Coincidences between Horace and Chinese poet Du FU (8th century AD) 2. As estações do ano e a vida humana

Abstract

It is, to say the least, unlikely that in 8th century imperial China there were echoes, albeit diffuse, of Latin literature of eight centuries earlier.
Eventual similarities between authors of both literatures shall therefore be considered as coincidences. Even if it is a matter of coincidences, however, the fact is still interesting. This is what happens in what concerns some similarities between subjects in the work of Du Fu, a Chinese poet from the 8th century and Horace, Latin poet of the 1rst century BC: the celebration of the seasons, especially autumn and spring, the praise of moderation, in the style of aurea mediocritas, the paintings of nature, the detachment of material goods, all this brings together these two poets from such different cultures and from such different historical times.

The present article intends to reflect on this thematic proximity, using the steps of the two poets, even if these are coincidences; an approach that is not usual in the study of both literatures.
In this first part, the similarity aurea mediocritas, moderation, the detachment of material goods will be analyzed.