Horace and vergil

This article focuses on the ethical subtext that permeates the poetry of Horace and Vergil throughout the various genres in which they composed their works. For these major Augustan poets, Epicurean thought provided a common framework for “conversations” (both overt and latent) on issues in contemporary moral philosophy, such as the proper limits to be followed by mortals in the pursuit of pleasures and the fulfillment of desires. A paramount subject in these conversations is the question of the cognitive preconditions for achieving felicity and a tranquil life (eudaimonia, ataraxia).

Duke Scholars

Author N. Gregson Davis Classical Studies