The Epodes and Epistles

By: Horace

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

As one of the supremely gifted poets of all time, one might expect great things from this collection of poetry by Horace. And these works do not disappoint. The 17 poems of the Epodes cover a variety of topics, including politics, magic, eroticism and food. A product of the turbulent final years of the Roman Republic, the collection is known for its striking depiction of Rome's sociopolitical ills in a time of great upheaval. In the Epistles, Horace reveals himself as a genuine moralist, a subtle observer of life, and a very good writer. But in spirit, the Epistles are more philosophic, more ethical, and meditative. Like the Odes, they exhibit the two-fold aspects of Horace's philosophy, that of temperate Epicureanism and that of more serious and elevated conviction.

This volume also includes his Art of Poetry, in which he advises poets on the art of writing poetry and drama. It has continued to inspire poets and authors since it was first published in the first century BC. The Carmen Saeculare (Latin for "Secular Hymn" or "Song of the Ages") is a hymn commissioned by the Roman emperor Augustus in 17 BC. The hymn was sung by a chorus of 27 maidens and the same number of youths on the occasion of the Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games), which celebrated the end of one saeculum (typically 110 years in length) and the beginning of another. It is the earliest fully preserved lyric poem for which there is definite information about the circumstances of its public performance. This production uses the excellent translation of Christopher Smart.

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