R. G. M. Nisbet

This book is a successor to the commentaries by Nisbet and Hubbard on Odes I and II, but it takes critical note of the abundant recent writing on Horace. It starts from the precise interpretation of the Latin; attention is paid to the nuances implied by the word-order; parallel passages are quoted, not to depreciate the poet's originality but to elucidate his meaning and to show how he adapted his predecessors; sometimes major English poets are cited to exemplify his influence on the tradition. In expounding the so-called Roman Odes the editors reject not only uncritical acceptance of Augustan ideology but also more recent attempts to find subversion in a court-poet. They show how Greek moralizing, particularly by the Epicureans, is applied to contemporary social situations. Poems on country festivals are treated sympathetically in the belief that the tolerant and inclusive religion of the Romans can easily be misunderstood. The poet's wit is emphasized in his addresses both to eminent Romans and to women with Greek names; the latter poems are taken as reflecting his general experience rather than particular occasions. Though Horace's ironic self-presentation must not be understood too literally, the editors reject the modern tendency to treat the author as unknowable. Although the text of the Odes is not printed separately, the headings to the notes provide a continuous text. The editors put forward a number of conjectures, most of them necessarily tentative, and in the few cases where they disagree, both opinions are summarized.

This book is a successor to the commentaries by Nisbet and Hubbard on Odes I and II, but it takes critical note of the abundant recent writing on Horace. It starts from the precise interpretation of the Latin; attention is paid to the nuances implied by the word-order; parallel passages are quoted, not to depreciate the poet's originality but to elucidate his meaning and to show how he adapted his predecessors; sometimes major English poets are cited to exemplify his influence on the tradition. In expounding the so-called Roman Odes the editors reject not only uncritical acceptance of Augustan ideology but also more recent attempts to find subversion in a court-poet. They show how Greek moralizing, particularly by the Epicureans, is applied to contemporary social situations. Poems on country festivals are treated sympathetically in the belief that the tolerant and inclusive religion of the Romans can easily be misunderstood. The poet's wit is emphasized in his addresses both to eminent Romans and to women with Greek names; the latter poems are taken as reflecting his general experience rather than particular occasions. Though Horace's ironic self-presentation must not be understood too literally, the editors reject the modern tendency to treat the author as unknowable. Although the text of the Odes is not printed separately, the headings to the notes provide a continuous text. The editors put forward a number of conjectures, most of them necessarily tentative, and in the few cases where they disagree, both opinions are summarized.

This book contains twenty-six articles on a wide range of topics in Latin literature by the eminent scholar and former Professor of Latin at Oxford, Robin Nisbet. Original, stimulating, and at times provocative, this collection represents some of the best in Latin scholarship in recent years.

The first three books of Horace's Odes were issued together, apparently in the latter part of 23 BC. The second book, however, has a coherence of its own in terms of subject matter, tone of voice, and arrangement. In particular there is a predominance of poems concerned with philosophy, with conduct, and with friendship. This commentary provides the reader with the background knowledge of conventional forms and topics needed to appreciate fully every aspect of the poems. In particular word-play, literary parallels, and stylistic nuances are highlighted and discussed. The commentary may be used in conjunction with the Oxford Classical Text of Horace edited by E. C. Wickham.

Horace's Odes are among the most popular, and the most misunderstood, of ancient writings. The present work is written in the belief that they are learned poems, which demand some knowledge of conventional forms and topics. Each ode is provided with an introduction which sets it against its Greek and Roman literary background. This edition may be used in conjunction with the Oxford Classical Text edited by E. C. Wickham. The commentary includes a large number of parallel passages, chosen to show how Horace plays new variations on old themes; it is hoped that these may prove useful to commentators on other ancient poets. The book also contains sections on chronology and metre, and a select bibliography is attached to each ode.