What the Roman poet Horace can teach us about how to live a life of
contentment
What are the secrets to a contented life? One of Rome's greatest and
most influential poets, Horace (65-8 BCE) has been cherished by readers
for more than two thousand years not only for his wit, style, and
reflections on Roman society, but also for his wisdom about how to live
a good life--above all else, a life of contentment in a world of
materialistic excess and personal pressures. In How to Be Content,
Stephen Harrison, a leading authority on the poet, provides fresh,
contemporary translations of poems from across Horace's works that
continue to offer important lessons about the good life, friendship,
love, and death.
Living during the reign of Rome's first emperor, Horace drew on Greek
and Roman philosophy, especially Stoicism and Epicureanism, to write
poems that reflect on how to live a thoughtful and moderate life amid
mindless overconsumption, how to achieve and maintain true love and
friendship, and how to face disaster and death with patience and
courage. From memorable counsel on the pointlessness of worrying about
the future to valuable advice about living in the moment, these poems,
by the man who famously advised us to carpe diem, or "harvest the
day," continue to provide brilliant meditations on perennial human
problems.
Featuring translations of, and commentary on, complete poems from
Horace's Odes, Satires, Epistles, and Epodes, accompanied by the
original Latin, How to Be Content is both an ideal introduction to
Horace and a compelling book of timeless wisdom.
