Horace reflects on the predicament of a beautiful courtesan who is becoming an object of indifference, or even scorn, as she ages and loses her looks. How far he sympathises, and how far he is pleased at the change, is hard to say.

Hear Horace’s Latin and follow in English here.

See the illustrated blog post here.

As Horace brings the final book of his Odes to an end, an idealised Roman family of the future gathers to sing Augustus’s praises and give thanks for the peace and the imperial power that he has brought to Rome.

Hear Horace’s Latin and follow in English here.

Are the Olympian Gods – if they exist – too remote to take an interest in human affairs, as the followers of the Philosopher Epicurus thought? An awe-inspiring natural event causes Horace to think again about his beliefs. Hear Horace’s Latin and follow in English here.

In this wall painting from Herculaneum, Zeus and Hera celebrate their marriage; see photo credits for licensing details.

Horace’s second Ode reflects on the world of Rome turned upside down by civil war and restored to an even keel by the Emperor Augustus. Hear Horace’s Latin performed and follow in translation here; see the illustrated blog post here.