This new edition deals with Book 5 of Statius' Silvae, which has often been neglected in thematic treatments of the poet's work. The book is notable for its concern with Statius himself--one poem is a lament for his father, who was himself a poet and a teacher. As well as discussing issues of linguistic usage and textual problems (which are numerous), the commentary examines such aspects of literary interpretation as the use of allusion and the role of genre, and also includes a conspectus of the historical and cultural background. This is an invaluable introduction to the work of a learned,...

Statius published his Thebaid in the last decade of the first century. This epic recounting the struggle between the two sons of Oedipus for the kingship of Thebes is his masterpiece, a stirring exploration of the passions of civil war. The extant portion of his unfinished Achilleid is strikingly different in tone: this second epic begins as a charming account of Achilles' life. Greek literary education is reflected in his poetry. The political realities of Rome in the first century are also evident in the Thebaid, in representations of authoritarian power and the drive for domination. This...

This is a reprint of an edition first published in 1983. It includes a list of corrections which have come to light since then. The edition includes a Praefatio which sheds light on the relationship between the major manuscripts; there is also a full apparatus which reports the significant readings from fresh collations of the major manuscripts, and established a text based on a full account, with discussion where necessary, of all important suggestions published before 1980 or suggested privately to the editor. It also includes an appendix which lists all variant readings known to the...