​Quintus Horatius Flaccus, referred to as Horace in the English-speaking world, was born in Venusia, Italy on December 8, 65 BCE to a prosperous 'coactor' (tax collector or auctioneer). By the time he passed away on November, 27, 8 BCE he was the leading Roman lyric poet.
His works include:
His many works had a profound influence on poetry and literary criticism in the 17th and 18th centuries and were considered essential readings for English-speaking elites until the 1960s. His influence can be found in the works of numerous poets, from Ovid and Propertius to Dante and John Milton, to Byron to William Wordsworth.
The Horace Howard Furness Collection of Horace is one of the top five such collections in the country. Our collection contains over 750 volumes dating from 1482. This collection is largely uncataloged, but is available for use. Contact Heidi Pettitt with questions about the collection.