Quintus Horatius Flaccus, commonly known as Horace, was one of the most renowned and skilled Latin lyric poets. Born in obscure and humble circumstances, he rose to be a favorite of Caesar Augustus, alongside his friend Virgil. But in between his modest birth and his imperial fame, he travelled to Greece and studied Greek poetry, which exercised a decisive influence on his own work. While in Athens, he was recruited by Brutus to serve in the doomed republican army to fight against Augustus and Antony. Nevertheless, he found his way back to Rome and eventually into the good graces of the triumphant Augustus. In this class, we will be reading in Latin the entirety of the first book of his Satires, a work written in dactylic hexameters which sets out to critique contemporary social mores. It contains a nice mix of moral philosophy, humorous anecdotes, and tidbits from everyday Roman life, and will provide an excellent spur to both spoken Latin discussion as well as practice in proper recitation of Latin dactylic hexameter.
Course details:
- Sessions last 1.5 hours
- 1 session per week
- Course lasts 14 weeks
- Term runs May 4, 2025 – Aug. 9, 2025
How ALI courses work:
- ALI courses are live, online classes run by ALI Latin professors. Learn Latin from anywhere.
- Classes run on a trimester basis.
- Fall: September – December
- Spring: January – April
- Summer: May – August
- We want to make sure you’re completely satisfied. If you don’t love your first Latin class, we guarantee a 100% refund. After that, in weeks 2 – 4, refunds will be made on a pro rata basis, based on however many class sessions you’ve attended. We cannot issue refunds after the fourth week of classes.
- Read more on our FAQ page and check out our academic calendar page to see a more detailed schedule
