Download or read book Book II written by R. G. M. Nisbet and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1991-05-03 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first three books of Horace's Odes were issued together, apparently in the latter part of 23 BC. The second book, however, has a coherence of its own in terms of subject matter, tone of voice, and arrangement. In particular there is a predominance of poems concerned with philosophy, with conduct, and with friendship. This commentary provides the reader with the background knowledge of conventional forms and topics needed to appreciate fully every aspect of the poems. In particular word-play, literary parallels, and stylistic nuances are highlighted and discussed. The commentary may be used in conjunction with the Oxford Classical Text of Horace edited by E. C. Wickham.