Why has a reclusive poet from the first-century Roman countryside exerted such compelling influence over two thousand years, over poets as diverse as Jonson, Keats, and Auden? Most widely known for his crisp enjoinder carpe diem - generally translated as "seize the day" - Horace was no mere hedonist.
His Epicureanism finds its balance.
His lyric celebration of the simple joys of life, such as erotic pursuit, friendship, and good wine, are grounded in an almost zen-like mindfulness.
Why has a reclusive poet from the first-century Roman countryside exerted such compelling influence over two thousand years, over poets as diverse as Jonson, Keats, and Auden? Most widely known for his crisp enjoinder carpe diem - generally translated as "seize the day" - Horace was no mere hedonist
