Letter to Maecenas: Originality and Slavish Imitators — Horace, Epistles Book 1 (1.19.1–1.19.49), Latin & English

Prisco si credis, Maecenas docte, Cratino,¹

If you believe old Cratinus, learned Maecenas,

nulla placere diu nec vivere carmina possunt,

no poems can please long nor live,

quae scribuntur aquae potoribus. ut male sanos²

which are written by water-drinkers. Ever since Liber enrolled

adscripsit Liber Satyris Faunisque poetas,

insane poets among Satyrs and Fauns,

vina fere dulces oluerunt mane Camenae.

the sweet Camenae have almost always smelled of wine in the morning.

laudibus arguitur vini vinosus Homerus;

Homer is proved to be fond of wine by his praises of wine;

Ennius ipse pater numquam nisi potus ad arma

father Ennius himself never leaped forth to sing of arms

prosiluit dicenda. “Forum Putealque Libonis³

unless he was drunk. “The Forum and the Puteal of Libo

mandabo siccis, adimam cantare severis:”

I will assign to the dry, and I will take away singing from the solemn:”

hoc simul edixi, non cessavere poetae

as soon as I issued this edict, the poets did not cease

nocturno certare mero, putere diurno,

to contend in wine by night, and to smell of it by day.

quid? si quis voltu torvo ferus et pede nudo

What? If someone with a grim face, barefoot,

exiguaeque togae simulet textore Catonem,

and with the weaver of a scanty toga should imitate Cato,

virtutemne repraesentet moresque Catonis?

would he represent the virtue and morals of Cato?

rupit Iarbitam Timagenis aemula lingua,⁴

The envious tongue of Timagenes ruined Iarbitas,

dum studet urbanus tenditque disertus haberi.

while he strove to be witty and struggled to be held eloquent.

decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile: quod si

An exemplar imitable in its vices deceives: but if

pallorem casu, biberent exsangue cuminum.

I should happen to be pale, they would drink bloodless cumin.

o imitatores, servum pecus, ut mihi saepe

Oh imitators, a slavish herd, how often your tumults

bilem, saepe iocum vestri movere tumultus!

have stirred my bile, how often my laughter!

Libera per vacuum posui vestigia princeps,

I, the pioneer, set free footsteps through the void,

non aliena meo pressi pede. qui sibi fidet,

I did not tread on other people’s steps with my foot. He who trusts himself

dux reget examen. Parios ego primus iambos

will rule the swarm as leader. I first showed Parian iambics

ostendi Latio, numeros animosque secutus

to Latium, following the rhythms and spirit

Archilochi, non res et agentia verba Lycamben.

of Archilochus, not his subject matter and the words that drove Lycambes.

ac ne me foliis ideo brevioribus ornes,⁵

And lest you crown me on that account with shorter leaves,

quod timui mutare modos et carminis artem,

because I feared to change his measures and poetic art,

temperat Archilochi Musam pede mascula Sappho,

manly Sappho tempers the Muse of Archilochus with her own measure,

temperat Alcaeus, sed rebus et ordine dispar,

Alcaeus tempers her, but different in his themes and arrangement,

nec socerum quaerit, quem versibus oblinat atris,

nor does he seek a father-in-law to besmear with black verses,

nec sponsae laqueum famoso carmine nectit,

nor weave a noose for his bride with a defamatory poem.

hunc ego, non alio dictum prius ore, Latinus

Him, never spoken before by another mouth, I, a Latin

volgavi fidicen. iuvat immemorata ferentem

lyrist, made known. It pleases me, bringing untold things,

ingenuis oculisque legi manibusque teneri.

to be read by noble eyes and held by noble hands.

Scire velis, mea cur ingratus opuscula lector

You might wish to know why the ungrateful reader praises

laudet ametque domi, premat extra limen iniquus:

and loves my little works at home, but unfairly disparages them outside:

non ego ventosae plebis suffragia venor

I do not hunt for the votes of the fickle populace

impensis cenarum et tritae munere vestis;

with the expenses of dinners and the gift of worn-out clothing;

non ego, nobilium scriptorum auditor et ultor,

I, who listen to noble writers and avenge myself on them,

grammaticas ambire tribus et pulpita dignor.

do not deign to court the tribes of grammarians and their platforms.

hinc illae lacrimae. “spissis indigna theatris

Hence those tears. “I am ashamed to recite writings

scripta pudet recitare et nugis addere pondus,”

unworthy of crowded theaters and to add weight to trifles,”

si dixi, rides, ait,⁶ “et Iovis auribus ista

if I say, you laugh, he says, “and those things for the ears of Jove

servas: fidis enim manare poetica mella

you keep: for you trust that poetic honey flows

te solum, tibi pulcher.” ad haec ego naribus uti

from you alone, beautiful to yourself.” At this, to use my nostrils

formido et, luctantis acuto ne secer ungui,

I fear, and lest I be torn by the sharp nail of my opponent,

displicet iste locus, clamo et diludia posco,

”That place is displeasing,” I cry out, and ask for a truce.

ludus enim genuit trepidum certamen et iram,

For play has begotten anxious contest and anger,

ira truces inimicitias et funebre bellum.

and anger has begotten fierce enmities and deadly war.

Syntax notes6 items

1.19.1Prisco si credis, Maecenas docte, Cratino,
The name "Cratino" is a dative complement of "si credis," with the vocative "Maecenas docte" interposed. "Prisco" is an adjective modifying "Cratino."
1.19.3ut male sanos
"ut" is a temporal adverb meaning "since" or "ever since." "male sanos" (insane) modifies "poetas."
1.19.8Forum Putealque Libonis
Refers to the centers of commerce and litigation. It symbolizes the mundane world of practical business, which is to be assigned to the "siccis" (dry/sober people, i.e., non-poets).
1.19.15Timagenis aemula lingua
"Timagenis" is a genitive dependent on "aemula" (envious/rivaling). "lingua" (tongue) is the subject.
1.19.26ac ne me foliis ideo brevioribus ornes
"ne...ornes" is a negative purpose clause ("lest you crown me"). "foliis brevioribus" (shorter leaves, i.e., an inferior crown) is in the ablative case.
1.19.43rides, ait
The subject of "ait" (he says) is the reader or critic mentioned previously. "rides" means "you are laughing at/mocking us."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0893.phi005.humanitext-lat2:1.19.1-1.19.49