After stabbing herself, Dido lingers on in pain until Juno, Queen of the Gods, takes pity and sends Iris, the Goddess of the rainbow to set her finally free. See and hear the passage here.
In an ode in which Horace is referencing a poem by Alcaeus, one of his most revered early Greek models, he not only commends wine – in moderation – but also reminds us of its dangers. As an example, he gives the wedding of the legendary hero and friend of Theseus, Pirithous, at which the centaurs who had been invited got drunk and molested the bride, triggering a pitched battle.
Hear Horace’s Latin and follow in English here.
The death of a friend brings life into focus for John Westbrook, who sums matters up in a ballad. Read it here.
Another variation on Horace’s favourite theme of carpe diem – seize the day, though the verb has more subtle meanings – harvest it like a crop, for example, or pluck it like a flower. Wine in the shade is better than fretting about what is happening on Rome’s frontiers, which are a very long way away. The Greek drinker in the illustration is on an Attic red-figure wine cup, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. They have a fine collection and excellent online access to it, so pay them a visit.
Hear Horace’s Latin and follow in English here.