Asher Sisneros

Horace was a renowned Roman poet who lived under Emperor Augustus’ reign. As a close associate to Maecenas, Emperor Augustus’ right-hand man, Horace was a well-informed witness of Rome’s transition into imperialism. The man was politically connected. However, he lived in an age of stringent regulations against pro-republic literature and avoided political poems for the most part. Ovid’s banishment from Rome was a clear warning to all Roman academics to be cautious. Horace heeded the warning. Avoiding politics, he specialized in philosophy and Stoicism. His Odes and Satires were some of his most famous works. The poems in each collection related an interesting philosophy regarding ethical causation. Many religious books address the topic of personal behavior, with repercussions and rewards. For example, a general theme in the Bible is that Jehovah God punishes evil and protects good. Similar themes are everywhere in classic literature. However, some philosophies argue in favor of chance—that rewards and punishments fall randomly on the good and bad alike. The question is, what did Horace believe? 

Horace was a Stoic, like many other philosophers at the time. They had interesting beliefs. Instead of saving sizable fortunes through industrious business, Horace said to avoid gathering riches. However, he also believed in enjoying the fruits of one’s labor. So, how are these two things consistent? His point was for people to enjoy what they have. There were two extremes he warned against. On the one hand, it was useless for someone to acquire riches if they died shortly after. On the other hand, it was useless for people to fear death and fight it. In some ways, his teachings were similar to Jesus’. While Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own,”¹ Horace said, “We cannot say what end’s in store for you…So, drink some wine while your hours flee, put small trust in posterity, and prune your hope—but pluck the day.”² Meaning people cannot know the future. Demise is unknown. He believed in modest expectations and hopes while also seizing the day. This makes sense. It was a philosophy of living in the present, with realism and minimal ambition. He also warned against striving for greatness and riches to avoid envy. “Whoever cherishes the golden mean (average) safely avoids the squalor of a hovel and discreetly keeps away from a palace that excites envy.”³ The poem continues, “Most often it’s the huge pine that is shaken by the wind and the highest towers that fall the greatest fall, and the tops of mountains that attract the lightning.” His central message was to seek a middle-class lifestyle. 

While seemingly unrelated, his lifestyle beliefs reveal his thoughts on ethical causation. His very premise of death was chance-based. This is why he thought it was futile to fret about death and offer sacrifices to the gods. The Fates governed destiny, but unlike the Olympian gods such as Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, Ares, etc, the Fates were impartial to humans. It was irrelevant to them if someone was religiously devout and pious. Sacrifices to the gods affected monetary and military successes, but the gods were incapable of intervening with the Fates’ destiny. If someone was doomed to die, they died. His emphasis on expecting the worst outcome was a telling sign that he believed in deathly chance. As powerful as Zeus was, he was subject to the Fates. In other words, death was chance-based. 

In Stoic fashion, Horace urged his followers to be prepared for unknown grief. He recognized the liquidity in life and how it follows seasons of prosperity and suffering. In the end, he said to enjoy the times of prosperity but expect the suffering. The Stoics had brutal hearts. Some accounts mention certain Stoics being unphased when their children died. It was the Stoic way. Horace did not fear death or misfortune. Why? Because it was chance-based. Excellent moral conduct would not affect the historical outcome.

In conclusion, Horace was a very famous Stoic poet. He did not believe in ethical causation. Instead, life was based on the Fates’ whimsical desires i.e., chance. Horace said limiting expectations was the best way to cope with past misfortune and prepare for it in the future. In a way, his thoughts on ethical causation could be summarized with Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and at the worst possible time.” 

1. Matthew 6:34 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+6%3A34&version=NKJV ↩︎
2. Horace Ode I.11 ↩︎
3. Horace Ode 2.10 ↩︎