200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Horace

Poet on a Volcano
By Peter Stothard
Series: Ancient Lives
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
A biography of Horace, one of the most popular poets from antiquity, revealing the little-known man behind his famous lines. Peter Stothard is a master of modern writing about ancient Rome, vividly bringing to life its poetry and its poets. – Mary Beard Quintus Horatius Flaccus... Read More
Format: Hardback
$4499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A biography of Horace, one of the most popular poets from antiquity, revealing the little-known man behind his famous lines

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A biography of Horace, one of the most popular poets from antiquity, revealing the little-known man behind his famous lines.

Peter Stothard is a master of modern writing about ancient Rome, vividly bringing to life its poetry and its poets. – Mary Beard

Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65–8 BCE) wrote some of ancient Rome's greatest poetry, melding languages and cultures with youthful ideals and a realist's recognition of the dictatorial world around him. Horace is famed for his fine phrases, lyric sex, and guidance on how to live, but he was a poet maddened by war, and many of his most self-revealing poems have rarely been read. He could be sublime and obscene, amusing and abusive, a model of moderation and anything but.

In this book, the first modern retelling of Horace's life, Peter Stothard follows the poet from his birth as the son of a formerly enslaved father through his rise to the highest circles of Roman society. He shines a light on how shattering experiences in the war to save Rome's republic shaped the loyal servant and revolutionary artist he became. With astute scholarship and sympathy, Stothard follows Horace's rise from humble beginnings to the social and political heights of the autocracy he had fought to prevent.

Series: Ancient Lives

View all
  • Julian
    The tragic life of Julian, the last non-Christian emperor of Rome, by award-winning author Philip Freeman. "When we think of ancient Rome, it's impossible not to think of Christianity, one of its most notable exports—but what if it hadn't been? This is the question provoked by classicist Philip Freeman in Julian, an appealing new entry in Yale's Ancient Lives series,...
    By Philip Freeman
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Marcus Aurelius
    Experience the world of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the tremendous challenges he faced and overcame with the help of Stoic philosophy. [Robertson] thoughtfully and readably captures the essence of this great man and his great life. It's a must-read for any aspiring Stoic. —Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Daily Stoic This novel biography brings...
    By Donald J. Robertson
    Paperback
    $3300
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Crassus
    The story of Rome’s richest man, who died a humiliating desert death in search of military glory “A perfectly paced biography.”—Tom Holland, Times Literary Supplement Crassus by Peter Stothard explores the life of Marcus Licinius Crassus (115–53 BCE), a man ahead of his time in an ancient world. As a pioneer disruptor of finance and politics, Crassus became the wealthiest...
    By Peter Stothard
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Cleopatra
    A feminist reinterpretation of the myths surrounding Cleopatra casts new light on the Egyptian queen and her legacy. “A lucid and persuasive reinterpretation. Readers won’t see Cleopatra the same way again.”—Publishers Weekly “Where Prose really sparkles: her critiques of the cultural depictions of Cleopatra.”—Allison Arieff, San Francisco Chronicle The siren passionately in love with Mark Antony, the seductress who allegedly...
    By Francine Prose
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Demetrius
    A portrait of one of the ancient world’s first political celebrities, who veered from failure to success and back again “This colourful biography of Demetrius explores his rich inner life and reveals an ancient world of violence and intrigue.”—New York Times Book Review The life of Demetrius (337–283 BCE) serves as a through-line to the forty years following the death...
    By James Romm
    Paperback
    $2599
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Horace
    A biography of Horace, one of the most popular poets from antiquity, revealing the little-known man behind his famous lines. Peter Stothard is a master of modern writing about ancient Rome, vividly bringing to life its poetry and its poets. – Mary Beard Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65–8 BCE) wrote some of ancient Rome's greatest poetry, melding languages and cultures with...
    By Peter Stothard
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Phocion
    Thomas R. Martin recounts the unmatched political and military career of Phocion of Athens, and his tragic downfall. "Elegant and enlightening." —Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal Phocion (402–318 BCE) won Athens's highest public office by direct democratic election an unmatched forty-five times and was officially honoured as a "Useful Citizen." A student at Plato's Academy, Phocion gained influence and power...
    By Thomas R. Martin
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Ramesses the Great
    The life, dramatic reign, and enduring legacy of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great, with lessons for the present, from internationally acclaimed Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson Ramesses II ruled the Nile Valley and the wider Egyptian empire from 1279 to 1213 B.C., one of the longest reigns in pharaonic history. He was a cultural innovator, a relentless self-promoter, and an astute diplomat—the...
    By Toby Wilkinson
    Hardback
    $6700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Vergil
    A biography of Vergil, Rome's greatest poet, by the acclaimed translator of the Aeneid. "Ms. Ruden has converted the writer of the Aeneid from a noble and stodgy 'ancient' into our contemporary . . . persuasively re-imagined [as] a sympathetic, three-dimensional figure. . . . The existence of the Aeneid is cause for gratitude. So is Ms. Ruden's sensitive, celebratory...
    By Sarah Ruden
    Paperback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Vergil
    A biography of Vergil, Rome’s greatest poet, by the acclaimed translator of the Aeneid The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became the world’s first media celebrity, a living legend. But the real...
    By Sarah Ruden
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Perpetua
    Perpetua by Sarah Ruden offers an intimate and human portrait of Perpetua, a third-century woman author who was idealised as a Christian martyr. On March 7, 203, in the monumental amphitheatre at Carthage, Vibia Perpetua was one of five Christians who met their deaths after refusing to venerate the Roman emperor Septimius Severus and his son. Perpetua stood out from...
    By Sarah Ruden
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Themistocles
    A portrait of the Athenian politician and general Themistocles, tracing his political development, his victory at the Battle of Salamis, and his exile in Persia. Themistocles (524–459 BC) came of age just as a newly democratic and empowered Athens was emerging. He would become an instrumental political and military figure, fighting in the Battle of Marathon; persuading Athenians to expand...
    By Michael Scott
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300256581

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 13 May 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 1 b-w illus.

