tranquil pursuits of letters, social enjoyment, and country retirement! It was about the time of (probably the year after) the battle of Pharsalia (for the state of Greece, just at the period of the final conflict, must have been insecure, if not dangerous), that the youthful Horace left his school at Rome, to study in Athens. If his father was dead, the produce of the Venusian estate would no doubt suffice for his maintenance; if still living, the generous love of the parent would not hesitate at this farther expense, if within his power. During many centuries of the Roman greatness, down to the time when her schools were closed by Justinian, Athens was the university, as it has been called, of the world; where almost all the distinguished youth, both of the East and West, passed a certain period of study in the liberal arts, letters, and philosophy. This continued even after the establishment of Christianity. Basil and Gregory of Nazianzum studied together, and formed their youthful friendships; as Horace did, no doubt, with some of the noble or distinguished youth of his day. On this point, however, his poems are silent, and contain no allusions to his associates and rivals in study. The younger Quintus Cicero was at this time likewise a student at Athens, but there is no clue to connect these two names.(13) The advantages which Horace derived from his residence in Athens may be traced in his familiarity with Attic literature, or rather, with the whole range of (13) Weichert. de L. Vario, &c. p. 328. * བ བས Greek poetry, Homeric, lyric, and dramatic. In the region of his birth Greek was spoken almost as commonly as Latin ; (1) and Horace had already, at Rome, been instructed in the poetry of Homer. In Athens he studied, particularly, the comic writers; the great models of that kind of poetry which consists in shrewd and acute observation on actual human life, on society, manners, and morals, expressed in terse, perspicuous, and animated verse; which he was destined, in another form, to carry to such unrivalled perfection in his own language. But he incurred a great danger,- that of sinking into a third or fourth rate Greek poet; if, in a foreign language, he could have obtained even that humble eminence. He represents the genius of his country under the form of Romulus, remonstrating against this misdirection of his talents. Romulus, or rather the strong sense of Horace himself, gave good reason for his advice. (5) The mine of Grecian poetry was exhausted; every place of honour was occupied ; a new poet, particularly a stranger, could only be lost in the inglorious crowd. But this is not all. It is a law of human genius, without exception, that no man can be a great poet, except in his native speech. Inspiration seems impatient of the slower process of translating our thoughts into a second language. The (14) "Canusini more bilinguis.”—Sat. 1. x. 30. Post mediam noctem visus, cum somnia vera: Sat. 1. x. 31-35. |