Abstract

The paper argues for a new architectural pattern in Horace’s second book of Satires, complementing the schemes of Boll and Ludwig. The book is structured around the investigation of ethical options. The poems evaluate, pro and con, three major approaches to the happy life - a structure probably influenced by Cicero’s De Finibus. Horace wades through virtue ethics (2.2-3), materialist ethics (2.4-5), and dependent ethics (2.6-7), and he frames his investigation by reflecting on options (2.1, 2.8). A book for a mid-life crisis, Satires 2 consolidates and critically evaluates a menu of options for living.