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Odes / Ars Poetica
8Horace
Horace's lyric odes and Ars Poetica — the pinnacle of Latin lyric verse and the source of "carpe diem," the most quoted phrase in Western poetry.
GBM Assessment (Score: 8/10)
Horace's Odes and Ars Poetica represent the pinnacle of Latin lyric poetry and literary criticism. As the master of the Latin lyric, Horace gave the world the phrase "carpe diem," and his Ars Poetica shaped critical thought about literature for centuries, establishing principles of poetic craft that writers continue to follow.
As the unofficial poet laureate of Augustus's Rome, Horace produced works that defined the standards of Latin verse. His Ars Poetica influenced neoclassical literary theory and the critical writings of Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, and John Dryden. The phrase "carpe diem" has entered virtually every language as an exhortation to seize the present moment.
Late Roman Republic to Early Empire, c. 55 BC - 19 BC
The Roman Republic collapses: Caesar crosses the Rubicon, is assassinated; Octavian becomes Augustus, first emperor (27 BC). Amid upheaval, Latin literature reaches its zenith. Lucretius writes Epicurean philosophy in verse. Cicero defines Roman political thought. Virgil composes Rome's national epic. Horace perfects the ode.
Awards & Adaptations
'Carpe diem' in every language. Influenced Pope, Johnson, Dryden.
Recommended Edition
C.E. Bennett (Loeb 1914)
