Roman poet, satirist and dramatist Horace was born in southern Italy in 65 b.c.e. Uncommonly for one born to poor parents, Horace studied literature and philosophy in Athens until he became a staff officer in Brutus' army, where he served as a military tribune until the army was defeated in 42 b.c.e. He soon returned to Rome, purchased the post of scribe, and it was here that he began writing verse and struck up a friendship with the poet Virgil. Horace was praised for his reinterpretations of earlier Greek and Latin literary works, and his immeasurable influence on modern poetry cannot be overlooked. This collection contains Horace's "Odes": sentimental reflections on life and commonplace themes; "Epodes": in which he describes his personal dislikes; "Satires": in which Horace good-humoredly reflects on flaws of humanity; "Epistles": informal moral essays that display the genius of Horace; and finally "The Art of Poetry": a dictum on literary composition.