Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus. The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his Odes as just about the only Latin lyrics worth reading: "He can be lofty sometimes, yet he is also full of charm and grace, versatile in his figures, and felicitously daring in his choice of words."...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionPoet
country pursuit dear
Let us both small and great push forward in this work, in this pursuit, if to our country, if to ourselves we would live dear.
honor riches virtue
Everything, virtue, glory, honor, things human and divine, all are slaves to riches.
stars poet strikes
If you rank me with the lyric poets, my exalted head shall strike the stars. [Lat., Quod si me lyricis vatibus inseris, Sublimi feriam sidera vertice.]
fate littles folks
Little folks become their little fate.
men ordinary poet
Neither men, nor gods, nor booksellers' shelves permit ordinary poets to exist. [Lat., Mediocribus esse poetis Non homines, non di, non concessere columnae.]
men boys anxiety
Boys must not have th' ambitious care of men, Nor men the weak anxieties of age.
doe different ratios
How does it happen, Maecenas, that no one is content with that lot in life which he has chosen, or which chance has thrown in his way, but praises those who follow a different course? [Lat., Qui fit, Maecenas, ut nemo quam sibi sortem, Seu ratio dederit, seu fors objecerit, illa Contentus vivat? laudet diversa sequentes.]
mad fixed method
Be prepared to go mad with fixed rule and method.
names desire imperfect
However rich or elevated, a name less something is always wanting to our imperfect fortune.
mind cheerful bitter
The mind that is cheerful in its present state, will be averse to all solicitude as to the future, and will meet the bitter occurrences of life with a placid smile.
change horse lazy
The lazy ox wishes for horse-trappings, and the steed wishes to plough. [Lat., Optat ephippia bos piger, optat arare caballus.]
change despise
He despises what he sought; and he seeks that which he lately threw away. [Lat., Quod petit spernit, repetit quod nuper omisit.]
change
I am not what I once was. [Lat., Non sum qualis eram.]
change vices rich
Change generally pleases the rich. [Lat., Plerumque gratae divitibus vices.]