Buch Details

In the style originated by Lucilius, Horace in his satires mocks himself as well as the world's vices and follies. The main purpose of the first book (published about 35 B.C.) is to entertain; attacks on moral and literary faults frequently are directed at specific individuals, but the poet's tone is rarely abusive. The poems in the second book make playful use of dramatic presentation and humorous situations. The verse epistles, addressed to real people, seem to reveal many aspects of the poet's opinions and way of life. This volume also contains the Art of Poetry (Ars Poetica), a series of often memorably expressed maxims for the guidance of young poets, which famously set forth Horace's literary theory and critical judgments about theater as well as the poet's craft.