally smoothed out only in the next generation. This factor had a certain influence on Horace’s worldview and creativity. The poet does not talk about his mother, although he mentions the nanny Pullia.

When the future poet was a child, his father left the estate, a quiet, economical life in the provinces and moved to Rome to give his son a proper metropolitan education that could introduce him to higher social circles. In the capital, my father served as a commission agent at auctions, receiving one percent of the transaction from the buyer and seller. “The poor, honest peasant,” as Horace portrays his father, nevertheless, through such an occupation he managed to cover the costs associated with his son’s education.

Horace went through all the stages of education common among the Roman nobility of his time: from his initial studies at the Orbilius school in Rome, where he studied the Latin Odyssey of Livy Andronicus and Homer, to the Platonic Academy in Athens, where he studied Greek literature and philosophy (Academy of Togo at that time served as a kind of university or higher school for the young aristocracy of Rome; one of Horace’s “classmates” was, for example, the son of Cicero). In Athens, Horace mastered Greek so well that he even wrote poetry in it.

Horace's literary and philosophical studies in Athens were interrupted by the civil war that followed the assassination of Caesar in 44 BC. e. In the autumn of this year, approximately six months after the assassination of Caesar, Brutus arrived in Athens. Attending philosophical lectures, he recruited adherents of the republican system to fight Caesar's successors - Antony and Octavian. Like Cicero, Horace became a supporter of the republican cause and aligned himself with Brutus.

Horace entered the army of Brutus and even received the position of military tribune (that is, an officer of the legion), somewhat unexpected for the son of a freedman - the positions of military tribunes were occupied mainly by the children of equestrians and senators, and it was the first step in the career of a military man or magistrate. This fact allows us to assume that by this time Horace (most likely, not without his father’s money) possessed the sum of 400,000 sesterces, that is, the qualification necessary for enrollment in the equestrian class, which amount later allowed him to buy into the college of scribes.

At the Battle of Philippi in November 42 BC. e. the army of Brutus and Cassius was scattered and put to flight, after which both Brutus and Cassius committed suicide. After this defeat, Horace reconsidered his position and abandoned any activity in this direction. Subsequently, Horace repeatedly mentioned his early republican “illusions” and the adventure, which could have been fatal for him. In one of the Odes, he turned to his friend Pompey, who also took part in the battle of Philippi, where he reported that he survived only by “throwing away his shield and running from the battlefield” (which, by the way, was considered the first sign of cowardice).

He returned to Italy probably at the beginning of 41 BC. e. The father was no longer alive; his homeland, Venusia, was among the cities given to Caesar's veterans, and Horace's hereditary property was confiscated. After the amnesty declared in 40 BC. e. supporters of Brutus, he came to Rome and stayed there. Despite his own complaints about poverty, which forced him to take up poetry, Horace had enough money to buy into the college of quaestor scribes (under the department of public finance). Roman society was prejudiced against paid work, but this attitude did not extend to some skilled professions; Lifelong positions of this board were considered honorary. Horace worked as a secretary ( scriba quaestorius), which provided him with the opportunity to live in Rome and study literature.

Apparently, by 39-38 BC. e. Horace's first poetic experiments in Latin include hexametric poems, which later became the first book "Satire", and iambic poems, which later became "Epodes". Horace's literary quest echoes the classicist movement led by Publius Virgil Maro and Lucius Varius Rufus. Both older poets became his friends. In 39-38 BC. e. They introduced Horace to Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, a close friend and ally of Octavian.

The patron, after nine months of deliberation, brought the poet closer to him. Finding himself surrounded by Maecenas and, accordingly, the princeps, Horace retained his characteristic prudence, did not try to stand out, and showed balance in everything. Horace treated the program of social and political reforms carried out by Augustus with due attention, without, however, stooping to the level of a “court flatterer.” Horace was driven not so much by agreement with the ideology of the principate, but by a feeling of gratitude for the long-awaited peace restored by Augustus in Italy, which had been experiencing civil wars for almost a hundred years.

Suetonius testifies that Octavian Augustus offered Horace the position of his personal secretary. This proposal, which generally promised great benefits, could not attract Horace, and was tactfully rejected by him. Horace feared, among other things, that by accepting the offer, he would lose his independence, which he greatly valued.

In 38 BC. e. Horace was supposedly present, along with Maecenas, at the naval defeat of Octavian at Cape Palinure. In the same year, Horace, in the company of Maecenas, the lawyer Cocceius Nerva (the great-grandfather of Emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva), Fontaine Capito (Antony's commissioner and legate in Asia), the poets Virgil, Varius, and the publisher of the Aeneid, Plotius Tucca, traveled to Brundisium; this journey is discussed in the famous Satire (I 5). Between 36 and 33 BC. e. (most likely in the winter of 36-35) the first collection of poems by Horace, the book “Satyr”, dedicated to Maecenas, was published.

In his poetry, Horace always emphasized that his relationship with Maecenas was based on mutual respect and friendship, regardless of social status; he sought to dispel the idea that their relationship was of the nature of that of patron and client. Horace never abused the friendship of Maecenas and did not take advantage of his favor to the detriment of anyone. Horace was far from demanding more from his patron; he did not even use this friendship to return his father's estate, confiscated by Octavian for the benefit of veterans after the battle of Philippi. However, this somewhat dependent state of Horace more than once became the source of delicate situations, from which he always emerged with perfect tact and dignity. Far from ambitious aspirations, Horace preferred a quiet and peaceful life in the countryside to the worries and troubles of city life.

