Horace compared to Catullus

One of the themes that both Horace and Catullus touch on is the idea of wine. Horace writes about wine in a more restrained manner, whereas Catullus is freer and looser with his ideas on wine.

In poem 27, Catullus talks about wine. He refers to the wine as “unmixed” (7), “stronger” (2), “sharper-tasting” (2), and “killer stuff” (4). He is asking that the wine not be mixed with water, thus having a higher wine content than a typical drink. Therefore he is being more relaxed with the typical rules of drinking. Furthermore, the poem compares two women, a “lady of the [revels]” (3) and “pure-thought water nymphs” (5). Catullus depicts the lady of the revels as exciting and playful, but casts aside the water nymphs. He calls them the “ruination to wine”(6), because they are not as indulgent as the drunken lady of the revels. Catullus is not respectful considerate, but rather rude to them, and tells them to “move over, / join the puritans” (6-7). Catullus prefers the woman who is informal and uncouth, just like her prefers a rowdier attitude towards wine and drinking. His enthusiasm for unmixed wine and informal, loose company reflect his freer view of wine and drinking.

Horace, too, uses wine as an image for relaxing and playing like Catullus, but he does so in a more restrained way. In ode 27 of book one he talks about wine and drinking, but encourages moderation and reason among his friends. He tells his friends not to fight when drinking, because the Thracians do “barbarous practice” (2). Similarly, he claims that a “Persian dagger”(6) does not mix with wine well. Horace is urging his companions to have pleasant conversations, about love and not “brawling and bloodshed”(4). Thus, he desires for the drinking party to be controlled to an extent. His opinion of the symposium echoes the rules expressed by some of the Greek Lyric poets about how to act at a drinking party. Horace talks to his friends about their loves and secrets saying things like, “tell me / your secret. It’s safe with me” (17-8), and “What’s this wound he’s lucky enough to have?” (11). Horace’s tone is still playful and joking about his friend’s lover, who is a “Charybdis”, but he is not rude or inappropriate. Furthermore, he argues for moderation in drinking when he says, “No more drink / for me” (13-4). Horace understands the drinking party to be an informal relaxing place, but still treats it with respect and conducts himself in a dignified manner. This contrasts Catullus, who seems to enjoy a wilder drinking party.