VIRGIL His modest personality and lack of involvement in public life. (Fantham).

The work of Virgil and Horace is awash with direct ideological support for Augustus (Jones and Sidwell) The poet who has mixed the useful with the pleasurable wins every vote by delighting and advising the reader at one and the same moment (Horace) Poetry is like sugar around the rim of a cup of medicine (Lucretius) The method of Virgils composition seems to have been that he would first write a prose synopsis of his poetry and then choose a section to write into verse each day, refining the verse, licking it into shape as a she-bear licks her cubs (Virgil). Unusually for a poet, Virgil died famous, beloved and wealthy. The Eclogues is the first ever book of poetry in that each poem is linked to the others in a common theme. Important to note that patronage was intrinsic to the functioning of Roman society at all levels. Benevolent patronage need not necessarily mean corruption or censorship. Maecenas was the friend and adviser of Augustus and of Virgil, Horace and Propertius. The relationship suited all concerned. It was not just about money, it was about creating an environment of cultured leisure and giving the poets a social standing. Many patrons (including Pollio and Maecenas) wrote poetry themselves. Sometimes the praise of a patron could be so subtle that now it is not even obvious who is being praised (eg. Virgils Eclogue 4). It seems however that eventually Augustus had a monopoly on patronage of the major poets. Who was Pollio? He was a great orator in the late years of the Republic and set up Romes first public library. He was governor of Spain under Caesar. Another job traditionally seen as belonging to poets was to praise the glories of war. But in the age of Augustus, many felt grateful to the emperor for restoring peace and the foremost of these was Virgil. Let there be men like Maecenasand there will be no shortage of Virgils. (Martial).

Maecenas was the right hand man of Augustus and he sponsored Horaces early career. He gave him a Sabine estate of considerable size. There seems to have been a very close bond between the two men. Was he a medium for Augustuss demands from poets? There is not much evidence for this. In fact, Horace and Propertius both mention refusing his request to glorify the deeds of Augustus in an epic saga. If there was real pressure from him, presumably they could not have done so. However, it would have been clear that Augustus would be pleased with references to himself and his victories in the poems, he listened to the Georgics (in which he ins honoured as a deity)for four days on his return from his victories over Antony and he was very eager to be first to read the books of the Aeneid as soon as they were written. Crucially, he intervened to have the Aeneid published against Virgils dying wishes and it was in fact the first widely published and read poem in Rome. He did also commision Horace to write the Secular Hymn in 17 BC. To celebrate a new era for Rome. He also asked Horace to become his own private secretary but was refused. He commissioned him to write the fourth book of Odes for his stepsons. Certainly Horace praises him very openly, especially for his restoration of peace and calls him dux bone (good leader).