Nunc est bibendum – to Horace, the lusty rebel
The Horace of Peter Stothard's beautifully written new biography surprises with his sexiness. Not many pages in we find him poring over scurrilous papyri in the libraries of Athens. A verse by the Archaic-era poet Archilochus has caught his eye. It describes a woman with a man, 'head-down, as she did her work like a Thracian drinking beer through a straw'. Golly. This certainly isn't the Horace we met in Latin lessons: lusty, libidinous – a rebel eager to escape his strict upbringing.
He was born Quintus Horatius Flaccus (meaning 'floppy') at Venusia, south-east of Rome, on 8 December 65 BC. His father was a former slave who made his living by salting meat and fish. In his keenness to help his son move up in the world he was willing to pose as his personal slave. Horace repaid him by going slightly wild on his travels and refusing to knuckle down following his return to Rome.
The longed-for promotion came unexpectedly. Horace fought on the 'wrong' side at the Battle of Philippi, aiding the defenders of the Republic against Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus. Still dreaming of Archilochus, who had written less ripely of laying aside his armour out of cowardice, Horace quit the fight.
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Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews: Bog Body
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... THEATRE Bog Body The Vault at Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29) until 24 August ★★★★☆ For those still navigating the murky waters of modern dating, Itchy Feet Theatre's solo show Bog Body feels intensely relatable. The wedding dress-wearing protagonist Petra, played by Maddie White, repeatedly implores the audience not to judge her atypical choice of husband – 'There's no normal ones left!' – and we don't, chuckling along knowingly at her wry, stand-up comedy-style confessions and crowd work. 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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
BGT star Molly Rainsford and Tyler West engaged three years after meeting on Strictly
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Time Out
2 days ago
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