How did horace die

Quintus Horatius Flaccus, more commonly known today as simply Horace, was—and still is—a popular Roman poet.

His life and works coincided with monumental changes in the city, as he wrote during the life of Octavian, who would soon become Rome’s first emperor. He was a prolific writer whose verses were relatable, accessible, and often autobiographical.

His pieces have left scholars with many sources to consult when thinking about who, exactly, the poet was.

Horace summary

Horace Was the Son of a Formerly Enslaved Person

Although Horace is known today as one of Rome’s greatest poets, his life had humble beginnings. On December 8th, 65 BCE, he was born in Venusia, a small but strategically important colony in southern Italy.

Horace’s father was a freedman—formerly enslaved but free by the time of his son’s birth—and the poet credits him for his well-being, writing in Satires that: “If I live a virtuous life… and if I am to my frien