Flattery and Frankness in Horace and Philodemus

Abstract

Conduct in human relationships, in amicitia (‘friendship’), is a prevalent theme in Horace's works, and was of considerable interest to ancient philosophers. The extent to which such aspects of human behaviour should be regarded as philosophical is a question that has been discussed both in relation to ancient philosophical texts and to Horace. My concern here, however, is not primarily to argue for their philosophical nature but to illuminate certain influences in the Satires and Epistles that draw on philosophical texts pertaining to conduct and amicitia, and in particular those of Horace's near contemporary, Philodemus.

Epicurean Critical Praxis and Philonian Metaphor in Johannine Parrhêsia

“…In contrast, Epicureans advocated for just this kind of criticism among members of the ingroup. For Philodemus, frank speech within a close and friendly community is ‘a behavioral facet of friendship’ (Kemp 2010: 74–75). The free, ingroup-oriented criticism of the kind practiced by the author of 3 John against Diotrephes defines the friends’ beliefs and catalyzes mutual moral growth.…”

LIES, DECEITS, MANIPULATIONS, AND OTHER FORMS OF AESTHETIC EXPRESSION IN HORACE, SATIRES 2.5

“…); Sallmann (1970) thinks the Homeric setting adds satirical distancing, to help Romans see their deficiencies afresh. Focusing on flattery are Labate (1984), ch.4; Kemp (2010), 70–2; Yona (2018a), 201–32; (2018b). Damon (1997), 118–21, reads Odysseus as a variation on the stock parasite.…”

FOOLS RUSH IN: SEX, ‘THE MEAN’ AND EPICUREANISM IN HORACE,SATIRES1.2

“… 6 On the availability of Aristotelian ethics at this time: Barnes (1997) 57–9; Fantham (2004) 163–4; Inwood (2014) 63. Another probable indirect source for the doctrine of the mean is Philodemus, whose ethics inform a good deal of Horace's hexameter verse (see, for example, Armstrong (2004) 267–98; Kemp (2010)). It appears that Philodemus drew from the doctrine of the mean in his On Vices and their Opposing Virtues : Gigante (1995) 38–9; Glad (1995) 102; Konstan et al (1998) 6. …”