How did Horace’s style of satire differ from Lucilius’s style?

While Gaius Lucilius is credited with establishing satire as a distinct literary genre, Horace refined the form by moving away from his predecessor's aggressive style.12

The primary differences between their approaches include:

• Tone and Intent: Lucilius was known for his "ebullient nature" and "pungent wit," using his work to fearlessly "flay" and denounce public and private figures. In contrast, Horace’s nature was to "laugh, not to flay," and he generally avoided attacking living, significant targets, preferring to focus on those who were insignificant or already deceased.12
• Technical Refinement: Horace viewed Lucilius as an "uncouth versifier" and sought to improve the technical quality of the genre.2
• Self-Revelation: While Horace initially experimented with the Lucilian manner, he eventually realized that the true strength of Lucilius’s work lay in self-revelation rather than mere denunciation. This insight encouraged Horace to incorporate more personal reflection into his own writing, a trait that became a hallmark of his style.2

Would you like to learn more about how these styles influenced later satirists like Juvenal?