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Form 26
 HORACE AS A NATURE POET

by

Vera. Criswell, B.·L.

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SUBMI TTED IN PARTIAL FULFI LLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEG·HER OF
MASTER OF ARTS

in the

GRADUATE SCHOOL

of the

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

1912.
 HORACE AS A NATURE POET.

In order to be called a true poet of nature , one

must ~ osses s a dee ~ appreciation and love for the natural
world, and the ability to express this feelin g in beautiful
and appropriate verse. The men who have attained fame in
this dep a rt ~ent of r oet7Y differ in many res pects ,but they
a ll have the se quali tie s in c o ~nm on. The purpose of this
discussion is t o show that Horace is worthy of being called
a true nature poet, and de serves the f ame he ha s won. Of
course his geni us expressed its e lf in other ways also, but
we are concerned with his feeling for nature, and the
manner in which this is ex pressed.
The subject f a lls natura lly into two divisions:

I. Horace's Attitude Towa rd Nature,

II. His Descriptive Power.

111007 591
 I.

HORACE'S ATTITUDE TO'VYARD :NATtJ ~~.

A oareful study of the poetry of Horace shows that he was

well qualified to write about the country beoause of his own
experienoe t and that he appreoiated the importance of the farmer's
work. More than this he posessed a deep and sino ere love for
)

the world of nature t and at times manifested a spirit of nature

worship. His love for the count~Y1 strong as it waSt seemed
confined to his own land, and nothing else was so beautiful to
him as the hills and stre ams of Italy. These differtnt phases
of his attitude toward nature will be oonsidered in the following
discussion.
(A) KnOWLEDGE OF COUNTRY LI~.

One oan not be a sucoessful na t ure poet unles8 he speaks

from experienoe. The statement is made by stedman that unle ss
Nature is a man's nurse he ne7er will read with ease the text of
her story book, and tha.t the maker of rural verse should be
country bred, or he will fall short. Boraoe's life oonf Qr ms to
to thi s st Dn <.~ :..~r.d, as he was born in the oountry and lived there
during his childr.. vod, then i n later years spent muoh time on the
farm. He speaks of himself as
" longe son~em natus ad Aufidum!! (C.lif. ,9,2.)

and his early boytiood was spent among the hills of Apulia.
He tells of wandering away as a child into the forest, where he
fell asleep and w8acovered with leaves by the doves,-
"Me f abulosac 101ture in Apulo

nutricis extra limen Apuliae

 -3-

ludo fatiga tumque somn,o

,\ '
fronde nova puerum pSlurb8sJtexere r '{.O.III ~~ /4; 9-12.)
The story is told to show that he has ever been a favorite with
the muses, so it is oonsidered fanciful by sOme oommentators~

bl~ t it must have been ins-pi red by some memo.r y of a simi lar
experienoe in his ohildhood and gives us an idea of -what his
life in tho se d_ys must have been. He surely knew nature well,
for he felt at home among the lonely hills, when no other human
being was near. This kind of life did not last long, however,
for his father took him to Rome £or hie further educat1.on,-
If Sed puerum est ausue Romam portare dooendum. ,I
( S, .i. • 6,76.)

Then for years he lived in the oity,»ut we know that he spent

much time at the various summer resorts around "iome. In one
place he sa.ys,-
'lester, Oamenae, vester in arauos
to1ior Sabinos, seu roihi frigidum
PraeB8ste seu Tibur supinum
seu liquidae plaouere Baiae," C.lll. 4,21-24.)
thus showing that he was aooustomed to visit Praenesta, Tibur>
and Baise. He oame to know nature best however, after he reoeiveq
the gift of the Sabine farm fro~n hi s friend and benefaotor,
Maeoena8, to whom he expressed his gratitude in these words,-
n Hoo erat in votie: modus agri non ita magnus,
hortus ubi et seato v1cinus 'l~is aquae fons
et paulu~ silvae super his foret, auctuis atque
di illelius fecere. Bene est. Nil amplius oro
Maia nate, nisi ut propria haeo mihi mU,?\8ra faxis. ff
( ;:-). 11.,5 t 1-5 • }
 -4-

The gift was greatly appreoiated and Horace often tellsof

his joy in the poseesion of the estate. After this he seems to
have spent much of his time o~ the farm and had a chanoe
to learn more of oountry life than he had ever known before.
Muoh of his nature poetry was written tn this latter period
of his life, when he was inspired by the beauties of the
Sabine Hill E and the peaceful surroundings of his mo untain
home. As he was born on the farm and. spent the early
part of hi s l .i fe there, then in after years freque ntly left
Rome for a sojourn in the country, and finally had a ohanoe to
live on his own ·estate, he surely could speak with authority
on the subject of nature.
(B)
APPRECIATIon OF THE IMPORTA.NCE OF FAR.~ LIFE.

In the ti~e of Horace the small landholder was

rapmdly vanishing from Italy, as the farms were being absorbed
by the vast estates of the rich. The poet seemed to feel
that such a oondition was de~lorable and should hot exist.
He knew that the peasants should be the strength of the state,
and upon their virtue and thrift de~ended, to a great extent,
the future of the Italian raoe. So we find him s~eaking

again and again of the hmnble life of the farmer and

glorifying in his verse the good old days when moat of the
Roman. were farmers. This is how he describes the change that
•
was ooming over the oountry,-
lam pauoa aratro iugera regiae
moles relinquent: undique latius
extenta vtsentur Lucrino
stagna lecu, platanusque oaeleba
 -5-

evincet ulmos ; tum violaria et

myrtuB at omnia copia narium
spargent olivetis odorem
fertilibus domino priori;

tum spissa ramis laurea fervidos

exoludet ictus. Non ita Romuli
praescri ptum et intonsi Catonia
auspiciis veterunque norma." (c. I I. 15, 1-12.)

Here he protests against the custom of changing farms into

pleasure grounds and contrasts the spirit of his time ~ ith

that of the men ~~ old. At another time Horace arrai gns the
people very severely for their sins, and gives a vivid ,icture
o.f the Q o~upt i on 0f the Roman fami ly, then 0 one 1ude s. that not
from such homes came the youth who did so much for Rome in the
olden times-
It sed rusticorum mascula militum
proles, Sabellis doota ligonibus
ver sare glaebas et severae
matria ad arbitrium recisos

portare fustis, sol ubi montium

mutaret umbras et iuga demeret
bobuB fatigatis , amioum
tempus agens ab eunte curru. fl · (C. 111.6,37 -44. )

The Sabin.s are taken as a type of a strong

sturdy race, '~ d not only the simplicity and thrift of their
life is emphasized, but also th~stern discl ~ line of the home ·,
that was worth so ;nuoh in the formation of oharacter.
 -6-

The ordinary work of the f a rmer is mentioned when Horaoe writes

t o the ove rseer of his est a te,-
" Et t amen ur ges
i amp ri dem non t a cta li gonibus arV8, bovemque
disiunctlliTI curas et strictis frondibus exp1es.
Addit opus pi gro rivus, si decidit imber,
multa mole do~ ndus a prico parcere prato." .
(Epp .L. 14,26-30 )
In such a way he describes the common task of plowing ,
str i pping the leaves from the trees as food for the oxen , and
keeping the rirer within bounds. This is not an e s pecially
p18a ~:' ing descri ption, bpt one that shows understanding of
farm life. Now let Uo turti to a whole poem written on the
same subject,- rf Beat'us ille qui procul ne gotiis,
ut pri s ca gens ~o~talium,

pat e rna rura bobus exerce t suis,

solutus omni faenore,
neque excitatur olassioo miles truci,
. neque horret iratum ma re,
forum Que vitat et superba oivium
pote ntionum limina.
Er go aut adulta vitium pro pagine
slta s maritat po pulos,
aut in reducta valle mugientium
prosr ect a t errantis gre ges,
inuti1isve falce r~~os amputans
felioiores inscrit,
aut pressa puris mella oondit amphoris,
aut tondet infirmas ovis;
 -7-

vel, cum decorum mitibus po~is oaput

autumnus agris extulit,
ut gaudet insitiva deoer pens pira,
~e~fantem et uvam purpurae,
qua muneretur te, Prial'e, et te, pater
Silvana~ tutor finium.
Libet iaoere modo sub antiqua i1ioe,
modo in tenaci gramine;
lab'untur altis interim ril'is aquae, .
queruntur in silvis aves,
frondesque lymphis obstrepunt manantibus,
somnoe quod invi tet levis." (Ep.II.)

In s uch a strain he continues , telling of the pleasures of

the hunt in the winter, and then describing the life of the home
itself. We see the wife surrounded by her ohildren, dOing the
simple ohores and preparing the evening meals for her tired
husband-
"Haa inter epulas ut iuvat pastas ovis
vid~re properantis domum,
videre fesaos vomerem inversum boves
Collo trahent ms longuido,
posit~squ. vernas, ditis examen domus
airoum renidentie Laris."