Having become close to Maecenas and his entourage, Horace acquired strong patrons and certainly received significant gifts from Maecenas. Presumably in 33 BC. e. Horace acquired his famous estate in the Sabine Mountains, on the Tibur River, near the present Tivoli). (According to some texts of Horace, it was concluded that the estate was donated to him by Maecenas (for example, Carmina II 18: 11-14), but neither Horace himself nor Suetonius mentions this. It is generally problematic to consider such fragments as direct evidence that Horace's villa was a gift; in addition, there is evidence of Horace's considerable personal wealth by this time.)

September 2, 31 BC e. Horace, together with Maecenas, was present at the battle of Cape Actium. In 30 BC. e. The second book “Satyr” and “Epodes” was published, a collection of 17 poems that he wrote simultaneously with the satyrs. The name "Epodes" was given to the collection by grammarians and refers to the form of couplets, where a short verse follows a long one. Horace himself called these poems "iambics"; the model for them was the iambics of the Greek poet of the first half of the 7th century BC. e. Archilochus. It is noteworthy that from the very beginning of his career, Horace took the ancient Greek classics as a model, and not the poetry of the Alexandrians, in accordance with the trend of his time and environment.

Since 30 BC. e. Horace wrote lyric poems intermittently, the first collection of which, books I-III, was published in the second half of 23 BC. e. Lyrical poems were published under the title “Songs” (“Carmina”), but even in antiquity they began to be called odes. This name has remained with them to this day. In antiquity, the Greek term “ode” was not associated with solemn pathos itself and was used in the meaning of “song”, as an equivalent to the Latin carmen.

Between 23 and 20 BC. e. Horace tried to stay away from Rome, abandoning “pure poetry” and returning to the semi-philosophical “prosaic Muse” of his “Satires”. This time no longer in the polemical form of satire, but with a predominance of “peaceful positive” content; he wrote the first book of the Epistles, which included twenty poems. The messages came out in 20 (or early 19) BC. e. In the period from the end of 20 to the autumn of 19 BC. e. The Epistle to Julius Florus is published, subsequently the second in the second collection of “Epistle”.

In 17 BC. e. The “centennial games,” the festival of the “renewal of the century,” which was supposed to mark the end of the period of civil wars and the beginning of a new era of prosperity for Rome, were celebrated with unprecedented solemnity. Augustus commissioned Horace to write a hymn for the festival ceremony. For the poet, this was state recognition of the leading position he occupied in Roman literature. The solemn “Anniversary Hymn” was performed in the Temple of Apollo Palatine by a choir of 27 boys and 27 girls on June 3, 17 BC. e.

We can say that now that Horace had long since “lost interest” in lyric poetry, he became popular and recognized as its master. Augustus turns to Horace with a new commission to write poems glorifying the military prowess of his stepsons Tiberius and Drusus. According to Suetonius, the emperor “appreciated the works of Horace to such an extent, and believed that they would remain for centuries, that he not only entrusted him with the composition of the “Anniversary Hymn”, but also the glorification of the Vindelic victory of Tiberius and Drusus...by assigning “Odes” to those three books after a long break, add a fourth.” So, in 13 BC. e. The 4th book of odes appeared, which included fifteen poems written in the dithyrambic manner of the ancient Greek poet Pindar. The empire has finally stabilized, and there is no longer a trace of republican ideology left in the odes. In addition to the glorification of the emperor and his stepchildren, the foreign and domestic policies of Augustus as the bearer of peace and prosperity, the collection contains variations of previous lyrical themes.

The second book of the Epistles, dedicated to literary issues, also dates back to the last decade of Horace’s life. The book, consisting of three letters, was created between 19 and 10 BC. e. The first letter addressed to Augustus (who expressed his displeasure at the fact that he had not yet been included in the number of addressees) was presumably published in 12 BC. e. The second letter, addressed to Julius Florus, came out earlier, between 20 and 19 BC. e.; the third, addressed to the Piso, was presumably published in 10 (and was published separately, perhaps as early as 18) BC. e.

Horace's death occurred from a sudden illness, shortly before his 57th birthday, on November 27, 8. As Suetonius points out, Horace died “fifty-nine days after the death of Maecenas, in the fifty-seventh year of his life, having appointed Augustus as heir, in front of witnesses orally, since he was tormented by an attack of illness and was unable to sign the tablets of the will. He was buried and buried on the outskirts of Esquiline next to the grave of Maecenas.”

Creation

Horace read a lot in antiquity, but also in modern times, so all of his works have come down to us: a collection of poems “Iambics”, or “Epodes”, two books of satires (“Conversations”), four books of lyrical poems known as “Odes” ", the anniversary hymn "Song of the Century" and two books of messages.

Satires

Saturae, 1577

Having returned to Rome after the amnesty and faced with poverty there, Horace nevertheless chose satire for his starting collection (despite such a combination of factors as his low origin and “tarnished republican” reputation). However, Horace's concept allows him to take on a genre least suitable for a man in his position. In the Satires, Horace does not attack the flaws of his contemporaries, but only demonstrates and ridicules them; Horace does not think of changing people’s behavior or “punishing” them. Horace does not “splash with rage,” but speaks about everything with cheerful seriousness, like a benevolent person. He refrains from direct condemnation and invites reflection on the nature of people, leaving everyone the right to draw their own conclusions. He does not touch upon current politics and is far from personalities; his ridicule and teachings are of a general nature.

This concept coincides with Octavian’s aspirations to strengthen the moral foundations of the state (hence, his authority and his position in Rome) through a return to the “good morals” of his ancestors. (Propaganda in this direction was actively carried out under the control of Octavian himself throughout the first decade of the empire, when Horace wrote the Satires.) Horace believes that examples of other people's vices keep people from making mistakes. This position corresponds to the program of Octavian, who believes that strong imperial power is also necessary to control the “vicious representatives” of society.

