LIFE AND WORKS OF HORACE
QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUSs was born at the little
town of Venusia, on the borders of Apulia and
Lucania, December 8, 65 B.C. His father was a
freedman, who seems to have been a collector of
taxes. In this business he saved some money, and,
dissatisfied with the advantages offered by the school
at Venusia, took the young Horace to Rome for his
education. This plan evidently involved no little
personal and financial sacrifice on the father's part—
a sacrifice appreciated to the full by Horace, if not
at this time, at least in his later life. In a touch-
ing passage almost unique in ancient literature
(Sat. i. 6, 72ff) the poet tells us of the father's
devotion at this period. Ambitious only for his son's
mental and moral improvement, without a thought
of the larger material prizes of life, he not only pro-
vided Horace with the best instruction the capital
afforded, but watched with anxious care over the
boy's moral training as well, even accompanying him
to school and back again to his lodgings.
In his nineteenth year or thereabouts (i.e. about
46 B.C.) Horace went to Athens to add the finishing
touches to his education by the study of philosophy.
The Greek poets also largely occupied his attention
at this time. Among his friends during this Athenian