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 328

Collections

Biography & Memoir Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction Peter Stothard Series: Ancient Lives

About the Author

Peter Stothard is a classicist, journalist, and critic. He is a former editor of The Times of London and of the Times Literary Supplement. His books include The Last Assassin: The Hunt for the Killers of Julius Caesar; Crassus: The First Tycoon; and Palatine: An Alternative History of the Caesars.

Also by Peter Stothard

View all
  • Crassus
    The story of Rome’s richest man, who died a humiliating desert death in search of military glory “A perfectly paced biography.”—Tom Holland, Times Literary Supplement Crassus by Peter Stothard explores the life of Marcus Licinius Crassus (115–53 BCE), a man ahead of his time in an ancient world. As a pioneer disruptor of finance and politics, Crassus became the wealthiest...
    By Peter Stothard
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Palatine
    'Lets us see how power really worked, in public and private ... Stothard tells this story superbly' Dominic Sandbrook, SUNDAY TIMES 14 CE: The first Roman emperor is dead. A second is about to succeed. The Forum of Rome, once fought over so fiercely, has become hardly more than a museum. The house of all power is up above on...
    By Peter Stothard
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Palatine
    'Lets us see how power really worked, in public and private ... Stothard tells this story superbly'Dominic Sandbrook, SUNDAY TIMES 14 CE: The first Roman emperor is dead. A second is about to succeed. The Forum of Rome, once fought over so fiercely, has become hardly more than a museum. The house of all power is up above on the...
    By Peter Stothard
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Last Assassin
    'A gripping history' Mary Beard 'A political thriller, and a human story that astonishes' Hilary Mantel 'Atmospheric and gripping, and [his] scholarship is impeccable' Greg Woolf Many men killed Julius Caesar. Only one man was determined to kill the killers. The Last Assassin dazzlingly charts an epic turn of history through the eyes of an unheralded man. It is a...
    By Peter Stothard
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Biography & Memoir

View all
  • New Release
    One Helluva Ride
    "This book is about where I came from, what I fought against, and what I chose formyself. Fame can blur the truth; this is my attempt to bring it back into focus." A legendary actor and Hollywood Icon whose five-decade career spans film, television,and producing, Michael Douglas has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, fiveGolden Globes, a Primetime Emmy,...
    By Michael Douglas
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    A Life in Lyrics
    Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...
    By Freddie Mercury
    Hardback
    $5000
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Nothing to Lose
    New Release
    Nothing to Lose
    There's no one as dangerous as someone who believes they have nothing to lose. Eight years ago, Nix Adams started posting videos on Facebook while she was freshly out of jail, in order to show her kids that she was sober and on the path back to them. It was after her youngest child, Alaska, died suddenly of a virus...
    By Nix Adams
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?
    Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?
    The book we've all been waiting for, national treasure Judi Dench opens her almost inexhaustible collection of memories from life and acting. Join Judi as she lifts the curtain on cherished memories and hilarious anecdotes from seven decades of performing with some of the greatest names in theatre. Step behind the camera as she reprises her most famous roles, such...
    By Judi Dench
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Drive
    New Release
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Drive
    A thrilling, candid and uncompromising memoir covering over twenty-years at the pinnacle of Formula 1, Drive sees Christian Horner, one of the sport’s biggest characters, take readers into the heart of Red Bull Racing as he reflects on his extraordinary career. For over twenty years Christian Horner built and ran Red Bull Racing, transforming a rookie team acquired for £1 into one...
    By Christian Horner
    Paperback
    $3999
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Book cover for 'Swan Song: Diana, my sister' by Charles Spencer, featuring a black-and-white portrait of Diana with white and gold text on a gray background.
    On Sale
    18% off
    New Release
    Swan Song
    Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...
    By Charles Spencer
    Hardback
    $4500
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Fictional Selves
    From the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City comes a candid and deeply personal memoir. In this highly anticipated memoir, the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Sex and the City and more shares his utterly original account of his offbeat journey in Hollywood, his battles with fear and...
    By Kyle MacLachlan
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Steps
    The long-awaited memoir from a true Hollywood icon. We know Sylvester Stallone as one of the most revered actors, writers, and directors of all time, yet his life story is every bit as dramatic, intense, and inspiring as his greatest creations on screen. Bringing together a no-holds-barred account of a fascinating life with messages of hope, positivity, and resilience, in...
    By Sylvester Stallone
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    12% off
    New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    24% off
    Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
    From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...
    By Isabel Klee
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    12% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Famesick
    Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...
    By Lena Dunham
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    25% off
    This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $5500
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.