Skip to main content

Primary sourceBook1882

The Odes and Carmen Saeculare

Horace · 1882

An English translation of poems by Horace, including the Carmen Saeculare, a hymn composed for a festival under Augustus's rule.

Horace's poems, including a hymn commissioned for a festival under Augustus, show how he was celebrated by poets of his own time.

Ask Augustus about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This is an 1882 English translation of poems by the Roman poet Horace, including his Odes and the Carmen Saeculare. Horace lived during Augustus's reign, and the Carmen Saeculare was a hymn commissioned for a public festival held under Augustus.

Why it matters

Horace's poetry often praised Augustus and the peace and stability associated with his rule. Because Horace wrote during Augustus's lifetime, these poems are a primary source for understanding how the emperor was celebrated by poets of his era. The translation itself, however, is a much later work, created to make the Latin poems accessible to English readers.

Look closer

  • Why might a ruler want poets to write about him in positive terms?
  • What does the preface tell you about the challenges of translating ancient poetry?
  • How might praise written for a powerful ruler differ from a more neutral account of his reign?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Augustus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Augustus sources

Meet the AI Augustus →
Black-and-white photograph of a large weathered marble inscription in Latin capital letters, arranged in horizontal lines across several panels, with a large white area where stone is missing on the left side.Document

Primary source

Res Gestae Divi Augusti

Augustus · 14 AD

Line engraving of a curly-haired man in profile wearing a draped Roman cloak, one hand resting on a globe and the other holding a scroll, inside an ornate border. Title reads 'D. Oct. Augustus' with a text block below.Painting

Secondary source

Emperor Augustus with Globe

After Titian (engraving by A. Sadeler, after Titian) · between 1700 and 1799 (possibly 17th century)

Photograph of a marble sculpted head on a white background. It has short, wavy hair carved in curling locks, large almond-shaped eyes with heavy lids, a straight nose, and a small closed mouth. The neck is broken off at the bottom.Sculpture

Primary source

Relief Head of the Young Augustus

Marble statue of a standing man in armor, right arm raised pointing forward, with a draped cloak over his left arm. A small cupid-like figure with a dolphin stands beside his right leg. Plain dark grey background.Sculpture

Secondary source

Augustus of Prima Porta

c. 19 BCE or later

Marble enclosure of the Ara Pacis in a glass-walled museum hall, seen from the southwest. Carved relief panels decorate the walls, with a doorway and a stepped approach at the front.Artifact

Primary source

Ara Pacis

13-9 BCE

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Augustus now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions