'Centennial Hymn'

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and discusses the ode by Horace known as the 'Centennial Hymn'. According to the paper, this ode relates to certain celebrations that were an important part of Roman history. The paper discusses how this hymn is a series of prayers to the Roman gods as the older Greek gods were being transformed in the Hellenistic era into Roman gods. The poem also celebrates Augustus, the ruler who revived the secular games that were the occasion for the writing and delivery of this poem.

From the Paper:

"Any understanding of the poem is altered by this knowledge, with the assumption being that the poem in performance is somewhat different from the text on the page. Scholars note that in antiquity, the poem was considered a paean, originally meaning an ancient Greek hymn of thanksgiving or invocation, often to Apollo, but also meaning a song of praise. The Centennial Hymn is clearly a song and was performed as such when first offered. The modern use of the word "hymn" may give a difference sense of the meaning and tone of the poem, as if it were a more serious statement of religious fervor. In fact, the poem is more festive than that and states clearly that it is intended to be part of an ongoing celebration to recur in another century."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Feeney, Denis and Tony Woodman. Traditions and Contexts in the Poetry of Horace. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
• Horace. Odes and Carmen Saeculare of Horace. 2006. http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/dsndc10.txt.
• Radice, Barbara. "Introduction." Horace: The Complete Odes and Epodes. New York: Penguin, 1983.
• "Secular Games." The 1911 Edition Encyclopedia LoveToKnow. 2004.http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SE/SECULAR_GAMES.htm.

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