At thi s point we are surprised to find that Horaoe puts t b i s

beautiful desoription into the mouth of the money-lender, Alii'us,
. who says he is going to the oountry to live and 00 11 eats all
his money for the purpose, but promptly in-vests it again and
remains where he is. Var i ous interpretations have been given
 -8-

to this ~pode. Tyrfe~l calls it an " insincere glo ri fication

of the country.n ellar think s Honace is sincere but is
oarried away by his feelings; then, being somewhat a shamed of
his enthusiasm, he wishes tobring the reader back to tbe
oommo~lace by introducing Alfius. To another commentator,
Wickham, t he point see ~ilS to be the strength of the n ruling
passion" in a man's life. After carefully reading the poem
most of us will a gree that Horace is really giving us his own
id.e as about the vount~y, but he has the money-lender in mind
from t he first, as he says," far from business", and again,
"freed from the cares of money-lending." Then in the latter
part he speaks of the home. . . born sla.v es that formed such an
important part of a pros~erous man's wealth. This seems more
like Alfius th an Horace, but the rest of the Epode seems to be the
thought of a poet r ather than a money- lender. - P e ~ haps the best
explanation is that Horace wants to show the contrast between
this life of th 8 peasant in all its simp licity and freedom from
care and that of the practical sordid life of the man of
busine St whose ohief ohara cteristic is the desire for gain.
Such an interpretation seems more in keeping with the spirit
shown in the rest of Horace's nature poetry. In this a f preci a tion
of the import ance of farm life he was similar to Virgil and
Tibullus, and the Epode in its s t yle and diction is very much
like the Georgics and the first Ele gy of Tibullus. All
of thes e poems were probably written about the aame time, s o
it will be of int erest to compare several pas s ages from the works
of the se poets. Horace speaks of the happy lot of the farmer,
while Virgil says,-
 -9-

h ·
" 0 f ortuna-tos mimium, sua ai bona norint ,
agrioo1as! quibus ipsa procul disco~dibu8 armis
fundit humo f aci1em victum iustissima te11us."
(G.II. , 158-460.)

Both V1~gil and Horace me·n tion the work of plowing the fie1ds,-
"Paterna rura bobuB exercet suis." (Ep.II.3. )

"Agrioola inourvo terram demovit aratro

hio anni labor , hino patriam parvosque pena.tes
sustinet, hino armenta bourn meritosque iuvetioos.
(G.II • . 513-515)
All three speak of the fact that the life of the farm is far
awa.y from war,-
nl~ellue axoi tatur 018S8ioo miles true i . It (Ep.II. , 5.)

"Ueodum etiam audierant inf:tari olassioa. " (G.lI. · 539.)

"Martis oui SOIIlllUS classioa pu1sa fug'nt. tl (Tibullus

1.,1.4.)

The lowing of the herds in the valley is e:rpres ~~ ed

as follows;
. "Aut in reduota valle mug,ie.nti um
prospeotat errantis gregea." (Ep.II • • 11-12.) .

"frigida 'Eellpe
mugitusque boum mollesque sub arbore s amni."
(G.lI. , 470.)
The gl!rftted tree is thUB mentioned,-
n tnutilisve faloe ramos amputa?\s
felioi6ras inserit." (Ep. ~I. , 13-14.)
 -10-

n Exilit ad caelum ramis f*licibus arbos

miraturque nova.s frondes it non aua poma . "
(G II , 81-82.)

Also the care of honey,-

" Aut pressa puris mella. condit amphoris. n
(Ep. I I • t 15.)

" Spumantia oogere pressis

( G. I I • ,140. )
mella favis."
$nd 8utumnn with its fruits,-
ff Vel oum decorum mitibu8 pomis oaput
autummus agris extulit
ut gaudet insitiva deoerpens pira
oertantem at uvam purpurae. " Clp. I 1.17 - 20. )

" Et vari os fe tus au: tumnus t e t al te

mitis in apricis ooquitur vindernia. saKis."
( G.l! • . 521-522)

"lIeo Spes, d.stitua.t , sed f~ugu.m semper acarvos

Praebeat et pleno pinguia musts laou."
(T1bu11us,I.l, 27-28.)
The pleasure of lying under a tree appeals to the three
poets ali ~<:e,-
" Libet iaoere modo sub ant1qua 11108
modo in te .n a.o1 gramine
1abuntur a1t1s interim ripis aquae. (Ep.rI. ~ 3-25.)

*
" Mollesque sub arbore sornni " . (G.lI • . 470.)
* *
 -11-

ft Sed eal1is aestivDS ortuB vitare sub umbra

Arooris ad ri vos praetereuntia aquae.~'
(Tibu1l ~ 9 ,1.1,27-28.)
The life of the home itself receives tribute,-
f, si pudio,a mulier in partem i uvet

domum atque dulcis liberos." (Ep.I. 39.)

* '*

" lriterea, dulces pendent ciroum osoula na.ti

oasta pudic1 tiam serve.t · domus. (G.ll. . 523- :=,; 24.)

The referenoes . gilv:en show that Horace appreoiated fully the

importance of farm life, and taat in this respeot he shewed
the ideas of Virgil and Tibulmus.

(0) LOVE FOR THE OOUNTRY.

Horaoe's ' feeling ' however was something more than

appreoiation, and he really loved the country, not only as a
relief from city life, but for its own sake.

(1) As Relief From City.

~he city man is likely to oare more for the beauties

of nature than the person who has always been surrounded with
them. In writing of nature poetrY.J Stedman says that in order
to appreciate country life and its worth, one must have been
parted from it long e nou ~h to have beoome a little tired of that
for whio, it was exoha.nged. We have all seen evi dence s of th is
trait of human nature. The people who are surrounded by
 -12-

beautiful na~ural soenery often soarcely notice it until their

attention . is called by Bome one who Bees it for the first time,
or after a long inter. al. A beautiful landsoape that is Been
often is in danger of losing its charm for the beholder. Although
it h ~ s be c ~ ~t a ted that Horace spent much of his time in the
country, he was really a oity man, and fot that reason seemed to
appreciate the country more beoause of tb£ t elief it afforded
him after btillg in the turmoil and oonfusion of Rome. In
several passages we find him expres sin c . f ondness for bo t h ' kinds
o f li fe,- If Romae Tibur amim ventosus, Tibure Romam. "
(111' . 1 . , 18,12. )

Ag4 in he tells that his own serve,nt has repr oache d, h i m wi th the
f ollowing words,-
" Romae rua opt a s , absentem rusticua urbem
Tol11 3 ad ast-ra levis. " (S.II. 7 ,28-29.)

In another place he exr reases a great longing to ge t away from

the city when he sa ys:
nrua
O d0
, quan ego ~e aspiciam? !t (S.ll., 6.)
The thought in this line has been expressed by the poet C~ w ley

as follows;
fI>
C fountains , when in you shall I
Myself , eased of unpeaceful thoughts espy
0, fields, woods, when, when shall I be made
j)
The happy tenant of your shade?

Tn ono o~ - the s'3. t ires Hora,ce tells, in a humorous vein,

the fable of t he cit y mouse that visits his friend in the
country, arid pi t ies him for his poor fare and hard life~ Later
the visit is returned, but the mOU 2 e is frightened out of
hi s W('~'S by the strange noises in the oi ty h ouse. He makes his
escape sayiv.g, ' " I like not his life of thime , so farewell.
 -13-

In my hole in the woods I fear no surprises and will be happy

with my poor ~are." The :TIoral of the fa r:.;l e i. S obvi ous, and it
shows that Horace liked to dwell upon the oontrast between the
two kinds of life.

For its Own I 1easure •

:':ore tha.n thi s, he love d the aountry for itself, and

expresses over an l over )is joy in rural life. When he is
speaking of the po ~~ sessiOD of hta farm, he refers to himself as:
'I Sati? be &tus umcis Sabinie. n (C.II • . 18,14.)
After discoursing about the futility of seeking happiness in
wealth and power he concludes by asking the question.

" Cur valle permutem Sabina divitias operosiores?"

(C.III.,l,47-48y)
Very similar is the thought in the se words,-
II Purae rivus aquae ,silv~ue iugerum
pauaol'.um et aegetes cert 6. fi des meae
fulgentem imperio fertilis Lfricae
I

fall it sorte beat 1 or£?" (C.III. L6,29-32.)

Again he says ,
" Ego laudo ruris amoelli
Ri v os et m~sco circumlita saxa ncmusque .
* * .'
J ovistine locum r Qtiorem rure basto?
Est ut i plus te peant hiemes ,ubi gra t ior aurs,
lenlat et rabiem Cani s et mom nta Leonis
C l 1 rtl semel acce r it 801 E. :3 furibundlts scutum,
Est ~] bi di vellat somnus minus . 1.nvida. cura
Deterius Libycis olet aut nitet herba lapillis
 -14-

Purior in vicis aqua tendit rumpere plumb ~m

quam quae 'P er pronum t re pidat cum murmure ri v 'U..m ,;J

Nempe inter varias nutritur silva oo l umnae

Laudanturque domus longos quae prospicit agroe.
Naturam expellas furca. , tamen usque recurret
et mala perrumpit furtim faatigia Yictrix. if

{Epp. i . 10 ,1-7,15-22
This glorific ation of nature , as oontrasted with the work of men,
shows a deep appreciation of the beautiful, and must have been
inspired by a since r e love for what is described. In one of the
e pistles Horace speak s of his farm as the sma l l domain. that
restores him to him~elf, and a little farther on says , '
~, Rure e go vi ventem , tu dicis in urbe beat um. "
(E pp. I. ,14-10. )

In an ode written to praise the virtue of contentment, we find the

peaceful haf PY life of the country man portrayed,-
II
11 somnUB agrestium
lanis virorum non humilis domos
fastidit umbrosamque ripam
non ,e -phyris a gitata Tempe. " (C.11I.,l,21-24.)
Afte r reading such re f erences no one oan doubt that Horace
really loved the country, and f Gund great de light in rural
surroundings.
(D) SPIRIT OF NATURE WORSHIP.

