Horace wrote Sermones book 1 after the death of Julius Caesar when the Republic came to an end
and the transition to the Principate commenced. The book of Sermones.1 is part of Horace's
early work and constitutes his credentials for Maecenas whose circle he joined in 38 B.C. From
that time Horace lived in the highly political ambience of the Roman social elite near the
centre of power. The focus of the ten poems is on the personal issue of his trustworthiness
after his misjudgement in joining Brutus. The volume shows how Horace prepared himself for his
future role as a political commentator on contemporary political issues. Weeda's analysis of
the poems from a socio-political angle brings a new perspective on Horace's studies that
differs considerably from the earlier literary analyses. Executed in a very consistent manner
this monograph shows through an in-depth interpretation of allusions the probability that
Horace wrote each sermo as self-presentation.
