Statius
Publius Papinius Statius | |
---|---|
Born | c. 45 CE Naples, Roman Empire |
Died | c. 96 CE (aged c. 51) Naples, Roman Empire |
Occupation | Poet |
Nationality | Roman (of Greek origin) |
Publius Papinius Statius (Greek: Πόπλιος Παπίνιος Στάτιος; /ˈsteɪʃiəs/, Latin: [ˈstaːtiʊs];[a] c. 45 – c. 96) was a Latin poet of the 1st century CE. His surviving poetry includes an epic in twelve books, the Thebaid; a collection of occasional poetry, the Silvae; and an unfinished epic, the Achilleid. He is also known for his appearance as a guide in the Purgatory section of Dante's epic poem, the Divine Comedy.
Life
Family background
The poet's father (whose name is unknown) was a native of
Birth and career
Less is known of the biography of Statius. Born c. 45 CE, he grew up in the
Later years at Naples
Statius's first three books of the Silvae seem to have received some criticism, and in response he composed a fourth book' at Naples, which was published in 95. During this period at Naples, Statius maintained his relations with the court and his patrons, earning himself another invitation to a palace banquet (Silv. 4.2). He seems to have taken an interest in the marriage and career of his stepdaughter and, being childless, he also took under his wing a young slave boy, who died c. 95. In that same year Statius embarked on a new epic, the Achilleid, giving popular recitations of his work (Juv. 7.83) only to complete a book and a half before dying in 95, leaving the poem unfinished. His fifth book of Silvae were published after his death c. 96.
Works
As a poet, Statius was versatile in his abilities and contrived to represent his work as
The Thebaid
Based on Statius's own testimony, the Thebaid was written between c. 80 and 92, beginning when the poet was around 35, and the work is thought to have been published in 91 or 92.[4] The poem is divided into twelve books in imitation of Virgil's Aeneid and is composed in dactylic hexameter.[5] In the Silvae, Statius speaks of his extensive work in polishing and revising the Thebaid and his public recitations of the poem.[6] From the epilogue it seems clear that Statius considered the Thebaid to be his magnum opus and believed that it would secure him fame for the future. In the poem, Statius follows Virgil closely as a model (in the epilogue[7] he acknowledges his debt to Virgil), but he also refers to a wide range of sources in his handling of meter and episodes.
The poem's theme is the myth of the
Modern critics of the Thebaid have been divided over interpretations of the epic's tone. Earlier critics in the 19th and 20th century considered the poem a piece of elaborate flattery that vindicated the regime of Domitian; however, more recent scholars have viewed the poem as a subversive work that criticizes the authoritarianism and violence of the Flavians by focusing on extreme violence and social chaos.[8] Statius' use of allegory in the Thebaid and his abstract treatment of the gods has been seen as an important innovation in the tradition of classical poetry which ushered in Medieval conventions.[9] Finally, although earlier scholars criticized the style of the poem as episodic, current scholars have noted the subtlety and skill with which Statius organizes and controls his narrative and description.[10] Other topics discussed in the scholarship on the Thebaid are the pervasive role of madness (furor), time, or the family.[11]
The Silvae
The Silvae were probably composed by Statius between 89 and 96. The first three books seem to have been published together after 93, Book 4 was probably released in 95, and Book 5 is thought to have been released posthumously in c. 96.