Together with the modern, romantically inclined intelligentsia, Horace comes to the Stoic-Epicurean philosophy, which preaches contempt for wealth and luxury, the desire for “aurea mediocritas” (“golden mean”), moderation in everything, contentment with little in the lap of nature, pleasure with a glass of wine. This teaching served as the prism through which Horace began to view the phenomena of life. In cases where these phenomena came into conflict with the morality of philosophy, they naturally set Horace’s poetry in a satirical mood. Such a philosophy evoked in him (as in many of his contemporaries) a romantic exaltation of the valor and severity of the morals of former times. It also partly determined the form of his non-lyrical works - a form of conversation modeled on the so-called “philosophical diatribe” - a dialogue with an imaginary interlocutor, whose objections are refuted by the author.

In Horace, the diatribe is more often modified into a conversation between the author and certain persons or, less often, into a conversation between different persons. This is the form of his “Satyr” (Latin satura - mixture, all sorts of things). Horace himself calls them "Sermones", "Conversations". These are conversations written in hexameter on various topics, often in the form of a “pure” diatribe. They represent satire in our sense of the word: either of a moralistic nature (against luxury, envy, etc.; for example, about the advantages of country life, with the fable of the city and country mouse, later revised by La Fontaine); or invective, non-philosophical; or just descriptions.

Horace's "conversations" are real "causeries" ("conversations"); in the context of the emerging monarchy, they do not have the sense of political independence characteristic of the satyrs of Lucilius, whose follower Horace considered himself.

Epodes

The first epics were created at a time when twenty-three-year-old Horace had just returned to Rome after the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC. e.; they “breathe the heat of the civil war that has not yet cooled down.” Others were created shortly before publication, at the end of the war between Octavian and Antony, on the eve of the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. e. and immediately after it. The collection also contains “youthfully ardent lines” addressed to the poet’s enemies and “elderly beauties” seeking “young love.”

Already in the Epodes the wide metric horizon of Horace is visible; but so far, unlike the lyrical odes, the meters of the epods are not logaedic, and go back not to the refined Aeolians Sappho and Alcaeus, but to the “straightforward” hot Archilochus. The first ten epodes are written in pure iambic; in Epodes XI to XVI, multipartite meters are combined - tripartite dactylic (hexameter) and bipartite iambic (iambic meter); Epode XVII consists of pure iambic trimeters.

Among the themes of the early epics, the civil theme seems especially interesting and important; it runs like a red thread through all of Horace’s work, but perhaps sounds with the greatest power and pathos here, in these early poems (Epod VII, Epod XVI). How Horace’s views developed (how his “anti-republican” transformation ended) can be judged by two “Actian” Epodes (I and IX), written in 31 BC. e., in the year of the Battle of Actium.

Between 33-31 Horace acquires his illustrious estate in the Sabine Mountains; the new rural setting may have inspired Horace to write the celebrated Epodes II.

Epodes XI, XIII, XIV, XV form a special group: there is no politics, no causticity, ridicule, or evil sarcasm characteristic of iambiography. They are distinguished by a special mood - Horace is clearly trying his hand at “pure lyricism”, and the epics are no longer written in pure iambic, but in quasi-logaedic verse. In the “love” Epodes XIV and XV, Horace already departs far from the lyrics of Archilochus. In terms of ardor and passion, Archilochus is closer to the lyrics of Catullus, the range of experiences and doubts of which is more complex and much more “disheveled” than that of Horace. Horace’s lyrics reveal a different feeling (one might say, more Roman) - restrained, non-superficial, felt equally “with the mind and the heart” - consistent with the polished, dispassionately elegant image of his poetry as a whole.

The closest to their ancient prototypes, the Epodes of Archilochus, are Epodes IV, V, VI, VIII, X and XII. The caustic satirical tone in them “reaches the point of flagellating sarcasm”; at the same time, the “fervor of hatred” in these episodes is clearly more technological - for Horace, who was characteristically restrained even at the time of his “hot, windy youth,” such fervor here is more of an artistic device, a tool.

However, usually reserved and gracefully dispassionate even in his early years, Horace could be both furious and cynical; Epodes VIII and XII, which are frank to the point of obscenity, pose considerable obstacles for translators. However, Horace himself did not feel any embarrassment in connection with them - such poems were common in the environment for which they were intended. (In general, the surviving fragments of Augustus’ correspondence convey to us the spirit of crude cynicism that took place among the princeps’ inner circle.)

The short “Epodes,” strong and sonorous, full of fire and youthful ardor, contain a clear vision of the world, accessible to a true genius. We find here an extraordinary palette of images, thoughts and feelings, cast in a minted form, which was generally fresh and unusual for Latin poetry. The epics still lack that crystal clear sound, unique laconicism and thoughtful depth that will distinguish the best odes of Horace. But already with this small book of poems, Horace introduced himself as a “star of the first magnitude” in the literary firmament of Rome.

Odes

From the Archilochian style of epics, Horace moves on to the forms of monodic lyric poetry. Now his models are Anacreon, Pindar, Sappho, first of all Alcaeus, and Horace sees his right to literary immortality in the fact that he was “the first to reduce the Aeolian song to the Italian style.” The first collection contains poems written in original Greek meters: Alcaean stanza, sapphic stanza, Asclepiadic stanza and others in various variations. There are thirteen strophic forms in total, and almost all of them are new for Latin poetry (only the sapphic stanza was previously found in Catullus). In the Latin interpretation of Greek prototypes, which have properties “non-native” to the Latin language, Horace reveals metrical mastery, unsurpassed by any of the subsequent Roman poets.

