Horace wrote Sermones book 1 after the death of Julius Caesar when the Republic came to an end, and the transition to the Principate commenced. The book of Sermones.1 is part of Horace's early work and constitutes his credentials for Maecenas, whose circle he joined in 38 B.C. From that time Horace lived in the highly political ambience of the Roman social elite near the centre of power. The focus of the ten poems is on the personal issue of his trustworthiness after his misjudgement in joining Brutus. The volume shows how Horace prepared himself for his future role as a political commentator...