The Alcaic Odes of Horace and Greek Poems of the Early 20th Century

Darwish, Hisham A. (2020) The Alcaic Odes of Horace and Greek Poems of the Early 20th Century. ACTA ANTIQUA ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM HUNGARICAE, 60 (1-2). pp. 149-170. ISSN 0044-5975 (print); 1588-2543 (online)

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Abstract

This article is concerned with shedding light on two examples of influence between Horace and the Greek poets, both ancient and modern. The aim of this paper is to shed light on several parallel aspects between two of the Alcaic odes of Horace and two modern Greek lyric poems by Constantine Cavafy and Angelos Sikelianos, respectively. Subsequently, I show, within the wider framework of intertextuality, a subtle example of the utilization and re-utilization of lyric elements that are originally ancient Greek in nature by the Latin and modern Greek poets. In my argumentation, I will rely on textual similarities, as well as on the views expressed by scholars in non-comparative contexts. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, I compare Horace’s carm. 2.3 with Cavafy’s Ithaka. The most important points of comparison in this section are three common features: instructive tone, the epicurean tendency and the melancholic end. In the second, I compare Horace’s carm. 1.37 with Sikelianos’ Dithyramb. The most important points of comparison in this section are three common features, namely, the connection of the Bacchic ecstasy to political issues, the connection of the Dionysiac spirit to the struggle against the national enemy and the association of Bacchic frenzy with hunting and chase.

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