The va,rioue gods and goddesses of nature are frequently

mentioned in the work of our poet, so he mast have possessed
a spirit of nature worship. Faunus, the old Itallin god of
woods and pastures, seems to have been held in special esteem,
and his ooming to Roraoe's farm is thus desoribed,-
" Velox smoenum saepe Luoretilem
i':utat Lyoaeo Faunus et i£.1'F~a.m

de~endit aestatem oapellis

usque meis pluviosque ventos,
Impune t .t l tum per nemus arbuto8
quaerunot latenti s et thyms deviae

olentis uxores mariti,

nec viridis metuunt colubras
nec Martialis haediliae lupoe,
utcumque dulci , Tyndari, fistula
valles et Vsticse cubantis
levis. J!ersonuere sa.:xs.
Di me tuentur , dis pietas mea
et mues cordi est. " (C.I.17, 1-14.)
Here we find an eJ:- pression of grati tude to "B'aunus for hie
proteoting oare of the goats in the pastures. Their owner
feels that .they are safe when the strains of the gOd's pipes
are heard. A saorifice tll the same deity is mentioned in the
following lines,-
"nunc et 'in " umbrosia Fauno decet immolare l~Qi 'S,

seu posoat agna sive malit haedo." (0.1.,4,11-12.)

 -16-

Again the poet

,
prays for ~attnus favor, -
" Faune, nympha rum fugientum amator,
per meoe finis et aprioa rura
lenis incedas abessque parvis
aaquus alumnis,
ai tener pleno oadit haedus anne ,
larga neo desunt Veneris sodali
1 •
V1na orate rae • vetus ara multo·
fums t 0 do re. Tf ( C• I I I. . 18 , 1-8. )
In still another plaoe Faunus is identified with the Greek
god ran,-
"Dicunt in tenero gramine pingulUlll
oustodes ovium carmina fistula
deleotsntque deum au.t peollS at nigri
colles ~rcadiae placent. (C.IV.,12,9-12.)
Baochus receives his honors too, and the poet speaks of finding
this god teaching the nymphs and Satyrs in a lonaly plaoe
among the hi lIs ,.-
IT Bacbhum in re~tis oarmine. rupibus
vidi docentea ( oredite poster1)
N~hasque discent1s et auris
oapripedum Satyrorum 8outas." (C.II.19,1-4.)
In another ode he desoribes his feelinga as he is hurried away
to the 'W lIdS by »a.ochus ,-
" Quo me ., Baoohe ,rapi a tui
plenum? Quae Dlmora aut quoe agor in ape en!
velox mente nova? (C.IIl .. . 25,1-3)
 -17-

Then he co ~pa res himself to a lacc hante,-

" Non secus in iugis
exsomnis stupet Euhias,
Hebrum prospiciena et nive oandidam
Thraoen ae pede barbaro
lustratam Rhodo ~ en , ut mthi devio
ripas et vaouum nemus
mirari libet. (C.llI. , 25, 8-14.)

Diana , as goddess of the hills and groves is ho n or ed when Horace

oonseorates to her the pine overhanging his villa,-
f' Monti um oustos' nemorumque virgo,

imminens villae tua pinus esto,

qua~ per exactos ego 1aetus ann os
verris obliquum meditantis ictum
sanguine donem." (C. I 11.22, 1, 5-8.)
This is similar to an invoc ati on of Catu11us addressed to the-
same goddess,-
" Montium domina ut fores
silvarumque virentium
saltuumque reoonditonum
amniumque sonantum." (Catul1u8 ,34.9-12.)
Again Hors.ce urges a ohorus of maidens t J sing praises in honor
of Diana,-
" Dianam tenerae dicite virgines

Vos 1aetam f1uviis et nemorum c oma

quaecumque aut ge1ido prominet A1 gido
 -18-

ni gris aut Lrymanthi

si17is aut iridis Gragi;" (e.I. 2 1, 1, 5-8.)

Priapus, ood of fertili t y, and Silva,nue, anothe r s 'l1vsn

deity are mentioned a s receiving offerings from the farmer,-
" qua muneretur te , Priap e , et te , pater
Silvane, tutor' £'i nm.um. n (Ep.rI. Zl-22.)

Cerea' worship is thas 6uggested,-

" 7'etabo qui . Cereris sacrum
volgarit arcanae sub isdem
sit trabibus fragileroque mecum
solvat phs,selon. " (0.111.,2,26)

and also in, the follow i ng passage

If Fe r tilis frugum pecol1isque Te1lus
sl i oea donet Cererem corona; ( 0 • S. 't 29 -30. )
This may be com ared to Tibul1us (1.,1,15);

" Flava. Ceres , tib i sit nostro de rure corona

Sp ices , quae tel. p li peD-deat ante fores.

Venus ,as a type of renewed life of vegetation is represente<

as leading the c norus of !~ ym'Phs ana Graces in the moon1 t ght,-
~, Ia!!l Cythere a choros duci t Venus imminente luna,
i unctaeque Nynl'phi a 3-ratiae de c e nte B

alterno terram quatiunt pede," (0.I.4, 5-7)

In another song of the springtime, the Graces instead of
Venus, lead the dance,-
" G ra~ia cum Nymphis geminisque sororib ns al1det
duoere nuda ohoroa." (O.IV. 7,5-6.1
 -19-

Again the .ymph~s and Satp-s are mentioned'.-

" me ge licl'um nimus
lIynipnarunfC]ue leves oum Satp:ris ohori
seoernunt populo." (O.I •• l. 31-33.)

In the last plao~we find -Horace oomforting a country~woman

who is .ery muoh troubled beoause she oan make nothing but
me~gre offerings to her household gods.·
" Ose10 supinas si tu1eria manus
nasoente luna,rustioa Fhidyle,
si ture plscaris et honna
fruge Laris avidaque porau •
nee peatilentem sentiet Afrioum
feoUnds vitis neo sterilem seges
robiginem aut duloes alumni
pomifero grave tempus anno." (c •I I I • 23 • 1-8. )
He tells Phidyle that if she makes her humble offerings in the
right spirit she need fear no herm for her crop. and herds, as
a blameless life is worth nore than costly sacrifices ' in
winning the favor of the gods,-
f' Immunis sram a1 tetigat manus,
non aumptuosa blandior hoetia ,
mollivit averso, Penatis
tarre pia et saliente mica." (C.III.,23,17-~O)

So we see that Horaoe liked to imagine these gods of the oountry

as dwelling among his own woods and hills, and:lthia way ohose
to expra'ss his feeling of worship for the mysterious foroes of
nature t ,
 -20-

(E), Limitations.
While Horace's feeling for nature was undoubtedly
one of delight and reverence, it was not SQ comprehensive
as that of some other poets. The spirit of broader 8.nprecia-
~

tion for nature in its various manifestations is more character-

istic of a later time , and in this respect our poet ~as not
very different from the others of antiquity. Sis poetry
sha.s that hw found delight only in t
the milder as r ects of
the n a ~ ural world; that he had little r~gard for the beauties
of foreign lands as contrasted wi't h those of Italy; that his
~eeling toward the ocean was one of dislike and dread.
In the first plaoe ,many of the quotations already given
show what delight and inspiration Horace found in oommunion
with nature, . but the grand and awe-inspiring did not appeal
to him. Ocoasion~lly he described storms, but always with a
feeling of dread, or for the sake of contrast with the warmth
and cheer within doors » We do not find delight in the power of
the elements, as portrayed by Byron in his description of a
midnight thunder-storm,-
" The sky is ohanged! - and s uch a cha.nge!~ night
And storm, and da.rkness, ye are wondrous strong,
Yet lovely in your strength, as is the light
Of a d arK .
' eye 1n '''It'
woman.~ar a 1 ong
From pe8k to pea1r, the r9.t tling crags 8 :11 ong
Leans the live thunder! Not from one 16ne cloud; .
But every mountain now hath found a tongue,
And Jure. answers - through her misty shroud
Back to the jO ~" ._ us Alps, who oa11 to her aloudl
(ChildeHarold,Canto III.)
 -21-

Such an experi9nce would have brought no ple.asure to Hora ce.

