THE SERPENT IN THE AUGUSTAN GARDEN: HORACE'S FIRST EPODE AND THE ARA PACIS.

The article offers criticism on the first "Epode" poem by the ancient Roman poet Horace, focusing on "Epodes" 1.19-22. The author discusses a in the poem referring to a serpent and a birds' nest and compares it to imagery used on the Ara Pacis Augustae altar. Specific topics include the use of the serpent in Augustan poetry and iconography, the Augustan meaning of the simile and imagery, and the presence of the emperor Augustus' family, including women and children, on the Ara Pacis.