TO APOLLO AND DIANA. by Horace: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This is Horace's "Carmen Saeculare" (Secular Hymn), a significant public prayer sung by a choir of Roman boys and girls during the Secular Games in 17 BCE.
The poem
Phoebus, and thou Diana, sovereign of the woods, ye illustrious ornaments of the heavens, oh ever worthy of adoration, and ever adored, bestow what we pray for at this sacred season: at which the Sibylline verses have given directions, that select virgins and chaste youths should sing a hymn to the deities, to whom the seven hills [of Rome] are acceptable. O genial sun, who in your splendid car draw forth and obscure the day, and who arise another and the same, may it never be in your power to behold anything more glorious than the city of Rome! O Ilithyia, of lenient power to produce the timely birth, protect the matrons [in labor]; whether you choose the title of Lucina, or Genitalis. O goddess multiply our offspring; and prosper the decrees of the senate in relation to the joining of women in wedlock, and the matrimonial law about to teem with a new race; that the stated revolution of a hundred and ten years may bring back the hymns and the games, three times by bright daylight restored to in crowds, and as often in the welcome night. And you, ye fatal sisters, infallible in having predicted what is established, and what the settled order of things preserves, add propitious fates to those already past. Let the earth, fertile in fruits and flocks, present Ceres with a sheafy crown; may both salubrious rains and Jove's air cherish the young blood! Apollo, mild and gentle with your sheathed arrows, hear the suppliant youths: O moon, thou horned queen of stars, hear the virgins. If Rome be your work, and the Trojan troops arrived on the Tuscan shore (the part, commanded [by your oracles] to change their homes and city) by a successful navigation: for whom pious Aeneas, surviving his country, secured a free passage through Troy, burning not by his treachery, about to give them more ample possessions than those that were left behind. O ye deities, grant to the tractable youth probity of manners; to old age, ye deities, grant a pleasing retirement; to the Roman people, wealth, and progeny, and every kind of glory. And may the illustrious issue of Anchises and Venus, who worships you with [offerings of] white bulls, reign superior to the warring enemy, merciful to the prostrate. Now the Parthian, by sea and land, dreads our powerful forces and the Roman axes: now the Scythians beg [to know] our commands, and the Indians but lately so arrogant. Now truth, and peace, and honor, and ancient modesty, and neglected virtue dare to return, and happy plenty appears, with her horn full to the brim. Phoebus, the god of augury, and conspicuous for his shining bow, and dear to the nine muses, who by his salutary art soothes the wearied limbs of the body; if he, propitious, surveys the Palatine altars--may he prolong the Roman affairs, and the happy state of Italy to another lustrum, and to an improving age. And may Diana, who possesses Mount Aventine and Algidus, regard the prayers of the Quindecemvirs, and lend a gracious ear to the supplications of the youths. We, the choir taught to sing the praises of Phoebus and Diana, bear home with us a good and certain hope, that Jupiter, and all the other gods, are sensible of these our supplications. * * * * *
This is Horace's "Carmen Saeculare" (Secular Hymn), a significant public prayer sung by a choir of Roman boys and girls during the Secular Games in 17 BCE. It calls on the gods Apollo, Diana, and others to bless Rome with healthy children, good harvests, strong leadership, and lasting peace. You can think of it as the ancient Roman version of a national anthem performed at a once-in-a-lifetime festival.
Line-by-line
Phoebus, and thou Diana, sovereign of the woods, ye illustrious / ornaments of the heavens...
at which the Sibylline verses have given directions, that select virgins and chaste youths / should sing a hymn...
O genial sun, who in your splendid car draw forth and obscure the day...
O Ilithyia, of lenient power to produce the timely birth, protect the matrons [in labor]...
that the stated revolution of a hundred and ten years may bring back the hymns and the games...
And you, ye fatal sisters, infallible in having predicted what is established...
Let the earth, fertile in fruits and flocks, present Ceres with a sheafy crown...
Apollo, mild and gentle with your sheathed arrows, hear the suppliant youths...
If Rome be your work, and the Trojan troops arrived on the Tuscan shore...
O ye deities, grant to the tractable youth probity of manners; to old age, ye deities, grant a pleasing retirement...
And may the illustrious issue of Anchises and Venus, who worships you with [offerings of] white bulls, reign superior...
Now the Parthian, by sea and land, dreads our powerful forces and the Roman axes...
Phoebus, the god of augury, and conspicuous for his shining bow, and dear to the nine muses...
And may Diana, who possesses Mount Aventine and Algidus, regard the prayers of the Quindecemvirs...