He delighted in -c l ear air, charmi n g l a ndscape s , and the
smiling f ~ ce of N ~ ture.

fn the s e cond r l a ce , he ha d seen other lands, such as Greece

and Asia Minor, but i n his e yes they were not h a lf ~ beautiful as
his own It a l y . This feeling is expressed as follows;
n La udabu.nt alii elaram Rhodon aut Mytilenen
aut Epheson bimarisve Corinthi
moenia vel Bacchc Theb ~ s vel Apolline Delphos
insi gnis aut Thessala Tempe. fY

" :1e nee t am pa.tie s La.cedaemon

nec tam Lari sae F ~reussi t campus ppimae
quam domus Albuneae resonantis
et prae ce ps Anio a c Tiburni lucus et uda
mobili bus poma.ria ri v i -:J e l' ( 0 . 1.7, 1-4, 10-14.'

After s p e ~k ing Of the most beaut i ful pla ces ou~ide of Italy
and thqse most renowne d for s 'tuation and climat e he concludes
that none of them plea.' se him SO much a s his own Sabine country,
with resQunul nS Albunea, the he a dlong Anio, the grove of
TiburnU Ej.> a nd or cnardsmoist fro m the s hi ftin g strean~.

Now let us consider Hora ce's feelin g of dislike for the

the oce an. In an ode add res s ed to his friend Vir gil, the
dan g~r s of tra vel on the sea a re e mp h a si~ed

"111i ro bu r e t aea tri plex

ciroa nectus er a t , qui fr agilem truci
co~isit pelago r at em
primus, nee timuit praeci pitem Africum
decertantem Aquilonibus
 -22-

neo tristis Hyadas nec rabiem Noti,

quo non arbiter Hadriae
.aior , tollere aeu ponere volt freta.
Quem mcrtis timuit gre.dum,
qui s i ccis oculis monetra natantia,
qui vidit mare turbidum et
infamia soopulas Aorooeraunia?
Nequi quam deus abscidit
prudens Oceano dissooiabili
terras, sitamen impiae
non tangenda rates transiliunt vada.
( c • I • 3, 9 - 24. )

In these lines the writer expresses wonder at the ~aring of

mankind in ever trying to cross the sea, and a feeling of awe
at the grandeur of the ocean. . The idea seens to be that
the gods p l aced the sea as a natural barrier to separate the
different races, and never intended that it should be
oro s sed by man. A atc. on the sea is tha.s foretold-
"Sed vidas quanto trer,idet tumultu
pronus Orion? Ego quid sit ater
Hadriae novi sinus et quid albus
pec~et Iapyx.
Hostimn uxores pueriQue oaeoos
sen t iant motu8 orientis Austri et
aequori s ni gri fremitum et trementis
verbere ri pas." (0.II1.,27, 18-24.)
When Horace says he knows what Hadria's dark gulf and treaChlrrOUB
Iapyx CJ n do ,he seems to be spea.kin g from experience and may
 -23-

be thinking of a storm encountered on his way to Athens, or

home to Italy after the battle of Philippi. It is very
evident that he does ' not retain any' pleasant memories of the
voyage. In this feeling of dial ike for the ocean he is very
different from Catullus, whose poems reveal a great admiration
for the sea. One of the most beautiful ' desoriptions written
by the latter is that of the waves at dawn, rippling as they are
touched by the brea.th of the west wind, and reflecting the
light of the sun,-
" ' Qua.lis flatu placidum mare matutino
horrifioans Zephyrus proclivas incitat undas
Aurora ex-oriente vagi sub limine. Solis,
quae tarde primum clementi flamine pulaae
prooedunt, levi ter'que sonant plangore cachinni,
post vento orescent e magis magis inorebescunt
purpureaqJJe prooul nantes ab luce refulgent,"
(Catullus , 64, 269-275)
On the other hand Horace shows no admiration for auch scenes ,
and even at Baiae it is not the beautiful view over the blue
sea., but the clea.r air that gives him. joy. Moreover , he
seems to have nothing but 'J.'
contem~t for the men who build their
homes by the sea, and speaks lightly of those who line the
ooast with their villas,-
It
caementia licet Gccupes
Tyrrhenum orone tuia et mare Apulioum,"
(0.111.24, 3-4.)
.gain he speaks in the same t one of srich man pushing out
the shore at Ba1ae in order to build a nouse by the water-
n M~ ri sque Bai 8 obatrepenti 9 urge s
submovere litora,
 -24-

parum looup1es continente rips." (C.II.18, 20-22.)

The cr.atures of the sea are imagined as feeling their home
invaded by the building of piers as s foundation for a hou.e,-
" Contraots pisces aequora sentiunt
iactis in altum mOlibus;" (C.III. 1, 33-34.)
Then the Bea is regarded 8,S an evi"l type when a pnson is acoused
of being improbotiraounaior Hadria. (C.III. 9, 273.)
Another c omparison with Catu11us will be of interest in this
oonneotion; Sirtnio, his home on the lake, is addressed in
these .ffectionate words,-
"Psene ifisularum, Sirmio, insularumque
ooe11e , quascumque in liquentibus staghis
marique vasto fert uterque Neptunus,
quam te libenter quamque 1aetus inv6so
yix mi ipse credens Thyniam stque Bithyaos
liquiase oampos et videre te in tuto.
o quid solutis est beatius curis
oum ~ens onus reponit, so peregrino
labore fessi venimus larem ad nostnum
desideratoque aoqu1esoimue leoto?
hOI est, quod unumst pro lsboribua tantis.
salve, 0 venusta Sirmio, atque ero gaude:
gaudete voeque, 0 Lydiae laoua undae:
ridete, quioquid est domi oachinnorum."
(CstulluB, 31.)
Suoh is the extravagant praise he bestows upon "Sirmio , bright"
eye of peninsulas and islands." Again he spea.ks with great
pride of his yaoht,-
 -25-

"Phase~u:rt1 ille quem videtis t hoapi tes,

ait fuisse n3vium celerrimus,
neque ullius natantis impetum trabis
nequi sse praeter -ire, s1 va palmulis
opus foret volare sive linteo." (Catullus, 4.)
He prooeeds to say that this vessel.' s fame will be denied by
no plaoe, not even the heights of Cytorus, where she rustled
with talking leaves; that on this far dietant shore she first
dipped her oar blades into the water, and thence oarried her
master over so many ~aging seas ; that no vows to the gods
•
of the shore were made while she was on her way from the far-
thest sea even to these limpid waters , where she now rests
in her old age. The lines reveal not only the ,wner's
pride in the yacht's prowess, but alao this love for sailing
the sea. So we note a decided differenoe between C'atullu8
and Horace in their feeling for the ocean.
In the first part of this d!soussion it has been shown
that Horace was fitted by his own life to speak with authority
upon the suojoct of the oountry, and understood the importanoe
of the fa.rmers worl·~ which he idealized in his poetry. Further-
more , he possessed a great love for rural life , and his
feeling a.t times amounted to one of reverenoe ' for nature.
In the last plaoe his appreoiation was not all -inolusive ,
but was limited to the more pleasant aspeots of the na.tural
world, and more es~ecially to the beautiful plaoes of rural
Italy where the hills and streams gave him a pleasure that
the sea' did not afford.
 -26-

II.
His Desoriptive Power.

Of course many of the referenoes already ~oted have

shown Horaoe's ·descriptive power t but now we shall discuss
those passages that reveal more especially fiis ability- · in
portraying the soenes of nature in a beautiful and appropriate
way. Attention will ~e given first to his more general descript-
ions; then to his pictures of definite plaoe s ; in the next
p1a~e to the little nature touches that beautify his work; and
finally to his desc r iption of the ohanging seasons.
(A)
General Desoriptions.

In this phase of the work we note a difference between

his earlier descriptions and those written at a ·later date. His
first nature poems cont ain many details t but as he grew
older he se~ed to oultivate brevity of expression, using
a few appropriate and suggestive words, and leaving the rest
to the imaginatio n of . the reader. As an example of his early
style we quote his descrip t ion of the Happy Islands. This
was evidentl y written soon · after his return %rom Philippi and
expresses his re gret for the l ost cause. The first part
of the poem shows that there is no h ope f or peaoe in suoh a
ti~e of civil strife , and sng~ests a flight to these faraway
islands,-
arva bpata
pet amus , arva divite s at insulae,
reddit ubi Cererem tellus inarata quotannis
et imputata floret usque vinea,
germinat et numquam fallentia termes olivae
 -27":

susmque pulla ficus ornat arbore_,

malls oava manant ex ilioa, montibus altis
levis orepante lympha desilit pede.
11110 iniussae veniunt ad mulatra aspellse,
refertque tents grex amiaJ[s ubera,
neo vespertinus ciroum gemit. ursus ovile,
negue intumesoit alta viperis humus;"
(Epp.XVI., 4l-52~)

Here the poet gives free rein to his imagination .. ancl piotures
a paradise where nat~e gives everything without any effort
on the . part of man. No danger is to be feared and all
is safetv and happiness in this little remnant of the 10lden
Age. The manner of desoription and the feeling 1s similar to
Virgil' ._ Fourth Eologue in whioh a time 1-s . '. imagined when
peace and happiness shall rule in the world,-
"At t1bi prima, puer , nullo munusoula oultu
errantis hederas passim oum baooare tellus
mixtaque ridenti 00100a8ia fundet aoantho.
lpsae laote domum referent distenta oapellae
ubera, neo magnos metuentarmenta leones.
ipsa tlbi blandos fundent ounabula floras."
(Eo. IV., 18-23.)
The two poems were probably written about the same time, and it
s.eems ~ that in their early style Virgil ani Horace were somewhat
similar. It is perhaps charaoteristio of both, that in
desoribing the oondition of the blest they should pioture a
life in the midst of nature. The same style is to be found
in Hora.oe' B Seoond Epode .t which has been q}Zoted in another
oonneotion. Rere we find a oareful enumeration of the joys
o.f oountry life, and many dets.ils are g1ven.Th~ reader should note
 -28-

espeoially the following lines-

"Libet iaoel"e modo Bub antiqua ilice,
modo in tensoi gramine;
labuntur sltis interim ripis aquae,
queruntur in . silvis aves,
frondesque lymphis ubstrepunt manantibus •
somnos quod Invitet levis." (~pp.II.t23-28.)

