Horatius (English spelling) Quintus Horatius Flaccus

An ancient Roman poet. Born to a freed slave in Venusia, southern Italy. After receiving his secondary education in Rome, he traveled to Athens and studied at the Academy. When civil war spread to Greece after the assassination of Caesar, he joined the camp of the republican Brutus and fought in the Philippine Fields as one of the legion commanders, where he was defeated by Antony's army. He was pardoned and returned to Rome, but his property was confiscated. He obtained a job as a minor civil servant to make a living, and began writing poetry. He formed friendships with Virgil and Wallius, and through their recommendations he gained the acquaintance of Maecenas, the patron of literary men. He deplored the long civil war and the moral decadence of the people, and despaired of politics, but gradually he came to sympathize with the policies of Octavian (later Emperor Augustus), and from around the time of the Battle of Actium (31 BC) he began to praise the new system and preach moral awakening to the people. He was chosen as poet laureate at the "Festival of the Centuries" held by Augustus in 17 BC, and wrote the choral song "Centurial Song." It is said that he declined the position of court secretary by the emperor, and thus defended the freedom of poets throughout his life.

His works include the Epodii (a collection of poems of rebellion and criticism) which brings the spirit of Archilochus to life in Latin, and the two volumes of Satires, which are light-hearted poems that inherit the tradition of Lucilius. The arrows of criticism are aimed at social types and present a critical development of civilization, while at the same time preaching the happiness of those who are satisfied through the wisdom of Epicurean sages. His representative work is the four volumes of Odes, which follow the example of Greek lyric poets such as Alcaeus. With the highest technique and carefully selected words, he sings of a variety of themes, including the gods, Augustus, friends, wine, women, the countryside, the transience of life, death, Roman peace, and the Roman spirit. The two volumes of Epistles are essays that deal with issues of philosophy of life and literature in a style similar to satire. His Treatise on Poetics, which was considered a holy text of poetic method until the early modern period, is also an independent epistolary poem.

His works, with their profound ethics, high tone, and perfect technique, were read throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period, and influenced Western literature widely. The most controversial issue today is the issue of the poet's sincerity in poetry praising the system, and the issue of harmony between such poetry and the personal poetry that idealizes Epicurean seclusion.

[Tsuneo Nakayama]

"The Poet Horace and the People of Rome" by Tsuneo Nakayama (1976, Uchida Rokakuho Shinsha) " "Utasho" translated by Noboru Fujii (1973, Gendai Shichosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代ローマの詩人。南イタリアのウェヌシアに解放奴隷の子として生まれる。ローマで中等教育を受けてからアテネに渡り、アカデメイアの学園に学んだ。おりからカエサル暗殺後の内乱がギリシアに波及すると、共和政派ブルートゥスの陣営に加わり、軍団司令官の一人としてフィリッポイの野に戦い、アントニウスの軍に敗れた。恩赦を受けてローマに帰ったが、財産を没収され、下級官吏の職を手に入れて生計をたてるかたわら詩作を始め、ウェルギリウス、ワリウスらと親交を結び、彼らの推薦で文人保護者マエケナスの知遇を得た。長い内乱と国民の道徳的退廃を嘆き、政治に絶望していたが、しだいにオクタウィアヌス（後のアウグストゥス帝）の政策に共鳴し、アクティウムの海戦（前31）のころから新体制をたたえ、国民に道徳的覚醒(かくせい)を説くようになった。紀元前17年にアウグストゥスが挙行した「世紀の祭典」には桂冠(けいかん)詩人に選ばれ、合唱歌『世紀祭の歌』の作者となった。皇帝から宮廷秘書に推されたが辞退したと伝えられ、詩人の自由を生涯守り通した。

　作品には、アルキロコスの精神をラテン語に生かした反抗と批判の詩集『エポーディー』（詩形の名）と、ルキリウスの伝統を継承する軽妙な『風刺詩』二巻がある。批判の矢は社会の類型を的に文明批評的展開を示し、同時にエピクロス的賢者の知恵による充足者の幸福を説く。アルカイオスをはじめギリシアの叙情詩人たちに範をとる『歌章』四巻が代表作。最高の技巧と精選されたことばによって、神々、アウグストゥス、友人たち、酒、女、田園、人生の移ろいやすさ、死、ローマの平和、ローマ精神など多彩なテーマを歌っている。『書簡詩』二巻は人生哲学や文学の問題を風刺詩に近い手法で扱った随想詩。近世まで作詩法の聖典とされた『詩論』も、独立した一編の書簡詩である。

　彼の作品は深い倫理性と格調の高さと完全な技巧のゆえに、中世、近世を通じて読まれ、広く西欧文学に影響を与えた。今日もっとも議論されるのは、体制を賛美する詩における詩人の誠実さの問題と、それらの詩とエピクロス的隠棲(いんせい)を理想とする個人的内容の詩との調和の問題であろう。

［中山恒夫］

『中山恒夫著『詩人ホラーティウスとローマの民衆』（1976・内田老鶴圃新社）』▽『藤井昇訳『歌章』（1973・現代思潮社）』

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