Subjects of the Silvae vary widely. Five poems are devoted to the emperor and his favorites, including a description of
As with the Thebaid, Statius's relationship to Domitian and his court caused him to fall out of favor with critics and readers, but in recent times, the Silvae have been rehabilitated by scholars.[14] Domitian is an important presence in the Silvae, and many of the poems appear to flatter the emperor and court. The content of the Silvae is primarily dictated by the needs of Statius's patrons, and many of the addressees come from the wealthy, privileged class of landowners and politicians.[15] Statius's flattery of these elites has been interpreted in two ways by scholars; some maintain that the collection is highly subversive and is a subtle criticism of Domitian and the Roman aristocracy.[16] Others urge a reading of the Silvae as individual pieces that respond to specific circumstances with their own unique viewpoints.[17]
The Achilleid
A fragment of his epic poem on the life of
Statius's influence and literary afterlife
Statius's poetry was very popular in his lifetime, although he was not without his critics who apparently had problems with his
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Thebaid remained a popular text, inspiring a 12th-century French romance as well as works by
Statius in Dante's Divine Comedy
Statius as a character in Purgatorio
In the Divine Comedy, Dante and Virgil meet Statius as they leave the fifth terrace in Purgatorio (reserved for the avaricious and the prodigal) and enter the sixth terrace (reserved for the gluttonous). Statius's redemption is heard in Purgatorio 20, when the mountain of Purgatory trembles and the penitent souls cry out the hymn "Gloria in excelsis Deo". Statius joins Dante and Virgil, as indicated in Purgatorio 21. Statius ascends Mount Purgatory with Dante and Virgil, and he stays with Dante in the Earthly Paradise at the mountain's summit, after Virgil has returned to Limbo. Statius is last mentioned in Purgatorio 33. Although Statius plays a small role after the disappearance of Virgil, his presence in accompanying Dante through Earthly Paradise until the rivers of Lethe and Eunoe serves an important role in the plot line of the Comedy, as it underscores Statius's significant difference from Virgil. This is because Dante's Statius, a Christian poet who drew inspiration from Virgil, represents a model of the "new vernacular Christian Dante-poeta" in Dante's journey in the Comedy as a protagonist.
Statius's arrival in Purgatorio 20 is often compared to Jesus' appearance to the disciples after the
Though Statius converted to Christianity, he states that he kept his Christianity a secret (Purg. 22.90) as he lived at a time where Christians were persecuted, which resulted him spending four centuries in the fourth terrace of Purgatory, where the vice of sloth is cleansed.
Dante presents Statius as the author of Thebaid and Achilleid and as someone who has a great admiration for Virgil. Statius remarks that Virgil's Aeneid "was my mama and my nurse" (Purg. 21.98) to express Virgil as his inspiration. In Purgatorio, when Dante reveals Virgil's identity to Statius, Statius makes a failed attempt to embrace Virgil, which parallels with Aeneas's failed attempt to embrace the shade of his father Anchises in Aeneid 6.700–2. Dante also adds inventive details about Statius's life to fit with the narrative of the Divine Comedy. In addition to being a foil for Virgil, Dante's creative freedom allows him to establish Statius as a reflection of himself. Both Statius's and Dante's salvation is facilitated by Virgil. Statius's conversations with Virgil parallel Dante's conversations with Virgil. For example, Statius asks Virgil where the poets Terence, Caecilius, Plautus and Lucius Varius are. Both Dante and Statius are curious about the souls in Hell and look to Virgil as a mentor.[25]
Furthermore, Dante's inventive portrayal of Statius embodies three elements of conversion important for the Comedy's
Influence of works by Statius on the Divine Comedy
In addition to Statius himself, characters drawn from his works are also found in the Divine Comedy. Argia, who was a character in Statius' Thebaid and wife of Polynices, is referred to in the line "of your people" (de le genti tue) in Purg. 22 109–110. Dante considers her to be a noble woman, placing her among the virtuous pagans in Limbo. Capaneus, who is at the center of the Thebaid's tragic theme, is placed in the third ring of the seventh circle of Dis, where those who committed sins of violence against the God are condemned. However, Statius' Capaneus is represented as a heroic character, whereas in the Comedy his only attributes are physical strength and a failure to accept God's divine power.
Notes
- ^ Distinct from the general Latin stem stăt-.
References
- OCLC 475361782.
- ^
Friedländer, Ludwig (1913) [1862]. "The Arts". Roman Life and Manners Under the Early Empire. Vol. 2. Translated by Freese, J. H.; Magnus, Leonard A. London: George Routledge & Sons. p. 352. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
The Capitoline competition, instituted by Domitian in 86, was held in far greater and more lasting repute than the Neronian. [...] At this festival, which was celebrated every fourth summer, poets, singers and musicians competed for the wreath of oak leaves, which the emperor himself presented to the victors [...].
