This poetry, long seen as derivative or decadent, is increasingly appreciated for the daring and originality of its responses both to the greek and latin literary tradition and to the contemporary roman world. Thebais is a latin epic in 12 books written in dactylic hexameter by publius papinius statius ad c. It has many features borrowed from virgil, but suffers from overstatement and exaggeration. The poem is divided into twelve books in imitation of virgils aeneid and is composed in dactylic hexameter. The thebaid and the reinterpretation of the aeneid. Statius, thebaid 8 edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary edited by antony augoustakis. As a poet, statius was versatile in his abilities and his work includes an epic poem, the thebaid, a collection of occasional poetry, the silvae, and the unfinished epic, the achilleid. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary translation by augoustakis, antony isbn. This twovolume edition of the epics, a freshly edited latin text facing a graceful translation, completes d.
In this volume, augoustakis presents the first fulllength edition of thebaid 8, with text and apparatus criticus, and an english translation. According to the last verse of the poem, statius wrote the thebaid over the course of a dozen years during the reign of emperor domitian, although the symmetry of the compositional period, assigning one book per year, has. The second book rejects both alliance and alternate rule. The poem deals with the theban cycle and treats the assault of the seven champions of argos against the city of thebes. Augoustakis also draws on bennardos 2010 dissertation, an italian commentary on book 8s first 270 lines. In late antiquity, the thebaid which was by then a classic received a commentary by a lactantius placidus. Apart from being a commentary in the philological sense, it examines in close detail the poets mannered style and analyses the text as a system of intertextual references.
Book vii describes the forced march of the seven and their arrival at thebes, jocastas vain attempt at mediation and amphiaraus spectacular katabasis. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary by ruth parkes at indigo. Bernstein examines how the depictions of kinship in these four works differs from earlier. N2 in this volume, augoustakis presents the first fulllength edition of thebaid 8, with text and apparatus criticus, and an english translation. This poetry, long seen as derivative or decadent, is increasingly appreciated for the daring and originality of its responses both to the greek and latin literary tradition and to. Passages from homer to valerius flaccus were exploited by statius for his challenging adaptations of typical scenes. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. At the same time that statius reworks the homeric and virgilian epic traditions, he engages with hellenistic poetic ideals as exemplified by. Statius, thebaid i impressions over the past two months ive been posting a commentary as i read the first book of statius thebaid. They run to his pleasant voice and the poetry of his dear thebaid when statius has made the city happy and set a day. Many critical editions of the thebaid pronounced theebahid or thebaiid date from the early seventeenth century, a period of religious war and strife in europe. Thebaid and achilleid download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Statius thebaid and the poetics of civil war by charles.
Homer in the late antique commentary on statiuss thebaid jstor. Statius, thebaid book 1 theoi classical texts library. N2 in this volume, augoustakis presents the first fulllength edition of thebaid 8, with. Composed towards the end of the first century ce, statius thebaid relates the myth of the seven against thebes. These last two works relate the stories of the seven against thebes and the youth of achilles respectively. Juxtaposes the newly edited full latin text with an accessible. May 18, 2012 in this volume parkes offers the first fulllength scholarly commentary on the whole of thebaid 4, with text and apparatus criticus, an english translation, and a comprehensive introduction which discusses the various features of thebaid 4, its relationship with the poem as a whole, and the place of the thebaid in literary tradition both in. Though ive enjoyed a lot of latin poetry over the years, i had never studied more than a line or two of this work. Ricerca di modelli ellenistici nel proemio della tebaide di stazio. Search results for statiusthebaid2editedwithanintroductiontranslationandcommentary brills companion to statius william j. Statius appears as a christian in dantes purgatory, and he stands as a pillar of poetry in chaucers the house of fame. There is considerable dialogue in this commentary with gervais on thebaid 2, in no small part because, as augoustakis observes on 8. Statius published his thebaid in the last decade of the first century.
This 2007 book argues that the thebaid reworks themes, scenes, and ideas from virgil in order to show that the aeneids representation of monarchy is inadequate. Will include dust jacket if it originally came with one. Statius thebaid and the realization of roman manhood. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary hardcover mint condition. Statius project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. T2 edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary. The first fullscale edition of statius thebaid 8, complete with a thorough introduction, facingpage translation, and a comprehensive commentary provides detailed and extensive philological notes. Based on statius own testimony, the thebaid was written c. The commentary, the first on the ninth book to be published in britain this century, is written in the light of recent scholarship. Throughout the middle ages, the thebaid remained a popular text, inspiring a 12thcentury french romance and works by boccaccio and chaucer.