The odes are distinguished by a high style, which is absent in the epics and which he refuses in the satires. Reproducing the metrical structure and general stylistic tone of the Aeolian lyric, Horace in all other respects follows his own path. As in the epics, he uses the artistic experience of different periods and often echoes Hellenistic poetry. The ancient Greek form serves as vestment for the Hellenistic-Roman content.

A special place is occupied by the so-called. “Roman Odes” (III, 1-6), in which Horace’s attitude to the ideological program of Augustus is most fully expressed. The odes are connected by a common theme and a single poetic meter (Horace's favorite Alcaeus stanza). The program of the “Roman Odes” is as follows: the sins of the fathers, committed by them during civil wars and like a curse weighing on their children, will be redeemed only by the return of the Romans to the ancient simplicity of morals and ancient veneration of the gods. The Roman Odes reflect the state of Roman society, which had entered the decisive stage of Hellenization, which gave the culture of the Empire a clear Greco-Roman character.

It is curious that the brilliantly crafted and “thought-rich,” but restrained and dispassionate lyrics did not meet with the reception that the author expected among his contemporaries. She was considered too aristocratic and not original enough (one must conclude that this was the opinion of the general “educated masses”).

In general, the odes carry out the same morality of moderation and quietism. In the famous 30 Ode of the third book, Horace promises himself immortality as a poet; The ode gave rise to numerous imitations, of which the most famous are those of Derzhavin and Pushkin.

Messages

In form, content, artistic techniques and variety of themes, the “Epistle” is close to the “Satires”, with which Horace’s poetic career began. Horace himself points out the connection between the epistles and satyrs, calling them, as before “Satires,” “conversations” (“sermones”); in them, as before in satires, Horace uses dactylic hexameter. Commentators of all periods consider the "Epistle" a significant step in the art of depicting the inner life of man; Horace himself did not even classify them as poetry proper.

A special place is occupied by the famous “Epistle to the Pisons” (“Epistola ad Pisones”), later called “Ars poëtica”. The message belongs to the type of “normative” poetics containing “dogmatic prescriptions” from the standpoint of a certain literary movement. In this message we find the most complete presentation of Horace's theoretical views on literature and the principles that he himself followed in his poetic practice. With this message, Horace is included in the literary debate between admirers of archaic literature and admirers of modern poetry (the latter contrasted the poetry of subjective feelings and the refinement of poetic technique with the epic bombast and primitive form of the old poets). The message sounds a warning to Augustus, who intended to revive the ancient theater as an art of the masses and use it for political propaganda purposes. Horace believes that the princeps should not cater to the coarse tastes and whims of the uneducated public.

According to the ancient commentator, Horace's theoretical source was the treatise of Neoptolemus from Parion, which he follows in the arrangement of material and in basic aesthetic ideas. (Poetry in general, a poetic work, a poet - this course of presentation of Neoptolemus is preserved by Horace.) But Horace does not set out to create any complete treatise. The free form of the “message” allows him to dwell only on some issues that are more or less relevant from the point of view of literary trends in Rome. The Science of Poetry is a kind of “theoretical manifesto” of Roman classicism of the time of Augustus.

Anniversary anthem

In 17 BC. e. The “centennial games,” the festival of the “renewal of the century,” which was supposed to mark the end of the period of civil wars and the beginning of a new era of prosperity for Rome, were celebrated with unprecedented solemnity. It was supposed to be a complex, carefully designed ceremony, which, according to the official announcement, “no one has ever seen and will never see again” and in which the noblest people of Rome were supposed to take part. It ended with a hymn that summed up the entire celebration. The hymn was entrusted to Horace. For the poet, this was state recognition of the leading position he occupied in Roman literature. Horace accepted the assignment and resolved this issue by turning the formulas of cult poetry into the glory of living nature and a manifesto of Roman patriotism. The solemn “Anniversary Hymn” was performed in the Temple of Apollo Palatine by a choir of 27 boys and 27 girls on June 3, 17 BC. e.

Influence

The poet himself measured his literary immortality in the “Monument” by the eternity of the Roman state, but the greatest flowering of his fame was still ahead. Since Carolingian times, interest in Horace has increased; evidence of this interest is provided by the 250 surviving medieval manuscripts of his works. During the early Middle Ages, the moral and philosophical works of Horace, satires and especially epistles attracted more attention than lyrics; Horace was revered as a moralist and was known mainly as the author of satires and epistles. To him, the “satirist Horace,” Dante (Hell IV) assigns a place in Hades after Virgil and Homer.

The Renaissance brought with it a new assessment, when the emerging “bourgeois personality” opposed itself to “church contemplation.” (It is known that in 1347 Petrarch acquired a manuscript of Horace’s works; some of his poems show a clear influence of Horace.) As a lyrical exponent of this new worldview, Horace became the favorite poet of the Renaissance (along with Virgil, and often surpassing him). Humanists considered Horace completely “one of their own”; but the Jesuits also valued him highly - the emasculated or Christianized Horace had a positive moral influence on his students. Pictures of simple village (“Horatian”) life appealed to people of a similar fate and similar tastes (such as, for example, Petrarch, Ronsard, Montaigne, Robert Herrick, Ben Jonson, Milton).

