Odes and Carmen Saeculare

Forged in the eternal essence of bronze—aere perennius—the Odes of Horace encapsulate the pride, elegance, tragic whimsy, and epicurean tranquility of the Imperial Roman spirit. Memorizing just a few lines can serve as a powerful talisman, warding off the unwelcome clamor of the ordinary and the mundane. - John Cowper Powys (1916)