Abstract
Compared to other Horace’s Odes, I 18 has been less investigated by critics so far because of its puzzling, elusive character and of the impression of an unsuccessful harmonization among its parts. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the inner unity of the composition, which declines the topoi of wine and Bacchic worship in the framework of a broader vision of Dionysian rituality; in this perspective, this paper aims to redefine the role of the alcaic ‘motto’ and its interaction with the allusions to the Ennian Athamas, not sufficiently underlined yet. Finally, the paper tries to show the consistent placement of the ode within the second decade of the first book of Horace’s odes, particularly within the pentad 16-20.
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