Horace's lyrical meters were used in New Latin versification, which is believed to have been especially successful by the German humanist Conrad Celtis, who also established the custom of singing Horace's odes in school (which became a widespread practice in the 16th century). Subsequently, Horace began to be translated into new languages (most successfully, it is believed, into German).

In Russia, Horace was imitated by Cantemir; Pushkin, Delvig, Maikov and others were fond of it.

The Art of Poetry had a tremendous influence on literary criticism; Classical principles were borrowed from it, and efforts to curb the excesses of the Baroque were justified with references to it. Boileau borrows a lot from Ars poëtica for his Poetics; Byron admires him, Lessing and others study him. However, Sturm und Drang and other movements of the romantics were not on the way with the “singer of prudence, balance and moderation,” and from then on Horace’s popularity no longer rose to its previous heights.

After the invention of printing, no ancient author was published as many times as Horace. His legacy caused a huge number of both New Latin and national imitations and played a large role in the formation of New European lyrics.

A crater on Mercury is named after Horace.

Sayings

Carpe diem - “seize the day” (Carmina I 11, 8). In full: “carpe diem quam minimum credula postero”, “take advantage of (every) day, relying as little as possible on the next”

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - “It is beautiful and sweet to die for the fatherland” (Carmina III 2, 13). A slogan often used in World War I newspapers; also the title of the English poet Wilfred Owen's bitterly ironic poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" about this war.

Sapere aude - “decide to be wise” (Epistulae I 2, 40). The saying was adopted by Immanuel Kant and became a kind of slogan of the Age of Enlightenment. This saying is the motto of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (option “dare to know”).

Works

In chronological order:

Sermonum liber primus, Satyrs I (35 BC)
Epodes, Epodes (30 BC)
Sermonum liber secundus, Satyrs II (30 BC)
Carminum liber primus, Odes I (23 BC)
Carminum liber secundus, Odes II (23 BC)
Carminum liber tertius, Odes III (23 BC)
Epistularum liber primus, Epistles I (20 BC)
Ars Poetica, Epistle to the Piso (24/10 BC)
Carmen Saeculare, Hymn of the Ages (17 BC)
Epistularum liber secundus, Epistles II (14 BC)
Carminum liber quartus, Odes IV (13 BC)

Translations

In the “Loeb classical library” series, works were published in 2 volumes (No. 33, 194).
In the “Collection Budé” series, the works were published in 3 volumes.

Translations into Russian

Among those who translated works into Russian:

Artyushkov, Alexey Vladimirovich
Barkov, Ivan Semenovich
Vodovozov, Vasily Ivanovich
Davydov, Denis Vasilievich
Delvig, Anton Antonovich
Derzhavin, Gabriel Romanovich
Dmitriev, Mikhail Alexandrovich
Zagorsky, Mikhail Pavlovich
Kazansky, Boris Vasilievich
Krasinski, Adam Stanislaw
Krestovsky, Vsevolod Vladimirovich
Kreshev, Ivan Petrovich
Lomonosov, Mikhail Vasilievich
Maikov, Apollon Nikolaevich
Merzlyakov, Alexey Fedorovich
Modestov, Vasily Ivanovich
Norov, Abraham Sergeevich
Osherov, Sergey Alexandrovich
Poznyakov, Nikolai Sergeevich
Pushkin, Alexander Sergeyevich
Sreznevsky, Ivan Evseevich
Tyutchev, Fedor Ivanovich
Fet, Afanasy Afanasyevich
Filimonov, Vladimir Sergeevich
Shakhovskoy, Alexander Alexandrovich
Shebor, Osip Antonovich

“School editions” of selected poems by Horace were published repeatedly.

Main Russian translations:

Quinta Horace Flaccus Ten letters of the first book. / Per. Chariton Mackentin. 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg, 1744. - 81, 24 pages.
Letter from Horace Flaccus about poetry to the Piso. / Per. N. Popovsky. - St. Petersburg, 1753. - 40 pages.
Quinta Horace Flaccus Satires, or Conversations with Notes. / Per. I. S. Barkova. - St. Petersburg, 1763. - 184 pages.
The Science of Poetry, or Epistle to the Piso Sq. Horace Flaccus. / Per. and approx. M. Dmitrieva. - M., 1853. - 90 pp.
Odes Quinta Horace Flaccus. / Per. A. Feta. - St. Petersburg, 1856. - 130 pp.
Satires Quinta Horace Flaccus. / Per. M. Dmitrieva. - M., 1858. - 191 pages.
C. Horace Flaccus. / In the lane A. Feta. - M., 1883. - 485 pp. ( almost complete translation (with minor prop.))
Selected Poems. / Translation and comments by O. A. Shebor. - St. Petersburg, 1894. - Issue. 1-2. First edition. (16 editions in total.)

Quintus Horatius Flaccus (lat. Quintus Horatius Flaccus). Born December 8, 65 BC. e., Venusia - died November 27, 8 BC. e., Rome. Ancient Roman poet of the “golden age” of Roman literature. His work dates back to the era of civil wars at the end of the Republic and the first decades of the new regime of Octavian Augustus.

Quintus Horace Flaccus was born on December 8, 65 BC. e. in the family of a freedman, the owner of a modest estate in Venusia, a Roman military colony in southeastern Italy, on the border of Lucania and Apulia. His full name is attested in his works and in the caption to the "Anniversary Hymn", which he wrote on behalf of Emperor Augustus for the centenary games of 17 BC. e.; “Quintus Horatius Flaccus carmen composuit” (“Quintus Horatius Flaccus composed a song”).

