Horace`s "Carmen Saeculare": Ritual Magic and the Poet`s Art

A close examination of Horace's hymn Carmen Saeculare which was commissioned by Augustus in 17 BC for performance at the Ludi Saeculare . A presentation of the poem itself is accompanied by discussions of the Horatian and Hellenistic background and comparisons are made with other Latin poems. Extracts in Latin with English translation.