Horace: Epistles Book II and Epistle to the Pisones ('Ars Poetica') (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)

Horace: Epistles Book II and Epistle to the Pisones ('Ars Poetica') (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) by Rudd, Niall. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780521312929.

This volume fulfills the need for a student edition of Horaces literary epistles, which have recently been the subject of renewed scholarly interest. Professor Rudd provides a clear introduction to each of the three poems: the Epistles to Augustus, to Florus, and to the Pisones (the so-called "Ars Poetica"). He sketches the historical context in which the poems were written and comments on their structure and purpose. He also discusses their literary preoccupations: the relations of poet and patron and the role of poetry in the state (Augustus), the problems of a professedly tiring poet (Florus), and the presentation of classical poetic theory ("Ars Poetica"). He notes Horaces influence on later criticism, drawing attention in one section to one of Alexander Popes Imitations. He also addresses problems of grammar and style, focusing on linguistic difficulties and the subtle movement of the poets thought.