All of the epistles are written in dactylic hexameter.
Claudius: Tiberius Claudius Nero
Septimius: also recipient of Odes 2.6 but otherwise unknown; in their (magisterial) commentary on that poem, Nisbet and Hubbard state (Horace [Quintus Horatius Flaccus], 6. in Robin G. M. Nisbet and Margaret Hubbard (eds), A Commentary on Horace: Odes, Book II; Published in print: 1978; Published online: July 2015):
“Septimius is described by Porphyrio as an eques Romanus who was a commilito of Horace; the latter statement is probably a bad guess, based on 8 militiaeand the supposed analogy of Pompeius in the next poem. Horace may have been considerably older, as he confidently expects to predecease his friend (22 ff.); when he recommends him to the young Tiberius, perhaps about 21 b.c. (epist. 1. 9), he is hardly speaking of a middle-aged contemporary. He describes Septimius in the epistle as fortem … bonumque (1. 9. 13); the compliment is conventional, yet fortem suggests the more active virtues. The ambitious young man did well in the imperial household, and was promoted in due course to the inner circle; the success of his career is shown by Augustus’s letter to Horace ‘tui qualem habeam memoriam poteris ex Septimio quoque nostro audire; nam incidit ut illo coram fieret a me tui mentio’ (Suet. vit. Hor. 30 ff. Rostagni).”
quanti: genitive of value
scilicet: apparently
legentis: genitive with Neronis
validius: comparative adverb
timui ne: fear clause
finxisse: from fingere: here “to misrepresent as”
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