Horace’s
Epistles1 is a collection of twenty stylized letters written in dactylic hexameter verse. The poems vary from thirteen lines (Epistle 9) to one hundred and twelve lines (Epistle 18) in length. Based on a reference to the age of the poet in the final poem, the collection was published in or near 21 BCE.
Epistles1 is the earliest surviving collection of verse letters from Greco-Roman antiquity. While several earlier poems, including Horace’s own
Satires1 and 2 (published in the late 30s BCE), resemble letters in address and form, it is probable that the publication of a complete collection of poetic epistles was an innovation on Horace’s part.
Prior to the publication of Epistles 1, the best known published letters were prose works dealing with philosophical themes and
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Citation: Lee-Stecum, Parshia. "Epistles I". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 January 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13376, accessed 13 December 2024.]