The development of the friendship between Horace and Maecenas in the Odes Book I-III

Seminararbeit , 2006 , 9 Seiten , Note: Gut (B)

Latinistik - Literatur

“The friendship between Horace and Maecenas quickly attained an almost mythical status as the ideal relationship of poet and patron.” With these words Barbara Pavlock (B.Pavlock, Horace’s invitation poems to Maecenas: gifts to a patron, in: Ramus 11 (1982), 79) starts her article about the invitation poems of Horace, and for a long time it really seemed to most of the people that this relationship was an ideal friendship, but this point of view changed within the last decades.
This paper is giving a short view on the relationship between Maecenas and Horace from the Horacian point of view, extracted from the Odes I – III of Horace.

The development of the friendship between Horace and Maecenas in the Odes Book I-III

“The friendship between Horace and Maecenas quickly attained an almost mythical status as the ideal relationship of poet and patron.”^[1] With these words Barbara Pavlock starts her article about the invitation poems of Horace, and for a long time it really seemed to most of the people that this relationship was an ideal friendship, but this point of view changed within the last decades.

Now the relationship between Horace and Maecenas seem to be more an expression of a constant emancipation from his position as a companion (maybe the word convictor would describe it best)^[2] up to an equal partner or amicus.^[3]

The relationship between Horace and Maecenas starts 38 BC when Horace was introduced to Maecenas by his friend Virgil and started to become one of Maecenas circle, one of his friends (Sat. 1.6.61-61 et revocas nono post mense iubesque esse in amicorum numero)^[4] or even his client, like Reckford suggested, because he had to fulfil several social duties about which he is complaining in the Satires.^[5]

In Ode 1.1 Horace is paying tribute to his great amicus in the sense of patron-amicus, but also in hope that Maecenas might be his amicus in the full and un-euphemistic sense of a friend. If one look to all the Odes dedicated to Maecenas in book 1-3 (1.1, 1.20, 2.12, 2.17, 2.20, 3.8, 3.16, 3.29)^[6] we see Horace in the same rather ambiguous vein: juggling acquaintance and self-assertion with criticism, balancing declarations of gratitude. Horace becomes prouder and more confident.^[7]

In the first book we have the first Ode (atituis edite regibus) and the 20th (clare Maecenas eques) which are surely honorific odes.

In the first Ode Horace expresses his gratitude being part of the circle of Maecenas (line 2 o et praesidium et dulce decus meum), and he explains that his fame is the result of the generous support by Maecenas (lines 34-35 quodsi me lyricis vatibus inseres, sublimi feriam sidera vertice). He mentioned himself and his work and his way of life only short at the beginning at the end of the Ode, the main part of the Ode is about Maecenas.

But the 20th Ode shows a more familiarity with Maecenas, because he makes an invitation to Maecenas.^[8] In Rome to start an invitation one had to be on an equal social status (look at Cicero, Pro Murena 71 ipsi denique, ut solent loqui, non dicere pro nobis, non spondere, non vocare domum suam possunt).

One can see devotion and respect in this poem; so Horace stresses the simplicity of the offered wine (line 1 vile potabis modicis Sabinum) on the contrary to the expensive vine Maecenas uses to drink (lines 9-12 Caecubum et prelo domitam Caleno tu bibes uvam: mea nec Falernae temperant vites neque Formiani pocula colles), but this could also imply a social statement; now Horace is friendly and even familiar enough with Maecenas not only to invite him to his own house but also offer him cheap wine instead of the expansive one Maecenas is used to drink.^[9]

Sothe fact remains that Horace now take the liberty to invite Maecenas in his house what he could not do if they would still remain on a usually patron – convictor level.

[...]

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^[1] B.Pavlock, Horace’s invitation poems to Maecenas: gifts to a patron, in: Ramus 11 (1982), 79

^[2] See Sat. 1.6.47 ... quia, Maecenas, tibi sum convictor...

^[3] E.Lefèvre, Horaz und Maecenas, in: ANRW II 31.3, 2001

^[4] All the citations of Horace’ Satires come from the Perseus website http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0062

^[5] K.J.Reckford, Horace and Maecenas, in: TAPhA 90 (1959) 200-210

^[6] All of the Latin citations are from D.H.Garrison, Horace. Epodes and Odes, University of Oklahoma Press 1991

^[7] R.O.A.M.Lyne, Horace. Behind the public poetry, 104

^[8] Santirocco, Matthew, The Maecenas Odes, in: TAPhA 114 (1984) 244

^[9] Lyne 109

• Hochschule: Indiana University (Department for Classical Studies)
• Veranstaltung: Roman Lyrik and Elegy
• Note: Gut (B)
• Autor: M.A. Diana Beuster (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2006
• Seiten: 9
• Katalognummer: V77508
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638829359
• ISBN (Buch): 9783638831321
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Horace, Maecenas, Odes, Book, I-III, Roman, Lyrik, Elegy