- ^ lumina; Nestorei mitis prudentia Crispi/et Fabius Veiento (potentem signat utrumque/purpura, ter memores implerunt nomine fastos)/et prope Caesareae confinis Acilius aulae) ("lights/eyes; the gentle wisdom of Nestor-like Crispinus, and Fabius Veiento, the purple marks each as eminent, three times have they filled the recording annals with their names--and Acilius, near neighbour of Caesar's palace." trans. Braund, S. M. Juvenal Satires Book 1 (Cambridge, 1996) pg. 251
- ^ Feeney, Dennis The Oxford Classical Dictionary (Oxford, 1996) pg.1439
- ^ Shackleton Bailey, D.R. Statius' Thebaid 1–7 (Cambridge, 2003) pg.3
- ^ Silv. 5.2.161
- ^ Theb. 12.810-19.
- ^ Hardie, P. The Epic Successors of Virgil: A Study in the Dynamics of a Tradition (Cambridge, 1993).
- ^ Lewis, C. S. The Allegory of Love (1936) pp.48–56
- ^ Coleman in Bailey, pg.13–18
- ^ Venini 1964; Hershkowitz 1994; Hershkowitz 1995; Simms 2020; e.g. Bernstein 2003.
- ^ Shackleton Bailey, D. R. Statius Silvae (Cambridge, 2003) pg.5
- ^ Quintilian 10.3.17
- ^ Coleman in Bailey, pp.11–17
- S2CID 235598972.
- ^ Newlands, C. E. Statius' Silvae and the Poetics of Empire (Cambridge, 2002)
- ^ Nauta, R. R. Poetry for Patrons: Literary Communication in the Age of Domitian (Leiden, 2002)
- Abbey of Corbie, a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale (BN 8051) that was once the property of the humanist Claude Dupuy. The best recent edition is O.A.W. Dilke, (Cambridge 1954), which has more recently been reprinted with a new introduction (Bristol 2005). A new translation in the Loeb Classical Libraryis by D. R. Shackleton Bailey.
- ^ Silv. 5.2.161ff.
- ^ Elaine Fantham in "Statius' Achilles and His Trojan Model" The Classical Quarterly New Series, 29.2 (1979, pp. 457–462) p 457 describes it as "a more varied and charming work than readers of the Thebaid could ever have imagined and is perhaps the most attractive approach to the imitative and professional poet.".
- ^ Shackleton Bailey, D. R. Statius' Thebaid 1–7 (Cambridge, 2003) pg.7, 26–8
- ^ Prologue to Silvae 4
- ^ Juvenal 7.82–87: "They run to his pleasant voice and the poetry of his dear Thebaid when Statius has made the city happy and set a day. Their hearts are captured with sheer sweetness and the crowd is inspired by immense pleasure. But once he has broken the benches, he'll starve unless he sells his virgin Agave to Paris.
- ^ Van Dam, H. "Wandering Woods Again: From Poliziano to Grotius" in The Poetry of Statius ed. Smolenaars, J., Van Dam, H., and Nauta, R. (Leiden, 2008)
- ^ a b c d e Kleinhenz, Christopher (2008). "Lectura Dantis, Purgatorio". University of California Press.
Sources
- Newlands, Carol. (2012). Statius, Poet between Rome and Naples. Classical literature and society. London: Bristol Classical Press.
- Vessey, David. (1973). Statius and the Thebaid. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.
Editions
- David R. Slavitt (tr.), Broken Columns: Two Roman Epic Fragments: The Achilleid of Publius Papinius Statius and The Rape of Proserpine of Claudius Claudianus, with an Afterword by David Konstan (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997).
- Betty Rose Nagle, The Silvae of Statius. Translated with Notes and Introduction (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2004).
- Karla F.L. Pollmann, Statius, Thebaid 12: Introduction, Text, and Commentary, Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Altertums. Neue Folge. 1. Reihe, Band 25 (Paderborn: Ferdinand Schoeningh, 2004).
- Gibson, Bruce, Statius. Silvae 5. Edited with Introduction, Translation and Commentary, Oxford Classical Monographs (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006).