When the future poet was a child, his father left the estate, a quiet, economical life in the provinces and moved to Rome to give his son a proper metropolitan education that could introduce him to higher social circles. In the capital, he served as a commission agent at auctions, receiving one percent of the transaction from the buyer and seller. “The poor, honest peasant,” as Horace portrays his father, nevertheless, through such an occupation he managed to cover the costs associated with his son’s education.

Horace went through all the stages of education common among the Roman nobility of his time: from his initial studies at the Orbilius school in Rome, where he studied the Latin Odyssey of Livy Andronicus and Homer, to Plato's Academy in Athens, where he studied Greek literature and philosophy. (The Academy of that time served as a kind of university or higher school for the young aristocracy of Rome; one of Horace’s “classmates” was, for example, the son.) In Athens, Horace mastered Greek so well that he even wrote poetry in it.

Horace's literary and philosophical studies in Athens were interrupted by the civil war that followed the assassination of Caesar in 44. In the fall of this year, approximately six months after the assassination of Caesar, Brutus arrives in Athens. While attending philosophical lectures, he recruits adherents of the republican system to fight against his successors - Antony and Octavian. Like Cicero, Horace becomes a supporter of the republican cause and joins Brutus.

Horace enters the army of Brutus and even receives the position of military tribune (tribunus militum), that is, an officer of the legion, somewhat unexpected for the son of a freedman; The positions of military tribunes were occupied mainly by the children of equestrians and senators, and it was the first step in the career of a military man or magistrate. This fact allows us to assume that by this time Horace (most likely, not without his father’s money) possessed the sum of 400,000 sesterces, that is, the qualification necessary for enrollment in the equestrian class, which amount later allowed him to buy into the college of scribes.

At the Battle of Philippi in November 42, the army of Brutus and Cassius was scattered and put to flight, after which both Brutus and Cassius committed suicide. After this defeat, Horace reconsiders his position and refuses any activity in this direction. Subsequently, Horace repeatedly mentions his early republican “illusions” and the adventure that could have been fatal for him. In one of the Odes, he turns to his friend Pompey, who also took part in the battle of Philippi, where he reports that he survived only by “throwing away his shield and fleeing the battlefield” (which, by the way, was considered the first sign of cowardice).

He returns to Italy, probably at the beginning of 41. His father was no longer alive; his homeland, Venusia, was among the cities given to Caesar's veterans, and Horace's inherited property was confiscated. After the amnesty declared in 40 for Brutus' supporters, he comes to Rome and remains there. Despite his own complaints about poverty, which forces him to take up poetry, Horace has enough money to buy into the college of quaestor scribes (under the department of public finance). Roman society was prejudiced against paid work, but this attitude did not extend to some skilled professions; Lifelong positions of this board were considered honorary. Horace works as a secretary (scriba quaestorius), which provides him with the opportunity to live in Rome and study literature.

Apparently, Horace’s first poetic experiments in Latin date back to 39-38: hexametric poems, which later became the first book “Satires,” and iambic poems, which later became “Epodes.” Horace's literary search echoes the classicist movement, which was also headed by Lucius Varius Rufus. Both older poets become his friends. In the years 39-38 they introduce Horace to Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, a close friend and ally of Octavian.

The patron, after nine months of deliberation, brings the poet closer to him. Having found himself surrounded by the Maecenas and, accordingly, the princeps, Horace retains his characteristic caution, does not try to stand out, and shows balance in everything. Horace treats the program of social and political reforms carried out by Augustus with due attention, without, however, stooping to the level of a “court flatterer.” Horace is driven not so much by agreement with the ideology of the principate, but by a feeling of gratitude for the long-awaited peace restored by Augustus in Italy, which had been experiencing civil wars for almost a hundred years.

Evidence indicates that Octavian Augustus offered Horace the position of his personal secretary. This offer, which generally promised great benefits, could not attract Horace and was tactfully rejected by him. Horace fears, among other things, that by accepting the offer, he will lose his independence, which he greatly values.

In 38, Horace is supposedly present, together with Maecenas, at the naval defeat of Octavian at Cape Palinure. In the same year, Horace, in the company of Maecenas, the lawyer Cocceius Nerva (the great-grandfather of Emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva), Fontaine Capito (Antony's commissioner and legate in Asia), the poets Virgil, Varius, and the publisher of the Aeneid, Plotius Tucca, travels to Brundisium; this journey is discussed in the famous Satire. Between 36 and 33 (most likely in the winter of 36-35) the first collection of poems by Horace, the book “Satyr”, dedicated to Maecenas, was published.

In his poetry, Horace always emphasizes that his relationship with Maecenas is based on mutual respect and friendship, regardless of social status; he seeks to dispel the idea that their relationship was of the nature of that of patron and client. Horace never abuses the friendship of Maecenas and does not take advantage of his favor to the detriment of anyone. Horace is far from demanding more from his patron; he does not even use this friendship to return his father’s estate, confiscated by Octavian for the benefit of veterans after the battle of Philippi. However, this somewhat dependent state of Horace more than once becomes the source of delicate situations, from which he always emerges with perfect tact and dignity. Far from ambitious aspirations, Horace prefers a quiet and peaceful life in the countryside to the worries and hassles of city life.

Having become close to the Maecenas and his entourage, Horace acquired strong patrons and certainly received significant gifts from the Maecenas. Presumably in 33 Horace acquired his famous estate in the Sabine Mountains, on the Tibur River, near present-day Tivoli). (According to some texts of Horace, it was concluded that the estate was donated to him by Maecenas, but neither Horace himself nor Suetonius mentions this. It is generally problematic to consider such fragments as direct evidence that Horace’s villa was a gift; in addition, there is evidence of significant Horace's own wealth by this time.)

