"Anger is a short madness," ira furor brevis est, Horace

La Licorne (the Unicorn) N° 22 by Ariane Bilheran, October 15, 2025.

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In Epistles I, 2, 62, Horace, the famous Latin poet known for his "Carpe Diem" warns us:

Ira furor brevis est: animum rege, which nisi paret,

Imperat; hunc frenis, hunc tu compesce catena.

"Anger is a short madness: control your soul, for if anger does not obey, it commands; restrain it now with reins, now with a chain."

How can we understand this emotion of anger? Is this emotion always open to criticism? This article is for those who are angry, as well as those who tolerate their anger!

The Castration of Uranus by Cronos (Palazzo Vecchio, Florence)

Fresco by Giorgio Vasari

Photograph ©Ariane Bilheran

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