Parodies of Epicureanism on the Road to Brundisium (Horace, Satire 1.5)

I argue that Horace Satire 1.5 presents a day in the life of a bumbling, inept Epicurean, one who constantly succumbs to the pitfalls and stereotypes associated with his philosophical school of choice. I draw attention to the narrator’s eager memorization of doctrine, aspirations towards Lucretian scientific analysis, idealization of friendship, constant sickness, exaggerated reaction to “death”, and obsession over food. I then demonstrate how these caricatures help explain the narrator’s complete apathy towards the political embassy, defang the vitriol of potential detractors, and facilitate in-group bonding among fellow Epicureans within the Circle of Maecenas.