In this volume parkes offers the first fulllength scholarly commentary on the whole of thebaid 4, with text and apparatus criticus, an english translation, and a comprehensive introduction which discusses the various features of thebaid 4, its relationship with the poem as a whole, and the place of the thebaid in literary tradition both in. The identification of these sources offers the key to interpret. The evergrowing garrison of scholars working on these poems valerius flaccus argonautica, silius italicus punica, and statius thebaid and achilleid has yielded a slew of excellent monographs, with focus shifting especially in the last few years to muchneeded commentaries on individual books. Composed at the end of the first century ce, statius thebaid recounts the civil war in thebes between the two sons of oedipus, polynices and eteocles, and the horrific events that take place on the battlefield. Statius, thebaid 2 kyle gervais oxford university press. Thebaid book 8 text and translation with commentary thebaid book 9 text and translation with commentary.
The thebaid, a more ambitious work, describes the struggle of the brothers polyneices and eteocles for the throne of the ancient greek city of thebes. This is the first commentary on the second book of statius epic poem, the thebaid, in nearly sixty years, and the only fullscale english commentary. Provides detailed and extensive philological notes. Statius thebaid and the poetics of civil war by charles mcnelis.
Other editions containing works of statius publius papinius statius statius. Sep 19, 2016 there is considerable dialogue in this commentary with gervais on thebaid 2, in no small part because, as augoustakis observes on 8. The introduction contains sections on statius life and works, a summary of the epic, its themes and characters, and poetry, the textualtradition, and statius influence on later european literature. Based on statius own testimony, the thebaid was written ad c. Papinius statius, written about ad 80 to 92, deals with the fraternal strife between oedipus sons eteocles and polynices for the mastery of thebes. Like the proverbial buses, the long wait for monographs in english dedicated specifically and synoptically to statius thebaid has ended with the arrival of three in quick succession, indeed in three years, and all from the same press. Over the past two months ive been posting a commentary as i read the first book of statius thebaid. Shackleton baileys new loeb classical library edition of statius. In the silvae, statius speaks of his extensive work in polishing and revising the thebaid and his public. Represents the first fulllength english language commentary on book 2 of statius thebaid juxtaposes the newly edited full latin text with an accessible translation and extensive contextualizing introduction. Kyle gervaiss excellent commentary on book 2 of statius thebaid is the first since h. Chapter 3 discusses kinship as destiny and as gender in the thebaid.
He was the author of a collection of dedicatory poems known as the silvae, the epic thebaid in twelve books, and the unfinished achilleid. Statius publius papinius statius statius oxford scholarly editions. A detailed introduction discusses the argivetheban myth in the greek and roman literary tradition and art, as well as the reception of the book in subsequent centuries, especially in dantes divine comedy. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary. The accompanying commentary provides useful notes which explore questions of interpretation and statius language and literary craft, with particular emphasis on the exploitation of various greek and latin intertexts in statius poetry. Thebaid x and also how gapaneus the proude with thonderdynt was slayn, that cride loude. Its author, the roman poet statius, employed a wide variety of grecoroman sources in order to narrate the argive expedition against thebes and the fratricidal war. Pdf statius and the thebaid download read online free. Represents the first fulllength english language commentary on book 2 of statius thebaid. It also demonstrates how the thebaids fascination with horror, spectacle, and unspeakable violence is tied to statius critique of the moral and political virtues at the heart of the.
Nielsen book data summary composed towards the end of the first century ce, statius thebaid relates the myth of the seven against thebes. Almost a quarter of a century after vesseys seminal, if muchchallenged. 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. Statius s thebaid and achilleid are two of only four extant epics from the flavian period, 6996 c. The study of flavian epic poetry is in very good hands. Statius development of allegory helped establish the importance of that technique in medieval poetry. Statius, thebaid 4 statius publius papinius statius. A new complete downloadable english translation of his epic of the seven against thebes. Book 2 presents several key events in the buildup to the theban war. In the first book the understanding between the brothers eteocles and polynices is broken off. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This commentary examines in close detail statius mannered style and analyses the text as a system of intertextual references. Publius papinius statius was a roman poet who flourished in the late c1st a. My primary objective is to explain the meaning in several senses of the term of the latin text.
Statius, thebaid 2 edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary edited by kyle gervais. Their hearts are captured with sheer sweetness and the crowd is inspired by immense pleasure. Statius completed one epic, the 12 book thebaid, but only two books of another, the achilleid. Juxtaposes the newly edited full latin text with an accessible translation and extensive contextualizing introduction. This study focuses on ways in which statius epic thebaid, a poem about the civil war between oedipus sons eteocles and polynices, reflects the theme of internal discord in its narrative strategies. The first fullscale edition of statius thebaid 8, complete with a thorough introduction, facingpage translation, and a comprehensive commentary. Though ive enjoyed a lot of latin poetry over the years, i had never studied. The thebaid of statius, a retelling in epic form of hepta epi thbas 467 b.
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