A s'nae of deep rest and qlliet is here expressed. The writer

dwells upon the pleasure of lying on the grassy ba.nk under
an oak tree and listenin3 to the plaintive notes of birds
in the forest, ~in61ed with the rustlin3 of the leaves and
the sound of the water. These ' lines are more ~imilar to
to the' descriptio.ns in the Odes, _ than. is the remainder of
the poem. lTow let us turn to a few examples of his later
brevity of ex ~ ression. In an ode praising oontentment , he
saY8,- 11
, somnus agrestium
lenis virorum non. humilis domoe
fastidit umbrosamque ripam,
non zephyris agitata ~mpe ." (C.III.,l, 2l-24.)

One can almost see the humble cottage ·~ the shady ba.nk, and
the va.lley untouched by the wandering breezes, and oan
feel the restful nature of the 8urroundings., In this oonneot-
ion it s eems neoeseary to refer again to the ~ioture of life
in the Sabine Hi ghlands, where the strong rugge.d mountaineers
are represented as doing the simple ohores of the evening.
" , sol ubi montium
mutaret umbras et iugs demcret
bobuB fatigatis, amicum
 - ·29-

tempus agens abeunte ou..r ru." (C.III. ,6, 41-44.)

The sun sends its ' last rays over the landscape, O ~:l u,sing the
Bh8dows " ~ ofthe hills to lengthen and removing the yokes from
the uecks of the tired oxen , bringing as it 4eparta the
weloome time of rest. The ' lines, are pervaded by the same spirit
that we feel in the opening line's 'of Gray's. Elegy-
" Th~ ' c~rfew tolls the knell of parting Jay,
The lowing her~ , winds slowly o'er the lea,
The pl.~an homeward plods. his weary way,
And leaves the world to da.rkness and · to me."
Again the autumn festival of 'aunus isdeaoribed as follows; '
"Ludi t herbo6o peous omne oamp 0 t .

cUm ti bi no'nae redeunt Deoellbrea,;

festus in pratis vaoat otioio
ciun bove pagu.s;
inter 8udaois lupus errat 8gno~ ,
spa~git agrestis tibi silva frondis,
gaudet invisam pepulisse fosBor
ter pede terram." (C.III., 18, 9-16.)
A sacrifioe to Paunus has just been made in a .grassy meado••
where the pea.sants D.re gathered about the altar Singing
and danoing in honor of the god. A feeling , of joy and
worship is expressed in this song of the a~tumn. Another
pioture that sta.nds out olearly before the minds eye is that .
of the pine and poplar-
" Quo pinus ingens albaque populus
umbram hospitalem consociare amant
ramis? ( C .-I I. ,3, 9-11.)-
 -30-

Discussing ' these lines ,Wickham oalla atte ntion to the double
'J ontrast bet ween the slight popla.r whi 1e in the wind , and the
glo om Qf the heavier pine.
The darkness of the night on the sea is thus suggested,-
" simil atrn nubes
condidit lunam neque · ce r t a fulgent
sidera nautis; 11 (0.11.3, 9-11.)

Here everything is blaok and there' is nothing . to guide the

sailors , but in ano t her plaoe we find a vivid picture of a
star that flashes forth over the troubled waters, causing the
waves to subside and the elouds to soa t ter,~

" quorum simul albanautis

stella refulsit,
defluit saxis agitatus umor,
Ooncidunt venti fugiuntque nubes,
et minsx, quod sic valuere, ponto
unda. re cumbi p. T! (0. I • . 12, 29-32.)

The phenom~non of thunder in the clear sky oooasions the

following vivid description,-

" Namque Di e spiter,

igni corusco nubi l a dividens
ple rumque, per purum tonantis
egit eq~os volucremque currum,
quo /brute. t~llus et vaga flumina ,
quo Styx et invisi b o:c rida Taenari
aedes Atlanteusque f inis
ooncati tur. If (c. I. 34,5-12.)
 -31-

Thus we are -made to imagine the thunder rumbling overhead and

startling the whole earth. All the q~qtat1ons given in
this connection reyeal Horaoe's remarkable ability in description
and also the develo r ment in his manner of expression.
(B) Defini te Places.

The poet has illade certiin plaoes in Italy seem so

real that every lover of his poetry wants to see " snow-
ooveI1ll Soraete", "pleasant Lucretilis" t It Lae cold Digentia~

and the" far sounding Aufidus", and more especially the be auties
of Tibur , his Sabine Farm, and the ~ountain of Bandusia.
Tibur seems to have been a favorite plaoe with the 'poet. The
passage has . already been given in which he speaks with such
such affection of the home of resounding Albunea and the beau-
tiful grove of Tiburhus • (C.I. 7. 12-14.)
Again he olaims to get his inspiration from the woods a~ d streams
of this pla.oe,-
" sed quae Tibur aquae f e rtile praefluu.il.t
at spissae nemorum comse
fin gent Aeolio carmine nobilem." (C.IV., 3,10-12.)
Then at one time he writes in a pathetie way of his wish to end
his days at Tibur t -

n I11e terrarum mihi praeter omnis

angulus ridet , ubi non Hymetto
mella deeedunt viridique oertat
baos. Venafro;
ver ubi longum tepidasque praebet
Iuppiter brumas et amious Aulon
fertili Baooho minimum Fs.lernis
 -32-

invidet UViB," (C.II., 6, 13-20~)

Notioe __how he dwe lls upon the charm and beauty of the place
with its l ong s pring and _ild winters. So it is not surprising
that he should suggest. s pe nding his old ag8 there.
.

The one spot above all ethers, which he takes delight

in describing is his own farm among the Sabine Hills, of which
he draws the f ollo ~ in 3 picture,-
" Continui montes , ni dissocientur ppaca
valle, sed ut veniens dextrum latus ads ~ iciat sol,
laevQm discendens curru fugiente vaporet.
Temperiem laudes. Quid, si rubiounda benigni
oorna ve pres et pruna ferant, si querous et ileB
multa fruge pecus, mu1ta dominum iuvet umbra.?
Dioss adduc t um propius frondere Tarentum.
Fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, ut ned
frigidior Thraoam nec purior ambiat Hebrus,
infirmo oapiti fluit utilis, .utilis alva.
Hae 1atebrae dulces , etiam,si credis , amoena e,
incolumem tibi me praestant Sept embribus horis."
(Epp.I. l 6, 5-16.)
Thi s beautiful desoription gives a good idaa of the appearance
of the plac..e;. the ohain of mountains broken by the shady valley
Whioh reoei v eS the rays ,of the sun ~n the morning and again
a t t he slose of day. Next Dur attention is oalled to the wild
profusi'o1\. of plum and oorne l trees interspersed with the oak
and ile x , f urnishing food . for the herds and shade for their
master. To complete the picture a fount a in is a dded
 -33 ...

that is more cold and clear than Thrscian Rebrus. " D'etsils
are left to the ima.gination of the reader, but throughout the
whole. pas~a. ge there is I9x})ressed a Ql) i. et de ep feeling for the
~eautiful place and its restorative e ffect upon the mind and body.
Perhaps the best known oIall Horace's nature poems is
the ode sdare s sed to the Fountain of Bandusiae' The
location of t his spring is a ,na : ter of dis pute some ,people
t "hinking "it must be in Venuaia, others placing it on the Sabine
Farm. As it was a plaoe that Horace seemed to know well,
the latter looati on seems more pr'obable. I t is commonly
identified with a spring several bundred yards from -the site
of the villa as this is the only one in the neighborhooi
large enough to gi ve a name to , a stream. The place is often
visi ted. by touri ':::. ts, and Gebhard , states that t 'h e poet RUokert
oonfes sed to a ,fr- elin g o~ disillusionment when he saw the
supposed Bandusia-
If In Horatlus eine Stelle
Las ich, wo viel schBner stand
.'"
Alles t a.le ich hier es fand. "
Moet travelers, howeve r , do not share this feelin3, and
although the 1)laoe may have changed greatly since the days
of Horace, i t is still a beautiful s pot. and one capable of
inspiting a poet to sing its praises, as Horace does so wall,-
" 0 fons Bandus i ae, splendi ti ior vi tl'O,
dulci digne me co non sine floribus,
ara a donaberis haedo,
cui frons tur gida cornibua
 -34-

primis at venerem et proelia destinat;

frustra nam gelidos inficiet tibi
rubro sanguine rivos,
lasoivi auboles gregis.
Te flagra.ntis atrox hora Canioulae
nesoit tangere, tu frigus amabile
.( fe ssi s vornere tauri s
praebes at peoori vago.
~ies nObilium tu quoque fontium,
me dioente oavia impositam ilioem
saxis unde loquaoes
lympbae desiliunt tuae." (C.III. 13.)