- Jane Wilson Joyce (ed.), Statius. Thebaid: A Song of Thebes (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008) (Masters of Latin Literature).
- Pavan, Alberto (ed., trans., comm.), La gara delle quadrighe e il gioco della guerra: Saggio di commento a P. Papinii Statii Thebaidos liber VI 238–549, Minima philologica 6 (Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2009).
Studies
- Andreacchio, M. "Dante's Statius and Christianity: A Reading of Purgatorio XXI and XXII in their Poetic Context." Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy (Vol. 39:1, 2012); pp. 55–82.
- Bernstein, N. W. (2003). "Bernstein, Ancestors, Status, and Self-Presentation in Statius’ Thebaid", Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association 133: 353–79.
- Cannizzaro, Francesco (2023). Sulle orme dell'Iliade: riflessi dell'eroismo omerico nell'epica d'età flavia. Firenze: Società editrice fiorentina. ISBN 9788860326898.
- Fantham, E. "Chironis Exemplum: on teachers and surrogate fathers in Achilleid and Silvae", Hermathena 167 (1999), 59–70.
- Feeney, D. "Tenui... latens discrimine: spotting the differences in Statius' Achilleid, Materiali e discussioni per l'analisi dei testi classici 52 (2004), 85–106.
- Ganiban, Randall T. (2007). Statius and Virgil: The Thebaid and the Reinterpretation of the Aeneid. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.
- Hardie, A. Statius and the Silvae (Liverpool, 1983).
- Hershkowitz, Debra (1994). "Sexuality and Madness in Statius’ Thebaid", Materiali e discussioni per l'analisi dei testi classici 33: 123–147.
- Hershkowitz, Debra (1995). "Patterns of Madness in Statius’ Thebaid", Journal of Roman Studies 85: 52–64.
- Heslin, P.J. The Transvestite Achilles: Gender and Genre in Statius' Achilleid (Cambridge, 2005).
- Johannsen, N. Dichter ueber ihre Gedichte: Die Prosavorreden in den 'Epigrammaton libri' Martials und in den 'Silvae' des Statius, Hypomnemata, 166 (Goettingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2006).
- Lewis, C.S. "Dante's Statius." Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature (Cambridge, 1966).
- Lovatt, H. Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics, and Poetics in the Thebaid, Cambridge Classical Studies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005).
- McNelis, Charles. (2002). "Greek Grammarians and Roman Society During the Early Empire: Statius' Father and his Contemporaries." Classical Antiquity 21: 67–94.
- McNelis, Charles. (2007). Statius' Thebaid and the Poetics of Civil War. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.
- Mendelsohn, D. "Empty Nest, Abandoned Cave: maternal anxiety in Achilleid 1", ClAnt 9.2 (1990), 295–308.
- Newlands, Carol. (2012). Statius, Poet between Rome and Naples. Classical literature and society. London: Bristol Classical Press.
- Newlands, C. Statius' Silvae and the Poetics of Empire (Cambridge, 2002).
- Shackleton Bailey, D. R. Statius Silvae (Cambridge, Mass.; London, 2003).
- Simms, Robert C. (2020). Anticipation and Anachrony in Statius’ Thebaid (London, 2020).
- Venini, Paola. (1964). "Furor e psicologia nella Tebaide di Stazio",Athenaeum 42: 201–13.
- Vessey, David. (1973). Statius and the Thebaid. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.
External links
- Works by Statius at Perseus Digital Library
- Works by Statius at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Statius, J. H. Mozley (ed.), 2 voll., London, William Heinemann Ltd - New York, G. P. Putnam's sons, 1928: vol. 1, vol. 2.
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Statius, Publius Papinius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 811–812. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Lactantius Placidus in Statii Thebaida commentum, vol. 1, R. D. Sweeney (ed.), Stutgardiae et Lipsiae, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1997.
- Online text: Statius, Thebaid & Achilleid translated by J.H. Mozley
- Online text: Statius, Thebaid, Achilleid & Silvae (Latin)
- SORGLL: Statius, Thebes I.46–87; read by Stephen Daitz Archived 2009-08-30 at the Wayback Machine