Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) was born on 8th December 65 (BC) and died on 27th November 8 (BC). In between he produced a substantial body of poetry, of which the
Odes(Latin
Carmina) represent his most important and enduring work. Books 1-3 were published together in 23 B.C, to a disappointing reception. Book 4, quantitatively speaking more political than 1-3, followed some year later; the last datable allusion is 13 years (BC).
Horace was to an unusual degree conscious of his vocation as poet, an idea announced with considerable prominence in the envoi to Odes 1. 1. In penning the Odes, he viewed himself as accommodating to Roman verse the artistic legacy of the Greek lyric poets (cf. Od. 1. 32, 4. 3. 10-12). Indeed, the very title of his work, Carmina, literally “Songs”, mirrors
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Citation: Watson, Lindsay Cameron. "Carmina". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 November 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13378, accessed 12 December 2024.]