The offering of the flowers and the saorifioe mentioned in the

first lines show a feelins ofrever~noe for ' the plaoe. , An
espeoially good touor.: is the oontrast between the warm red blood
of the kid ~nd the aold olea.r water "bioh it dyes. Another
deoided contrast i8 shown between the burning heat of s~r

snd the refreshing ooolness of this shady retreat. Finally

a olear picture is drawn , and we can see the grotto overgrown
with oak, from Whioh the . waters ' oome gushing forth. The poem
is a heart felt expression of horace's delight in the fountain.
He says,

" Fies nobilium tu Quoque fontiUln."

~nd he has kept his word t for Band•• ia has beoome immortal.

(0) Nature Touohes.

From the oonsideration of the poet's ability in
pioturing definite places, we corne to a disoussion of his

use ofzoetaphors and similes, word painting. and suggestive

 -35-

and appropriate e pithets of nature. These little touches

show his imaginative power and alao his faculty for clear ·
and vivid -portrayal of natural soenes.

1. Meta.phore a.nd Similes.

are
'!he events of huma.n experience,. often compared to
7
those of ~he natural world , and,in the first place - the readersatten
tion is cal lei to the use bf metaphors. One of his favorite
f i3ure s i;3 ~: '; be found in the following lines;
" Ergo aut adults vitium propagine
altas maritat populos," (E pp I I. ]:0 )

Here we have the idea of the vine being wedded to the tree,
and another line e1rpresses th~ sa.me thought,
n et vi tem viduas duci t ad arbores; !' (C.IV. ,5,30.)

Again referring to the same custom ,the plane tree is oalled

" platanusque caelebs

evincet ulmos; !f (C • I 1 • t 15, 4.)
..l\.n implied- oompa.rison of a stream of water to a person ski-:pin3'
lightly along,is found in the followin g ;
"Levis crepante lymphs desilit "l}ede," (Epp. 16,48.)
The figure of the bee flying over the me@dow is thus used,-
"Quae circumvolitaa agilis thyma? (E pp • I. 3, 21.)

In another plaoe t he work ~ of luoilius is likened to a river-

'f
.
At dixi -fluere hunc lutulcntum sae 1Je fer~ntem

Rura quidem tollenda relinquendis • (3. I. 10, 50.)

 ~36-

Now we oome to the use of similes. The most freq:u.ent f igure is

that of the river. On one ocoasion the events of life are
described as being darried along after ~ he fa shion of a stream
that at times flows quie t ly in its broad channel t but ag~in

floods the surrounding country,-

cetera fluminis
ritu feruntur nunc melio alveo
oum pace delab.ntis Etrusown
in mare , nunc lapides adesos
stirpisque r ep tas et peous et domos
volventis una , non sine montium
clamore vicinaeque silvae,
oum fara diluvies quietos
inritst a;:nnis." (C.III., 29, 33~41.)

This uivid desoription probably suits any of the mountain

streams of It a ly,although Theodore Martin thinks ' it refers
espeoially to the Amio which he t hus desoribes;
"The headlong Anio! How well it deserves it.s name,
whirling and foaming swiftly along as it does over
its br o k~n and rapidly falling bed. If , ther~ has
been rain among ~ he hills its torrent, naturally
olear , but now turbid as the ~~11 J W Tiber a nd from the
same oa.use , wi 11 ShO~.\f in many a broken bank and inundu -
ted meadow what oause the peasant has to fear its

inroads. rY
It is evident fro'1l Hor3.oe's words that he has su ch a torrent
in mind. Again Pindar's -poetry is oompared to a strea.m .that
rushes a long in a 3cethin 5 flo od,-
 -37-

t1 Monte decurrens velut amnia , imbres

quem \Super nots.s aluere ripas, '
fervet immensusque ruit profundo
l?indarus ore. " ( C. IV. ,2,5-8.)
The . great Tiberius ,. rushing a.gainst the foe in batt1e,is ·
sini lsr to the Aufci d us, -
" 31:0 -. tauriformis vo1vitur Aufidus,
qui regna Dauni praef1uit Apu1i,
cum saevit horrendamque cultis
di.l uviem medi tatur a.,gri S t If (C. IV • ,14,25-28. )
A torrent of wQrds is thus deBo.ribed
" Ruebat,
flumen ut hibernum, fertur quo rara seouris."
(3. I., 7, 26-27.)

The some fi gure is used Nith reference to the true poet-

~ Vehemens et liq uidus puroque simillimue amni
funde t ope s lati.umque beabi t di vi te lingua; t1
(Epp.II. 2, 120-121)
. ., - ,....,

In ~ll of these similes the violenoe and power of the river are
emphasized • The tree is also a favorite object of oom~arison.

After spe8kin~ of' the neoesRity of moderating one ! s desire,

Horace refers to the loft y pine as being the one most often
buffeted by the winds ,
n saepius ventis agitatur ' ingens
pinua. Tt (C.II. 10,9-10.)
The fame of ~arcellus grows like a tree that does not show its
age,- " Crescit oooulto velut arbor aevo
fama Marcelli;" (0.1. 12, 45-46.)
The people of italy are represented as having grown stronger by
every misfortune,-
If duris ut ilex tonsa bipt:nni bus
nigrae feraci frondis in Algido,
per damna, per oaedis,' ab ipso
ducit ppes animumque ferro." (O.IV. 4, 57-60.)
Aohilles , falling in the dust before Troy, is like a pine
laid low by the a~ , rr th p cypress overthrown by the east wind,-
" ille , mordaci velut iota ferro
pinus aut impulsa cupressuB Euro,
prooidit late posuitque collum in
pulvere Teuoro;" (C.IV.6,9-12.)
In these words the great size of Achilles and the terrible
force of his fall are sug gested. As the leaves . in the
forest are constantly falling, and being re~laced by others,
so the words ofalanguage are always changing-
" Ut silvae foliis pronos mutantur in annos
pri"la cadunt: ita verbol1um vetus interit aetas
Et luvenum ritu florent modo na.ta vigentque. n
(A.P. 60-61)

The moon is several times usrd as a comparison, and the

Julian constellation thus receives tribute,-
" mic :~~ t inter omnis
I uli urn sid u s ve 11; tin t e r i gn i 8

luna. minore s. It (C.I- 12, 46-48.)

The shoulders of Chloris are likened to an unclouded moon
shining over the nocturnal sea,-
" ut purs nooturno renidet
luna ma.ri' (c - I I - 5, 28 _ )
 -39-

The horns of an animal offered for sacrifice are like the moon's
cresc e ::: t,-f1
"fronte curvatos imitatus i gnis
terti urn 1 una.e referenti S ortUm!: (C. I V. 2,57 -58. )
The wind is mentioned when Horace advises his friend not
to prolong his ~r ief, -
" Albus ut obscur o deterget nubila eaelo
sae pe n otus neaue ~ arturit imbris
pernetuos," (C • I. 7 t 15 -17 • )

so his sorrows should not l ast. Again the onset of Claudius is

like the Auster as it drives the W8ves-
It indomitaa prope qua~is undas
exeroet Auster Pleiaoum choro
soindente nubi s • ., (C.IV. 14, 20-22.)
He spe ak s of the choru s of the l eiades scattering the elouds t

and thus describes in a figurative way the st a rs a ppearing a

Oo a asionally in the stormy sky.
The fawn is used as a pretty oomparison whe n the poet
addresses Ch1os,-
I' ~{i t a s inule 0 me simi Ii s , Chloe,
quaerenti pavidam montibus aviis
matrem non sine vano
au r a r ~n et siluae metu;
nam s eu :~ obi1ibus 'v eris i nno rrui t
adventus folii s , seu vi r ides rubum
di mov c re laoert ae,
e too r dee t ge ni bus t r emit." (C • I • 23, 1- 8. )
The timid nature of the little oreature fearing ever¥ sound,
 -40-

is aptly portrayed) and the appeara~ce of the forest is suggested,

"when through the light hung leaves hath run the shiver of
Spring's a.pproaoh. rt ( Wickham) As a stag flees from a wolf , so
Paris flees from the son of Tydeus-
" quem tu, oervus uti vallis in altera
visum parte lupum graminis immemor
sublimi fugiea mollie a.nheli tu," (C.I. 15, 29-31.)
In a simile that . is more 01aborate than Horace is aooustomed
to use, he compares the youthful Drusus to an eagle-
"Qualem mini strum" fulmini s ali-tem t (C. IV. 4,1.)

that le aves its nest, trtes its strengllh, and swoops down upon
some sheepfold or upon opposing dragons. Then the figure
is ohan~ed, and he is compared to a lion,
" qualSmve laetis capre s pascuis
inte nta fulvae matris ab ubere
iam lacte depulsurn leonam·
dente novo peri tura vidi t:" (C. IV. 4 t 13-16.)

