Odes

Horace, a distinguished Roman poet, is widely known by his contribution to poetry in the Roman empire. He is a key figure in the latin process of writing because he was one of the first guys to try and rediscover the Greek way of writing and thinking that was once lost through the decline of the Greek hegemony. Horace proved to be an outstanding student, and would eventually consolidate himself as one of the best poets of his time.

Our poet wrote in a style of free verse the arquetype of the wise man. Horace wanted to create a role model to Roman society through his poems. But what made him so famous? Horace was the only guy that could imitate the Greek style, and by now we know that the Romans would give up their entire empire to be the Greeks.

The poetical language used is of great complexity, Horace uses difficutl words and witful transitions because his poetry was not designed for the normal man. He wanted to be read by nobles and to be inspected by the wise. Regarding the themes that the poems undertake, it is all again about Greece and Rome, the parallels that the Romans artificially constructed, the presence of Apollo and Venus, family, duty, honor, and the intrinsic pride that comes from being a Roman.

The warning tone this poem has is that it tells us about spirituality. For Horace, this was the most important characteristic a man should have, and he is not blind, because he understands that Rome is not a very spiritual empire. He depicts in his poems the images of great lords that achieve recognition and satisfaction but that settle with carnal needs, he insists upon searching for the real thing that satisfy us, which are the intangibles of this life.

There are great morals behind the teachings of Horace. He underlines the virtue of the civil role in Romans. That whom is a citizen should have a specific set of moral traits that will function as an example to the others. Civil awareness is of key importance for this author, he underlines the importance of family and political hierarchy.

Beauty for Horace, is reaching that inner state of plentitude. By being a full self sustained individual, a man could achieve beauty. Identity came from Greece, and identity formed plentitude. In a way Horace wants the Romans to remember their lost and forgotten romance with the Greek world that is the missing link for a better Roman society.

In his poems we can find certain things that really make Pindar´s work come into mind; gods, honor, willpower, attitude towards greatness. Horace is a fantastic poet that set the tone for the Latin canon. Without him, the link of Rome and Greece would probably had never been reignited again, which would have been a great trouble to the great Virgil.