ABSTRACT

This essay examines how three Roman poets - Lucretius, Horace, and Ovid - responded to the political turmoil and regime change at the end of the Roman Republic in the 1st century BCE. As Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire under Augustus, these poets endeavoured to make sense of the changing world through their writings. Lucretius turned to science and philosophy to rationally explain existence. Horace advocated living in the moment and flattered Augustus to adapt to the new order. Ovid used myth and sensuality to subtly question imperial rule. Though they processed the crises differently, the poets asserted enduring Roman values such as Epicureanism. Their works reveal how the elites navigated this profound political revolution.

Keywords: Roman Republic, Augustan Rome, Lucretius, Horace, Ovid, Epicureanism, political change, imperialism, poetry

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