views on metre current in his time. Catullus' metre, on
the other hand, was closely modelled on that of the Alexandrian poets.
The odes are largely founded on the best Greek lyric poetry, with
which Horace was thoroughly familiar; cf. his first intention to write
in Greek (_Sat._ i. 10, 31-5). Alexandrian influence is little seen,
and his mythological allusions are seldom obscure. Examples of
imitation (which is commonest in Book i.) are: _Od._ i. 9, the
beginning of which is from Alcaeus (so i. 10; 11; 18); i. 12
(beginning) is from Pindar; i. 27 from Anacreon. Bacchylides is
imitated, _e.g._ in ii. 18.

_Subjects of the Odes._--1. Love and wine form the themes of many.
_Od._ i. 6, 17,

'Nos convivia, nos proelia virginum
sectis in iuvenes unguibus acrium
cantamus.'

Cf. _Od._ ii. 1, 37-40; iii. 3, 69-72.

The love-poems show no trace of personal passion, and the names of the
women whose charms are sung are taken from Greek; thus Pyrrha (a
well-known name from Attic comedy) i. 5; Lydia, i. 13, etc.; Lalage,
i. 22; ii. 5. Cinara (iv. 1; iv. 13) is probably the only one that
represents a real person. Wine is celebrated, _e.g._ in i. 9; 18; 27;
ii. 7; iii. 21. A tone of moderation is observed throughout the
drinking-songs. It is highly probable[59] that in _Od._ i. 27, 1-4 the
unrestrained bacchanalian spirit of Catullus (cf. c. 27) is reproved,

'Natis in usum laetitiae scyphis
pugnare Thracum est. Tollite barbarum
morem verecundumque Bacchum
sanguineis prohibete rixis.'

2. In _Od._ i. 24 we have the beautiful dirge on the death of
Quintilius Varus.

3. _On political subjects._--The chief of these are as follows: i. 2
(towards the end of B.C. 28); i. 12; i. 14; i. 35 (in B.C. 26); i. 37
(in B.C. 30); ii. 1. The most important, however, are _Od._ iii. 1-6,
which form one whole, and are written on the new name of Augustus, and
the ideas therewith connected. They were all written about B.C.
27.[60]

In iii. 1, which is general, the rising generation is addressed by the
prophet of the empire; ll. 3, 4,

'Musarum sacerdos
virginibus puerisque canto.'

The lesson of the ode is 'A moderate life is the best. Lucky is the
man who is spared the trouble of managing the State.'

iii. 2 praises courage and honesty, but with special reference to two
institutions of Augustus: (1) the professional soldier as opposed to
the citizen-soldier of the republic. The officers were taken