As a bird fears for her young while she is a.way , so the

poet dreads harm to his friend Maecenas during his absenoe,
" ut adsidens implumibus pullis avis
serpentium adlapsus timet
magis relictis , non, ut adsit, auxili
1atura. plus praesentibus." . (Ep.I. 19-21.)

In a humorous way Hor ace refers to himself and his friend

FUBeus Aristius as two old doves,
" Anniua .pariter vetnli noti r: ue- ' oolumbi. (EI'P. I. 10, 5.)
 -41-

The bee, flyi~g over the fields, is used by the poet

to describe his own manner of work,-

" Ego apia Matinae

more mod o que
grata oarpentis thyma per laborem
plurtmum oiroa . n~us ~vidique

Tiburis ripas or erosa parvus

carmina fingo." (C.IV.2 , 27-32.)
Last of all,the ant is taken a s the example of people who
in their greed for wealth Bay t hey are merely laying up provision
for old age, It siout
parvola ( nam exemplo est) magni formica laborts
ore trahit quodcurnque poteat atque addit aoervo,
quem struit, haud ignara ao non incauta futuri.
~uae, simul inversum oontristat Aquarius annum,
non usqU.~.m prorepi t et illis uti tu" ante
qusesitis sapiens," (s. I • 1,33 -38. )
( 2} •
W5'r~-E.ainti~g.

Now let us consider a few examples of word painting'- The

first one de 80 ri be 8 a s t Tea.."22l)-

" Quid obliquo l abo r ti t

lymphs fuga,x trepida.re ri vo? " (C.II. 3, 11-12.)
The worda are well chosen to express the idea of the swift
movement of the water. Page remarks upon the olearness and
8oouraoy of this picture ," The ohannel winds and twists,
and so the ~ater in its eagerness to esoape (fngax has to
hurry 'a nd bustle and struggle ( laborat trepidare) to make its
 -42-

way at · all." The lines are very similar to the following;

" Quae per pronum trepidat cum murmure ri v urn:'
( ~p p. I. 10, 21.)

Here the same haste is expressed , and the sound of the stream
is suggested by the words ~ Bandusia's waters, a.s Uey
come gushing forth ,are described a s '"saxis unde loquaces
Lymphae desiliunt tuae." (C.III. 13, 15-16.)
We seem to hear the rustling of the leaves and the
babbling of the br ook in the lines,-
" Frondesque lymphis obstrepunt manantibus,"
(Ep.II. 27.)
The rushi ng mountain torrent of the Aufi d~ s is suggested by
the s- soundS i n
" qua violens obstrepit Aufidus. (C.III. 30, 10.)
In all the r ferenees given in this connection considerable
s'k i 11 in the choice of words is revealed.
( 3) •
Ep ithets of Nature.
Thi s s ame qua.Ii ty appears in the numerous epi thets
applied t o the objects of the na tural world. These are remark-
able for their appropriateness and suggestl ve power, and show
the f Eicult y that PetroniUB has called the" Horati curiosa felicitas.
Attention will be J iven to t he e pithets tha t ap peal to the
senses es pecially t and the n th ones that appeal to sentiment.
(a) Appealing to Senses.

1. Sight- ~rom the e pithets that appeal to

to the e ye , let 'U s first notice those of color. The fresh
green of the ne w leaves i n springtime is thus Buggested;
 -43-

viridi myrto, I. 4, 10; viridi pampino, II~. I~ ,16, and

the light green eolor of ivy is oontrasted with the darker shade
of myrtle in the words, hedera virente and pulls myrto,
I. 25, 18. Again we find 8 suggestion of the differenoe between
the dark green pines and the J.ighter 'c olor of other' trees, ni'g ris
silvie a~d ' viridis G.ragi, I. · 21, 7~8. The poplar} _hi te in
wind,is oa1led albapopulu8, II. 3, 9. Two stages in the ripen-
illg of gr·apea 1~ .autumn aresuggeetea in the words , 1i vidos
raa'mos, II. 5, 10, referring to the bluish oolor of ·the
ripening fruit, and purpureo oolore, to the warmer richer
tint that oomes1ater. Several times we find the standard
epithe~,T~b.ris flavu8, that is 80 often applied to the Tiber
beoause ot the oolor of it. waters. The rocks of Anxur gl~aming

white in the sun are oalled oandentibus saxis, S. I. 5,26,

.' and the olear·n ese . of the atmosphere is desoribed · aa puro numine,
III~ 10,8, 'and liquidae Baiae, III. 4,24.
Several epithete desoribe aotion, and the more violent
kind is suggested in the words, praeoi~it.m ~frioum, I. 3, 12;
praeoeps Anio, I. 7, 13 ; violens Aufidus, III. 30, 10;
ventoaum mare, 'III. 4, 45. Forests struggling with the winds'
are oalled s1lvae laborantes, I. 9,3. We find the
idea of
,.
almost imperoepti~le motion in vaga flumina, I. 34, 9, and
vaga luna, I. 8, 21. The valley' , just:. stirred by th. wander-
ing breelee ,i s desoribed aa zephyr1s agi tata Tempe, III. 1,14,
and streams used .or irrigation ~t Tibur are oharaoterized a8

mo~illbuB rivls, I. 7, 4. Entire abeenee of movement ie im-

p11.".. . in inerl gleeie. , II. '9, 5 ; in.re bruma,IV.7, 12;
 -44-

terram irle!?tem, III. 4, 45.

Very' often one wo.d is chosen to denote the general
appearance of a place or object, a s for example, amoenUm Lucretilem,
1.17,1. The ad j eot~ve means b.e etttiful, attr.s ctin, pleas ant,
and generally refers to objects that appeal especially t o the
eye) but Eor ace proba.bly uses it .il: a broader sense, and means '
that 1ucretilis is delightful in every way. Other places are
described as ' follo~s; arduos Sabinos, III. 4,22; Tibur
supinum, I II. 4,23; aquosa I da, ~ II. 20,15; . nival i Algido,
III. 239; uvidi ~iburis,IIII. 231 i . Fields rough with
neglect a re call'd hispido~ agroe, iI. 9 , 1; and thic kly
ma t t e d grass, t enaCl'gramlnls,
·· ~ p.~-.
~ or T 24 • The appearance
'of a meadow is ex pressed by the words, herboso campo, I II. 18 ,
9, and t he thick foliage of the vine by art a vite, I. 38, 7,
while a ni De tree is oharacterl' zed as l'ngen~
:::> pl.'nus , II v,.
~ 9

2. Hearing.
We find 8 few epithets of sound, as
A.lbune ae re sonanti s, 1.7 , 12 , which suggests thc re- echoing
of t he oataract, and longe sonantem l..ufidum, IV. 9, 2, in
which the dound of t he . W ~ te l' s is heard in the d1st r·nce ~ .
Sudden gusts of wi nd ~re called inae quales procellae, •• 9,3.
Lack of sound is ex ':·r essed by the \-vords, taciturna. amnis, I. 3,
18, when the river ~s ima gined as t~ing sil!nt of i t self, and
ripa t ociturna, I II. 29 , 24, when the stillness of t he bank
is caused b ··.~ t he a.bse nce of the wind.

3. ~eeling.-

Several words denote difference in

temperature; the blazing heat of fir e is ascribe d to Vulcan,
srdens 'lolcanus, 1.4, 8, while the warm breath ~" of summer is
 -45-

cal l ed a ~ stiv a aura , I. 22, 18, and meadows wJ..rmed b y the r a. ys

of the sun, apricum campum, I. 8, 3, and 8prica rura, III. 18,
2. The coolnes s of a grove , caused by the shade 6f trees is
suggested in gelidum ne.mus , I. 1, 3 U. and gelido Algido,
I. 2, 16. Cold and refreshing wa ~ ers a re gelidos riv os .111.
13, 161 and gelidus Digentia rivua , Epp.I , 18 , lJ 4, while
the . sharp bi tter cold of winter that holds al l na ture' in fetters
of ice is ex pressed by the words , aouto gelu ~ I. 9, 4.

Appealin g to ~e ntim ent.

