horace carmen saeculare

• Written in 17 BC
• Hymn composed by Horace to honour the ludi saeculares - explicitly religious - praises the gods for bringing about the golden age
• Performed by children in all white at the Palatine Hill (next to Augustus’ home and the Temple of Palatine Apollo) then on Capitol
• Performed at this festival all Romans were expected to attend
• Reference to sibling pair Phoebus and Diana - could be seen as bringing Octavia (hs sister) to the forefront
• Seven hills - Rome
• Ilithyia/Lucina/Genitalis – goddess of childbirth and midwifery
• "The Senate’s decrees concerning the wedlock..” - Leges Iuliae, Augustus’ moral and social legislation
• “We crowd to three times by daylight, as often, by beautiful night” - referencing the events of the ludi saeculare, three days and nights of celebration
• Ceres - goddess of harvest, grain, agriculture
• Luna - goddess of the moon
• "Alban axes" – Roman military might; Alba Longa birthplace of Remus and Romulus. Founded by Ascanius.
• Axes - reference to fasces, symbol of the power of Roman politicians to mete out the death penalty - symbol of consul’s authority
• Scythians - ancient Iranian equestrian nomadic people
• Faith, Peace, Honour, Modesty – traditional virtues and values.
• “Flowing horn” of Plenty - a cornucopia
• Nine Muses - goddess figures invoked by poets
• Lustra - lustrum, span of five years, significant because of the census
• Latium - region in Italy where Rome was founded
• ‘Mount Algidus’ – in the Alban Hills about 12 miles SE of Rome
• Aventine -. one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built
• ‘Of the Fifteen’ – quindecimviri, 15 priests who would translate the Sibylline verses
• Peace and prosperity 

  • Ceres and Jupiter bring agricultural prosperity -> “ripen the harvest”
  • Apollo can now “lay down his arms”, instead gives relief through “healing art”
  • Virtue is to “grant peace and quiet”
  • “Plenty” will appear once more, bringing her “flowing horn”
• Roman dominance

  • “You will never know anything mightier than Rome”
  • “Now the Parthians fear our forces”
  • “Powerful on land and on sea”
  • “They fear the Alban axes”
  • “Beg” 
  • “May he…extend Rome’s power”
• Rebirth 

  • Rome is “new, yet the same” such as the birth of a new day 
  • Compares Rome’s rebirth with the birth of the city with Aeneas
• Return to tradition/morality

  • Reference to the Leges Iuliae “Senate’s decrees concerning wedlock”
  • “Now Faith and Peace, Honour, and ancient Modesty” returns, as well as “neglected Virtue” and “Plenty”
• Family 

  • Traditional family = results in golden age
  • Children sing the hymn 
  • Mothers as important, bringing in the new age of Romans 
  • Invokes Ilithyia/Lucina/Genitalis to protect mothers 
  • “Now protect gentle mothers”
  • “Nurture our offspring to fruition”
  • These children are Roman citizens, and are made through sex through marriage ->”senate’s decrees concerning the wedlock”
  • “Duly revealing” - Julia was visibly pregnant and would have brought her and the imperial family to the forefront
  • Asks for “children and wealth” to be given to the “people of Romulus”  
• Golden age

  • Refers to the Sun heralding the new age as a new day 
  • “Happy destinies” foretold by the Fates 
  • “Receptive youth” will have virtue 
  • “Through the fresh ages, show, always, improvement”
• Piety

  • Poem addressed to Apollo and Diana 
  • “To sing out their song to the gods, who have shown their love for the Seven Hills”
  • “White steers sacrificed”