Son of a freedman, the Roman poet Horace lived from December 8, 65 B.C. to November 27, 8 B.C. Suetonius writes

He was born on the sixth of the ides of December, in the consulship of Lucius Cotta and Lucius Torquatus; and died on the fifth of the calends of December, in the consulship of Caius Marcius Censorinus and Caius Asinius Gallus; having completed his fifty-ninth year.

Horace fought on the losing side of the Battle of Philippi, under Caesar's assassin Brutus. One of the Roman satirists, Horace was later commissioned by Augustus to compose a poem for the Secular Games, a 3-day event that was meant to mark the end of an era and beginning of the next. The secular games included theatrical performances and religious rituals.

If you're studying Latin, Horace is one of the Roman poets you're likely to encounter. Because he advocates the golden mean, rather than indulging in great passions, he may be less appealing to adolescents than more passionate Roman poets, like Ovid or Catullus.

• Horace
• Suetonius' Life of Horace
• Roman Games
• Roman Calendar Terminology

Horace image © Clipart.com.

Classicist Mary Beard's Roman Triumph is a detailed, scholarly look at an aspect of Roman ceremonial theatrics most of us probably thought we knew at least something about. We think we know that in the triumph: The victorious general stood in a chariot on the Campus Martius, laurel crown on his head, with a slave behind him to remind him that he is only mortal. In front of his chariot stood the chained captives to be killed and the plunder from the war. Behind his chariot stood his soldiers singing increasingly drunken ditties. The procession, granted him and paid for by the Senate, made its way from outside the pomoerium through a triumphal arch to the Capitoline Hill, and ended with sacrifice and feasts for all. Mary Beard takes all this apart.

In addition to being a must-read for anyone interested in military victories (she ties the Roman celebration to modern events), Roman Triumph should be on the short list for those concerned with historical accuracy or the ancient historians. Beard explains why we have certain stereotypes about Roman triumphs, but she also shows how those stereotypes may have been one-time occurrences, deductions based on faulty information, guesses or lies. Importantly, most of what she writes about Roman triumphs applies to ancient history, in general.

Read more...

Which series of classical texts would you recommend for a bibliophile? Loeb? Penguin? Something else? I'm pretty sure the person who posted the request for information in the forum is only interested in English translations. If you have suggestions, please post in the forum thread.

There were 12 Olympian gods and goddesses, although you may run across 14 different names. Hestia, Demeter, Dionysus, and Hades are variable. The remaining 10 are: Apollo, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Zeus, among the gods; Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, and Hera, among the goddesses. The Romans referred to their 12 major gods and goddesses as the Dii Consentes.

• 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses

"I do think learning pieces by heart, or at least to the point of great familiarity, helps. It makes the text become part of you. In music, you 'internalise' it and are able to perform without worrying too much about the black dots. I think it helps to move you in the direction of being able to READ Latin as opposed to TRANSLATE." ~Helen
From the Ancient/Classical History Forum discussion of Re-Learning Latin Tips

• Latin Grammar Tips
• Make a Chunk of Latin Your Own
• Why Read Vergil's Aeneid in Latin

Roman Writers Picture © Clipart.com

Although we refer to Classical Antiquity as an umbrella term covering ancient Greece and ancient Rome because the two cultures had much in common, there were substantial differences. This introductory article looks at some of the differences between Greece and Rome in the following areas:

• Geography
• Art - Greece vs. Rome
• Economy - Greece vs. Rome
• Social Classes of Greece and Rome
• Women in Greece and Rome
• Government - Athens vs. Rome

One of the most common types of requests for information I get is to find the source in Latin for an English saying. These are almost impossible to research unless I already know the answer. A related request is to source the Latin quote.

Facilius per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur is a saying attributed to Seneca that is commonly translated "We are more easily led part by part to an understanding of the whole." Seneca is talking about how Lucilius might gain wisdom and understand philosophy by studying them in segments. The trouble with sourcing this quote is that a trivial word is missing, which makes it very difficult to search for. The missing word is enim ("for, indeed"). The passage is actually facilius enim per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur and comes from Seneca's Epistulae Morales LXXXIX. Even missing or inserted punctuation can cause trouble, although search engines are getting more sophisticated about them.

• Seneca Basics
• Seneca - A Thinker for Our Times
• Seneca's Oedipus

• Where Can I Find a Translation of...?

Seneca picture © Clipart.com

In 'Mythical Roman cave' unearthed, BBC News reports that archaeologists believe that they have found the cave called the lupercal on the Palatine Hill of Rome. The cave is the legendary site where a wolf suckled Rome's legendary founding twins, Romulus and Remus. The cave was found during restoration work on Augustus' palace.

The Rogue Classicist says he sees nothing new in this announcement compared with news back in January.

• 7 Hills of Rome
• Romulus and Remus

Photo © Clipart.com

In 53 B.C. Marcus Licinius Crassus died. Crassus was a member of the first triumvirate along with Pompey and Caesar. He was a very wealthy and greedy man, but not as capable a military leader as Pompey or Caesar. However, it was largely through Crassus' efforts that the rebellion of Spartacus was put down, even though Pompey took the credit.

In 53 B.C. Crassus was governor of Syria. He was attempting to earn glory for himself by invading Parthia, even though there was no justification for it. Crassus was killed.

Read more about Crassus in Bingley's Biography of Crassus.

On Friday, November 22, 1963, C.S. Lewis died. While Lewis is known for his children's Narnia series and writings on Christianity, he was a scholar trained in the Classics. Among my favorite works by Lewis is Till We Have Faces, which is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, which comes from The Golden Ass of Apuleius. In Apuleius' version of the beauty and the beast motif, Psyche marries the goddess Aphrodite's son and then violates the rules of that marriage. To regain her divine husband, she must perform four impossible tasks, including a trip to the Underworld. C.S. Lewis puts on a spin on the story by telling it from the perspective of one of the wicked sisters.

On the day of Lewis' death, JFK and Aldous Huxley also died.
Also see the Guide to Classical Literature's review of a biography of C.S. Lewis.

Apuleius © Clipart.com