Many word appeal to the fanoy and

'imagination rather than t o the senses. · Let us first not i ce
those that are used ·fi gur ative1y.- A tree seems to have a
quality tna t na t uF8.1ly belongs to 8 person, for its sh a.de is
oalled hos pi t able, umbra~'n hos pi ta.1em, II. 3. 10, whi Ie a mount-
ain range is cha.ra.cterized as inhospitalem Cauoasurn, Epp.I. 12.
Time is re ga rde d a s r ~ ing kind to mortals, a 1mum diem IV. 7,7,
and amicum t c :r.p us t I l l . 6. 44. Autumn is personified a.nd
brings her gifts, pomifero anno, III. 23. 8, and pomifer
. ~utu:rn nus ,IV . 7, 11, at ti ~es r 8isin g over the fields her he :; Q
adorned with fruit, decorum c aput, Ep.II.17. The moon shows
her comely f :~ oe, deo orum os, S. I. 8, 22, and again seems to
blush, lunamque. rubentem, S. I. 8 ,35. The waters of Bandusia
are fancied as spe a.king , loquaces lYllPpae , I II. 13, 15, and
a river a s angry. Aufidus acer. S. I. 1 ,58. A ha~let is
described as having its f ace wrinkled \'i th the cold, rugosus
. paguB, Epp.I. 18, 105. The ~ l~netnee is called a bachelor,
plat anuaque caelebs, II. 15, 4 ,while trees that are not
 -46-

covere d with vinp.s are unwedded, viduas arbores, IV. 5, 30.

Again words are used to denote the effect : of objects
u-pon something else, rather than a quality of their own.
stars that burn and ~arch
i
the earth are oa1led torrentia
sidera, III, 1 , 31, and f1agrantis Caniculae , III. 13, 9~

while the Bweltering fle at of · :tw saLds is suggested by aes-

t~oaas Syrtes, I. 22 ,5-6. Winds are charaoterized by
the sort of weather they bring: t hose that oover the sky with
olouds : :·nd oa.use storms are ca l · ad nigris ventis, I. 5, 7, and
the Eurns that brings rains is . ~quosus Eurus , Ep. 16, 54.
Others a ·.- e c~lled bright because the y oause fair weather , .
Notus altus, 1. 7, 15, and c ~ ndidi Favonii, III. 7,'1.
The I de.pre ::.~ sin g effeot of ·e oert 8in wind upon mankind is very
aptly sug ~e sted in the Vfor~s, plu:.nb c'U$ Auster, S. II. 6, 18,
and t he sa!'!le thought is found in gravis aut umilus, S. 11.6,19.•
On the other ha,nd t health ~ iving ~ forests are meant by the
words , ~ i1v 8 s salubri a ·, Epp. I. 4, 4. ThuBwe have shown
.
how Horaoe'. work is filled with little referenoes to nature
that reveal his imagi nation and mast~ry of olear and vivid
desoription.
(D) The
His poetry also reveala -. happy f 8.oulty for
noting a.nd desoribing' the dllare.cteri s'tic s igns of the s easons
as they come and go • The approach of spring is heralded,-
" Solvitur aoris hiems grata. vice veris et Favoni,
trahuntque siooa8 mechinae oarinas,
80 neq~e iam stabulis gattdet peeus aut arato. igni,
neo prata oa~is albioant ~ ru~is.
 -47-

lam Cytherea choros Qucit Venus imminent. luna,

i unctae que llymphis Gra tiae decente s
alt~rno terram ~u&tiunt pede, dQ~ gravis Cyclo,um
101canus srden2 visit officinas. (C.I. 4, 1-8.)
The time mu s t be the very beginni~g of spring as the earth is
just frpci ng itself from the fe ~ ters of the winter, and the
ships ar~ being drawn down to the s ea. The ttird verse shows
a decided contrast betwpen this season and the winter, when
the herds are glad to be in ?helter and their master rejoices in
the war ~ th of his own fireside. In the next verses the newly
awakened forces of vegetation are symbolized by Yenus leading
the ::Nyarphs and }races through the forest,while luloan tends the
fire that will give warmth to the earth and ripen the fruit and
grain. The lines that follow show that the poet's pleasure in
the springtime is somewhat saddened by the thought of death,
which 18 more often associated with the fa.lling leaves of 8utu.nn.
However his conclusion is th~t we should enjoy the present fair
moment. Again we find a similar pioture of spring-
If
Diffubere nives redeunt iam gr~mina campis
arboribuscDe com ~ e;

mutat tp 'rr8 vices et decrescentia ripas

flumina praetereunt;
Jr .... tia cum ITymphis geminisQue sororibus audet
duce~e nuda cho ~ os

I :nmortalia ne srere s , monet annus .t almum

quae rapit hora diem:" (C.IV.7, 1-8.)
The snows have fled , and the grass returns to the fields,
while. the; rivers,subsiding from the wi l ~! ter floods, flow quietly
wi thin their b,> j,nks. The GriJOe b, instead of Venus,
 -48-

lead the danae. The season remi nds the poet of the transient
nature of hwnan 1ife- seasons pass awa y only to oome again,
but when a man's life departs there is no return. The thought
is similar to tha.t of the fsal1aist when he says,-" As for man,
his days are as grass; a.s a f1 o~'er of the £ield, so he flouri sheth.
For the wi:nd pCL sseth over it s nd it is gone ; and the plaoe there-
of shall know it no more." Ps. 101, 15-16. The perishability
of the flowers and the ohanges of the moon suggest the
fleetin g nature of lif~s joys-
" Non semper idem floribus est honor
Ve rnis, neque uno luna rubens nitet
voltu. (C~II, 9-11.·)

st i 11 .'another song of spring be gins"

" lam veris comi tea, quae mare tel1perant,
imf; allunt animae lintea Thraoiae;
iam neo piJa t ,_ rigent nee fluvii atrepunt
hiberna nive turgidi. ff ( IV. 12 t 1-4.)
The same elements are found ~ere as in the first two pa ssages
quoted- the freein g of the earth from the fetters of winter
and the new life every where.
From the eonsaderation of spring we turn to t hat of
midsummer , ~;~ hen Ho ~~ aoe asks hi s friend Maeoenas to spend the
heated se a son on his farm,-
.'
n Ia.m ola. rus ocoultum Andromedae pater
ostendit ignem,iam Prooyon furit
et stella vesani Leonis,
sole dies referente siooos;
iam pastor umbr a s oum grege languido
rivumque feseus quaerit et horridi
 -49-

dumeta 6ilvani, oaretque

ripa vagis taoiturna ventis: (C.III. 29, 17-24.)
We are made to feel the nsrching, burning heat of the
do gdays; , and drowsy st i Ilnf'c5 of t he afternoon when the
shepherd and his flock sea k t he sha do of the river bank.
Autu~ is described as follows;

"non semper imbres nubihus his pidos

r.lanant in agros aut mare Caspium
vexant inaequales proce11ae
us que, nec Armeniie in oris,
8~ ice Val gi, st a t glacies iner s
mensis Der omnis aut Aquilo~ibus

querceta Gargani laborant

at foliis viduantur orni:" (C.II. 9, I-A.)
Hor8ce is trying to comf ort his friend who is in sorrow , so
he pictures nature in her most desolate a 8 nect~. Rains, fields
rough with neglect, fitful blast s , oaks strug g ~ i ng with the
winds and ash trees strip r~ d of their leaves, all seem to
sym ("ol,i ze human sorrow, but thE poet says these do not last,
so his friend should not continue to grieve. The same dreary
season is thus depicted,
" ,Horri cia tem }; estas C8.elum contraxit, at imbres
nivesque deducunt lovern; nunc mare, nunc siluae
Th~eicio Aquilone sonant: CEp. 13, · 1-3.}

The ~:,' ildnes :' of the storm is emphasized to show the oontrast

between the wea ther outside and the che erful scene within-
doors , ' ~'here Hora.ce a.nd hi s . friend are having a j oIly time
together.
 -50-

Winter eold is suggested in the wo ~ ds­

" Audis QUo strepitu lantia, quo nemus

inter ~ulchra saturn tecta remugiat
ventis. et positas ut gi aciet nivis
'puro numine Iuppiter?" (C.III. 10, 5-8.)
The night is cold , and t he trees in the courtyard are
~~oaning in the wind; the sky is ~erfectly _ clear while the
"snow en the ground is frolen hard. Thus we get the whole
picture in a few words. A drinking song of the winter gives
a glimpse of ~t. Soracte in the snow,-
" Videa ut alta. stet nive candidum
Soraete , nec iam sustineant onus
silV8n laborantes. geluque
flumina constiterint acuto. " ( ~ • I. 9, 1-4.)

The landscape is surely a beautiful o~e with Soracte

towering up in the distance, the forest t r ees bending under
their burden of snowJand the rivers bound fast with ice. Thts
is perhaps the most real of all the pictures of the va r ious
seasons of th0 ye ar.
In this division of the subject attention has b": en
given to Hor 2co's descriptive power as manifeSted in his general
views of the country; in the pictures of certain plaoes that
his poetry ha s made f 3~ ous; in his use of - figures of speech
and epithets of nature, and in his portrayal of the changing
seasons. Considering this aspeot of his work t together with
the result of the previous discu 8sion of his attitude toward
nature , we must asoribe to him a sincere love and
 -51-

appreoiation for the natur~l '. world , and the ability to express
this feeling in beautiful and appropriate verse; therefore he
deserves fame aa a true poet of nature.
 -52-

BIBLl;OGRAPHY.

Long and McLea.ne, Q.Horatii Flao01 Opera Omnia.

Whitta.ker &Co. London, 1881.
Wiokham, E.O. , Q. Horstii Flaooi Opera Omnia.
Clare.don Press, Oxford, 1877.
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