stum elogio: "Horati
Flacci ut mei esto memor!"'

_Sat._ i. 6, 54,

'Optimus olim
Vergilius, post hunc Varius dixere quid essem ...
Abeo, et revocas nono post mense iubesque (l. 61)
esse in amicorum numero.'

In _Sat._ ii. 6, 40-58 Horace describes how intimate he was socially
with Maecenas, who, however, did not make him a confidant in political
matters. The most noteworthy event of this period is described in
_Sat._ i. 5, viz. Horace's journey to Brundisium in the train of
Maecenas and Cocceius, who went to arrange some matters between
Augustus and Antony. His companions were Virgil, Varius, Plotius, and
the Greek rhetorician, Heliodorus. Plotius, Virgil, and Varius are
thus referred to (_Sat._ i. 5, 41):

'Animae quales neque candidiores
terra tulit neque quis me sit devinctior alter.'[54]

In B.C. 34 Maecenas gave Horace an estate in the country of the
Sabines. The question of its position was settled last century by the
abbe Capmartin de Chaupy. The only place that suits Horace's
description is east of Tivoli, and in the neighbourhood of Vicovaro,
which is the same as the Varia of Horace (_Ep._ i. 14, 3), the
market-town of his tenants. Near it is the stream Licenza, the
Digentia of Horace, on which stands Bardela (the Mandela of Hor.).
_Ep._ i. 18, 104,

'Me quotiens reficit gelidus Digentia rivus,
quem Mandela bibit, rugosus frigore pagus.'

The site of his villa may be pretty closely determined from _Ep._ i.
10, 49,

'Haec tibi dictabam post fanum putre Vacunae.'

Vacuna is a Sabine goddess, identified with Victoria: near the village
an inscription has been found which was erected by Vespasian, 'Aedem
Victoriae vetustate dilapsam sua impensa restituit,' and the natural
inference is that this is the temple mentioned by Horace.[55] Horace
stayed a great deal at his country-house, and his works contain many
references to it.

Sueton. _vit. Hor._, 'Vixit plurimum in secessu ruris sui Sabini aut
Tiburtini, domusque eius ostenditur circa Tiburni luculum.'

_Sat._ ii. 6, 16,

'Ubi me in mentis et in arcem ex urbe removi.'

Other references are _Ep._ i. 16, 1-14; _Od._ ii. 18, 14.

Augustus having tried unsuccessfully to induce Horace to become his
secretary, was not offended at the poet's refusal, but continued to
bestow his favour upon him.

Sueton. _vit. Hor._, 'Augustus epistularum quoque ei officium obtulit,
ut hoc ad Maecenatem scripto si