HORACE

HORACE

  

HISTORICAL EVENTS

65 BC Born 8 December at Venusia, Apulia, son of a freedman who has a smallholding and acts as a public auctioneer. 63 Consulship of Cicero. Birth of Augustus.
c.55-c.47 Educated in Rome.

59
58-50

First consulship of Caesar.
Caesar’s Gallic wars.
c.46 In Athens to study philosophy, where he meets Cicero. 49-45 Civil wars.
44 Brutus arrives in Athens (September). Horace enlists in his army as military tribune. 44 Assassination of Caesar.
42 Battles at Philippi and suicide of Brutus. 43
42		 Second Triumvirate. Proscriptions.
Caesar deified. After Philippi, Octavian returns to Italy.
41 Horace returns to Italy under the general amnesty, but the family property has been confiscated. He obtains a position as quaestor’s clerk. 41 Unrest in Italy.
c.40 Writes his first poems and through this meets Virgil and Varius Rufus, a poet who is a member of an Epicurean group. They introduce him to Maecenas. 40 Maecenas represents Octavian at Brundisium and makes arrangements for his marriage to Scribonia.
38 Accepted into Maecenas’s circle of writers. 39
38
37		 Treaty of Misenum with Sextus Pompeius.
Octavian marries Livia.
Renewal of triumvirate. Virgil’s Eclogues.
35 Satires Book I published. 36 Lepidus expelled from triumvirate. Sextus Pompeius defeated.
c.33 Maecenas presents him with the Sabine farm, through whom and through which Horace’s social and financial positions are secure. 36-33 Maecenas is in charge of Rome and Italy while Octavian is away
32 Satires Book II, including epistle to Augustus, published. 32
31
30 		End of triumvirate.
Battle of Actium.
Virgil’s Georgics.
29 Epodes published. 29
27		 Octavian’s triple triumph.
Octavian accepts a share in running the state and assumes the name of Augustus.
23 Odes Books I-III published. 23 Augustus receives wide-reaching powers.
c.20 Epistles Book I published. 19 Death of Virgil.
17 Carmen Saeculare. 18 Agrippa given special powers; dies in 12.
c.14 Epistles Book II published.
c.13 Odes Book IV published. 13 First consulship of Tiberius.
Last years Ars Poetica. 9 Dedication of Ara Pacis.
8 Dies (27 November) a few weeks after Maecenas. 8 The month Sextilis is renamed Augustus.