September 2, 31 BC e. Horace, along with Maecenas, is present at the battle of Cape Actium. At 30 BC e. The second book “Satyr” and “Epodes” is published, a collection of 17 poems that he wrote simultaneously with the satyrs. The name "Epodes" was given to the collection by grammarians and refers to the form of couplets, where a short verse follows a long one. Horace himself called these poems "iambics"; the model for them was the iambics of the Greek poet of the first half of the 7th century. BC e. Archilochus. It is noteworthy that from the very beginning of his creative career, Horace takes the ancient Greek classics as a model, and not the poetry of the Alexandrians, in accordance with the trend of his time and environment.

Beginning in the year 30, Horace intermittently wrote lyrical poems, the first collection of which, books I-III, was published in the second half of the year 23. The lyrical poems were published under the title “Songs” (“Carmina”), but even in antiquity they began to be called odes. This name has remained with them to this day. In antiquity, the Greek term “ode” was not associated with solemn pathos itself and was used in the meaning of “song”, as an equivalent to the Latin carmen.

Between the ages of 23 and 20, Horace tries to stay away from Rome, abandons “pure poetry” and returns to the semi-philosophical “prosaic Muse” of his “Satires”. This time no longer in the polemical form of satire, but with a predominance of “peaceful positive” content; he writes the first book of “Epistle”, which includes twenty poems. Messages come out at 8 pm (or early 7 pm). Between the end of 20 and the fall of 19, the Epistle to Julius Florus was published, subsequently the second in the second collection of “Epistles”.

In the 17th century, the “centennial games”, a celebration of the “renewal of the century”, which was supposed to mark the end of the period of civil wars and the beginning of a new era of prosperity for Rome, were celebrated with unprecedented solemnity. Augustus commissioned Horace to write a hymn for the festival ceremony. For the poet, this was state recognition of the leading position he occupied in Roman literature. The solemn “Anniversary Hymn” was performed in the Temple of Apollo Palatine by a choir of 27 boys and 27 girls on June 3, 17 BC. e.

We can say that now that Horace had long since “lost interest” in lyric poetry, he became popular and recognized as its master. Augustus turns to Horace with a new commission to write poems glorifying the military prowess of his stepsons Tiberius and Drusus. According to Suetonius, the emperor “appreciated the works of Horace to such an extent, and believed that they would remain for centuries, that he not only entrusted him with the composition of the “Anniversary Hymn”, but also the glorification of the Vindelic victory of Tiberius and Drusus...by assigning “Odes” to those three books after a long break, add a fourth.” So, in 13, the 4th book of odes appeared, which included fifteen poems written in the dithyrambic manner of the ancient Greek poet Pindar. The empire has finally stabilized, and there is no longer a trace of republican ideology left in the odes. In addition to the glorification of the emperor and his stepchildren, the foreign and domestic policies of Augustus as the bearer of peace and prosperity, the collection contains variations of previous lyrical themes.

The second book of the Epistles, dedicated to literary issues, also dates back to the last decade of Horace’s life. The book, consisting of three letters, was created between 19 and 10 years. The first message addressed to Augustus (who expressed his displeasure at the fact that he had not yet been included in the number of addressees) was presumably published in 12. The second message addressed to Julius Florus came out earlier, between 20 and 19 years old; the third, addressed to the Pisons, was published presumably at 10 (and was published separately, perhaps as early as 18).

Quintus Horace Flaccus (65 BC - 8 BC) is a poet of the ancient Roman era. The period of his work coincided with the civil war, the end of the republic and the emergence of the new regime of Octavian Augustus. In the literature of ancient Rome, this was the “golden age”.

Origin

Horace was born on December 8, 65 BC. e. His father was a former slave who was later set free and owned a modest estate in the Italian commune of Venusia (a military colony of Rome in the southeastern part of Italy, located at the junction of the regions of Apulia and Lucania). The poet's full name is known from his works. When Emperor Augustus gave him the order to compose the “Anniversary Hymn,” the caption to this work stated “The song was written by Quintus Horace Flaccus.”

Since Horace’s parent was a freedman, legally his son was equated to a freeborn child. But still, such an origin in social society was considered inferior; it could be completely smoothed out only after one generation. This fact influenced the creative direction and worldview of the future poet.

Horace never mentioned his mother anywhere in his works, so nothing is known about the woman who gave birth to him. There are only a few references to a certain nanny Pullia.

Education

The family lived quietly on a provincial estate and led a fairly economical life. But when the boy began to grow up, his father decided to leave everything and move to Rome. He wanted his son to enter a higher society, and for this it was necessary to receive a decent education in the capital. Horace described his father as a poor and honest peasant. Nevertheless, he managed to find something to do in the capital, with the help of which he covered the costs of a decent education for his son. In Rome, my father got a job as a commission agent at auctions. The buyer and seller paid him one percent of the transaction.

Horace successfully withstood all the stages of education that the Roman nobility of that time went through. He received his initial training at the Roman School of Orbilius, where they were taught the Latin Odyssey by the ancient Roman playwright and poet Livy Andronicus and the ancient Greek poet-storyteller Homer.

Then he continued his studies in Athens at Plato's Academy, where he studied Greek philosophy and literature. This Academy provided university knowledge, was considered a higher school, and young Roman aristocrats studied there. For example, the son of the ancient Roman philosopher, orator and politician Cicero studied with Horace. At the Athens Academy, Horace studied the Greek language very well, and then even wrote his poetic works in it.

