This 1768 Paris edition of Les Poésies d’Horace offers a graceful eighteenth century interpretation of one of antiquity’s most enduring poets. Published by Desaint under royal approval, the volume reflects the intellectual climate of the French Enlightenment, when classical literature was regarded as both a moral guide and a model of stylistic perfection.
Horace, whose life spanned the final years of the Roman Republic, shaped European literary taste for centuries. His odes, satires, and epistles were admired for their balance, polished expression, and gentle philosophical insight. By the eighteenth century his works formed a central pillar of education, and French translators and commentators approached him not only as a poet of antiquity but as a living interlocutor in contemporary debates on virtue, moderation, and the art of living well.
This nouvelle édition presents Horace’s poems in elegant French prose, allowing readers of the period to experience his voice through the lens of Enlightenment sensibilities. The book is preserved in its contemporary full leather binding, decorated with gilt tooling along the spine. The boards show the softened wear expected of a volume more than two centuries old, including rubbing, surface marks, and faded gilt. The interior remains clean and well balanced with light toning and a handwritten ownership note on the endpaper.
As an historical artefact the book stands at the crossroads of classical reception and French intellectual life. It illustrates how ancient poetry continued to inform discussions of taste, morality, and literary form during a period that prized clarity, reason, and refinement. For collectors of Enlightenment literature, French book history, or classical translation, this is a thoughtful and attractive example.
A pleasing addition to any rare book library or dark academia setting.
This 1768 Paris edition of Les Poésies d’Horace offers a graceful eighteenth century interpretation of one of antiquity’s most enduring poets. Published by Desaint under royal approval, the volume reflects the intellectual climate of the French Enlightenment, when classical literature was regarded as both a moral guide and a model of stylistic perfection.
Horace, whose life spanned the final years of the Roman Republic, shaped European literary taste for centuries. His odes, satires, and epistles were admired for their balance, polished expression, and gentle philosophical insight. By the eighteenth century his works formed a central pillar of education, and French translators and commentators approached him not only as a poet of antiquity but as a living interlocutor in contemporary debates on virtue, moderation, and the art of living well.
This nouvelle édition presents Horace’s poems in elegant French prose, allowing readers of the period to experience his voice through the lens of Enlightenment sensibilities. The book is preserved in its contemporary full leather binding, decorated with gilt tooling along the spine. The boards show the softened wear expected of a volume more than two centuries old, including rubbing, surface marks, and faded gilt. The interior remains clean and well balanced with light toning and a handwritten ownership note on the endpaper.
As an historical artefact the book stands at the crossroads of classical reception and French intellectual life. It illustrates how ancient poetry continued to inform discussions of taste, morality, and literary form during a period that prized clarity, reason, and refinement. For collectors of Enlightenment literature, French book history, or classical translation, this is a thoughtful and attractive example.
A pleasing addition to any rare book library or dark academia setting.
