Horace
(65–8 B.C.)

The culture, art, and traditions of ancient Rome shaped future development of the fine arts. One of the most important poets of ancient Rome was Horace, whose works provided a window into Roman culture for later generations.

Horace's own generation had survived tumultuous times and were now able to enjoy the security that the rule of Caesar Augustus brought Rome. The emperor attempted to restore the virtues of Rome by reviving traditional Roman values. Horace's odes support the emperor's attempts by describing traditional Roman ideals and illustrate a shift in the culture of his day. His first three books of odes appeared in 23 B.C. when the poet was forty-two years old. Horace has been regarded as one of the finest lyric poets and the principal interpreter of Roman culture for later generations.

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