We, the choir taught to sing the praises of Phoebus and Diana, bear home with us a good and certain hope...
Tone & mood
The tone is ceremonial and confident—this is a public hymn, not a private meditation, leaving no space for doubt or self-reflection. It shifts between reverence and civic pride, often within the same breath. The agricultural prayers convey warmth, while the political ones carry a cool, almost bureaucratic precision. Overall, it feels like a carefully crafted petition presented by someone who truly believes the gods are attentive and that Rome has rightfully earned their favor.
Symbols & metaphors
- The sheathed arrows of Apollo — Apollo's arrows could unleash plague just as easily as they could secure victory. To ask him to keep them sheathed is to pray for protection from disease and divine anger—a reminder that the gods wield their power in both beneficial and destructive ways.
- The horn of plenty (cornucopia) — "Happy plenty appears, with her horn full to the brim" paints a picture of the ideal Rome in the poem: a society so fortunate that abundance spills over. It embodies the rewards of piety, effective governance, and divine favor all at once.
- The seven hills of Rome — Rome's iconic seven hills symbolize the city and all it embodies—civilization, order, and the divine mission on earth. Identifying them transforms the universal prayer into something deeply personal.
- Aeneas and the Trojan survivors — The founding myth of Rome sets a precedent: the gods led Aeneas to Italy in the past, and now they are being asked to maintain that protective relationship. This links the current moment to a past shaped by divine influence.
- The sun's chariot — Apollo driving his "splendid car" across the sky represents cosmic order and consistency. The wish that he never witnesses anything more magnificent than Rome places the city at the very heart of the universe.
- The Secular Games (ludi saeculares) — The games, held every 110 years, mark the renewal of Rome's pact with the gods. Their infrequency makes this moment feel like a pivotal point in history — a unique chance to redefine the connection between Rome and the divine.
Historical context
Horace composed this hymn in 17 BCE at the request of Emperor Augustus for the Ludi Saeculares, or Secular Games—a grand three-day-and-night religious festival designed to celebrate the beginning of a new era following years of Roman civil war. A choir consisting of 27 boys and 27 girls performed it publicly, first at the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine and later at the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. Augustus meticulously reinstated the games, even shortening the traditional 110-year gap to fit his political agenda, as part of a wider effort to revive traditional Roman religion and values. At the height of his career, Horace was the clear choice for this commission. This poem is one of the rare ancient texts linked to a specific historical event, and an inscription detailing the games was uncovered in Rome in 1890, supporting the details Horace describes.
FAQ
Yes. "To Apollo and Diana" translates to English from Horace's *Carmen Saeculare*, which literally means "Secular Hymn" or "Hymn of the Ages." This piece was created for the Secular Games in 17 BCE and stands out as one of Horace's most renowned works beyond the *Odes*.
A choir of 27 boys and 27 girls, all from noble Roman families where both parents were still alive, performed it publicly at two temples during the Secular Games. The tradition of having both parents living was a Roman religious practice that represented wholeness and good fortune.
Romans believed they descended from Aeneas, a Trojan prince who fled the fall of Troy and later settled in Italy. By recounting this founding myth, Horace is signaling to the gods that Rome is their creation — they led Aeneas to this land, so they share an interest in Rome's ongoing prosperity.
This is Augustus. He was adopted into the Julian family, which traced its lineage back to Aeneas, the son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises. This connection offers a flattering way to refer to the emperor without mentioning his name directly.
Not here. The Latin word *saeculum* refers to an age or generation — approximately the longest duration of a human life. The Secular Games signified the transition from one age to another. Interestingly, the modern interpretation of "secular" (meaning non-religious) evolved later from this same root.
Roman public religion aimed to address all divine aspects. Apollo and Diana are the primary figures, but Ilithyia/Lucina looks after childbirth, the Fates determine destiny, Ceres is in charge of the harvest, and Jupiter supervises everything. Each god has a specific role, and a comprehensive prayer acknowledges all of them.
It blends genuine religious poetry with political messaging—two aspects that were intertwined in Augustan Rome. Augustus commissioned it, and the poem indeed celebrates his reign and his family's divine heritage. However, Horace truly believed in the Augustan peace following the turmoil of civil war, so labeling it as mere propaganda overlooks the sincerity behind his words.
A lustrum refers to a five-year period in ancient Rome, characterized by a census and a purification ceremony. When people prayed for Rome's affairs to last "to another lustrum and to an improving age," they were essentially asking for ongoing stability and growth measured in specific Roman timeframes.