Ths book is an advanced introduction to Horace that treats his whole poetic career and all of the genres in which he worked. Oliensis focuses on the social dimensions of Horace's poetry, considering how Horace shaped his poems and his books to promote his authority while also paying deference to his eminent patrons. The combination of scope, social emphasis, and theoretically informed close readings is what distinguishes this book from other current treatments of Horace.

Ths book is an advanced introduction to Horace that treats his whole poetic career and all of the genres in which he worked. Oliensis focuses on the social dimensions of Horace's poetry, considering how Horace shaped his poems and his books to promote his authority while also paying deference to his eminent patrons. The combination of scope, social emphasis, and theoretically informed close readings is what distinguishes this book from other current treatments of Horace.