Why did Horace write the Secular Hymn for Augustus in 17 BCE?

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Horace Horace, bronze medal, 4th century; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

Horace composed the Secular Hymn (Carmen saeculare) in 17 BCE for the Secular Games, a religious festival revived by the emperor Augustus.1

Augustus commissioned the work to provide a solemn, religious sanction for his imperial regime. Specifically, the hymn served to support and promote the moral reforms Augustus had introduced the previous year, which aimed to purify personal morals and protect the traditional Roman family. By reviving these ancient ceremonies, Augustus sought to invest his new order with a facade of republican institutions and a respect for the religious traditions that were considered integral to Rome's greatness.12