Civil war period

Horace had to interrupt his studies of philosophy and literature in Athens, because in 44 BC. e. Caesar was killed, which started the civil war. Six months passed after the death of the ruler, and Brutus appeared in Athens. He began attending philosophical classes, but in fact during lectures he was recruiting supporters of the republican system into his team. Brutus called for a fight against Caesar's successors, Antony and Octavian.

Horace supported the Republicans, sided with Brutus and joined his army. In the Roman legion he received the unexpected command position of military tribune. In fact, he became an officer of the legion, and then such positions were mainly given to children of the privileged ancient Roman classes (senators or equestrians). Such a position could well serve as the beginning of a military career, and in peacetime it was possible to find work with it in the class bodies of city government.

Most likely, by this time, Horace’s father had sufficient funds, which made it possible to enroll his son in the class of horsemen. In Ancient Rome, all this was determined as a result of a census - a kind of census of the property and wealth of citizens with the aim of dividing society into military and socio-political classes.

In the autumn of 42 BC. e. At Philippi, a battle took place between the republican troops led by Cassius and Brutus and the army of Octavian and Antony. The Republicans were defeated and fled. After this, Horace reconsidered his views, completely changed his position regarding power, and said many times later that it was his early republican adventures and illusions that almost cost him his life. Although this was the first sign of cowardice, Horace did not hide it: he remained alive only because he threw down his shield and ran away from the battlefield.

Return to Rome

At the beginning of 41 BC. e. Horace returned home to Venusia, by which time his father had already died. And his native province was included in the list of settlements that were given as rewards to veterans of Caesar’s army. All of Horace's property and inheritance were confiscated.

In 40 BC. e. An amnesty was declared for Brutus' supporters, and Horace left for Rome. Although he complained about the poverty and destitute situation that forced him to take up poetry, Horace had the funds that he paid to obtain a position in the college of quaestor scribes. He worked as a secretary, thereby ensuring his residence in Rome and the opportunity to freely engage in literature.

After 1-2 years, he composed his first poetic works in Latin. These were poems in the ancient classical size of hexameter, which were later included in the first book “Satyr” and the iambic “Epodes”. He met two poets, Lucius Varius Rufus and Publius Verilius Maro, and they, in turn, introduced the aspiring poet to Octavian’s comrade-in-arms and good friend Gaius Cilnius Maecenas. He was a patron of the arts and, under Octavian, held a position similar to the Minister of Culture.

Friendship with Patron

Maecenas pondered for nine months and finally decided to bring Horace closer to him. Finding himself in such an environment, the poet still remained balanced and cautious, he never tried to stand out in any way, did not flatter anyone, and carefully followed all the socio-political reforms carried out by the ruler Octavian. Perhaps, in some ways, Horace did not agree with the ruler’s policies, but he was eternally grateful to him only for the fact that, after a hundred years of civil wars, the peace that everyone had been waiting for had finally returned to Italy.

Octavian made an offer to Horace to become his personal secretary, but such a position did not attract the poet, and he politely refused. Despite the fact that the position of secretary was very tempting and profitable, Horace did not want to lose his independence, which he greatly valued.

Horace traveled a lot with Maecenas. They visited Cape Palinure, where Octavian suffered a naval defeat, the Italian seaport of Brindisi, and Cape Actium, where the last great naval battle in antiquity took place between the ancient Roman fleets.

Horace repeatedly noted in his poems that their relationship with Maecenas was based solely on friendship and respect for each other, regardless of social status. Their relationship has never been of a “patron and subordinate” nature. Horace never abused this friendship and did not demand anything from Maecenas; he did not even try in this way to return his father’s house, which was confiscated in Venusia.

Creation

Horace had a calm disposition, and he did not like city life with its worries and troubles. The poet preferred to live in a quiet village. In 33 BC. e. he acquired an estate on the Tibur River in the Sabine Mountains. There is no exact information as to whether he was able to buy the estate with his own funds or whether it was a gift from the Patron.

Here he wrote his famous works:

the second book "Satyr";
a collection of 17 poems “Epodes”;
the first collection of lyrical poems “Songs”;
the first book of the “Epistle” (it included 20 poems);
second collection of "Messages".

In 17 BC. e. In Rome, the period of civil wars ended and an era of renewal and prosperity began. The celebrations of these events were planned to be large-scale and complex, and the script was developed very carefully. The announcements said that no one had ever seen such a ceremony and would never see it again; the most noble people of Rome were supposed to take part in it.

In this regard, Octavian instructed Horace to compose a hymn for the ceremony, which was supposed to be the end of the festive events. For the poet, this became the highest praise, thus the state recognized that Horace was listed in a leading position in Roman literature. He wrote the “Anniversary Hymn”, which was sung simultaneously by 27 girls and 27 young boys in the Temple of Apollo Palatine. The poet gained recognition and popularity.

His satire was different from others. He never attacked the shortcomings of his contemporaries, did not try to change people's behavior, much less punish them for anything, his works did not splash with rage. In all his satires it is clear that he is an extremely friendly person, he did not directly blame anyone, but, on the contrary, suggested thinking about the nature and essence of people. He never touched on current politics in his work, nor did he turn to personal likes and dislikes. His ridicule and teachings were of a general nature and left everyone the right to draw their own conclusions.

Horace died of a sudden illness on November 27, 8 BC. e. Maecenas died 59 days earlier. Horace was fully 56 years old; he bequeathed his entire literary heritage to Octavian Augustus. The disease set in and progressed so sharply and quickly that Horace could not even sign the tablet with his will. He made it orally in front of witnesses.

He was buried not far from the Maecenas’s grave. On the planet Mercury, a crater was named in honor of Horace.