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PUBLIUS PAPINUS STATIUS, considered by many to be the preeminent poet of the Flavian period, was born at Naples around 40 CE, or perhaps a little later. [1] His father was a distinguished teacher, first at Naples and then at Rome, where he numbered the future emperor Domitian among his students. The senior Statius was also a poet of some renown, winning prizes in poetry contests in Naples and various Greek cities. [2] The young Statius enjoyed considerable success at Rome, both in public recitations and poetic contests. This early success seems to have culminated in a victory in the Alban games somewhere in 83 CE, after which nothing is known of his activities for the rest of the decade. The lacuna after 83 has been variously explained: some conjecture ill health, others his connection with the dancer Paris who was murdered in 83 for his adultery with Domitia. If imperial favor was withdrawn, it would appear to have been returned to him after 89. The poet's position was secure enough for him to complain that the emperor did not award him with a prize at the Capitoline games of 90 or 94 (Silv. 3.5.31-3). Statius seems to have been happily married, although he had no children, and he expresses grief in the final poem in the Silvae over an adopted child who died young. He appears to have been moderately well-off rather than extremely wealthy. [3] Towards the end of his life he returned to his native Naples, where he remained for the rest of his life. [4] He appears to have died shortly after Domitian's death in 96. Statius' major work was the epic Thebaid (describing the fratricidal war at Thebes between Oedipus' sons Eteocles an Polynices) which took a dozen years to complete, and was published in 92 A.D. [5] Soon afterwards he began to issue the Silvae, five books of verses in various meters, [6] published from 92 onwards. [7] Late in his life (perhaps 95 CE) he began a second epic, the Achilleid, an account of the early life of Achilles - focussing on his infamous sojourn on Scyros, disguised as young maiden. [8] He completed only the first book and the beginning of the second before his death. Statius enjoys a considerable reception and a good reputation in subsequent periods. Late antique scholia on the Thebaid are preserved, bearing the name of Lactantius Placidus. Dante devotes considerable attention to him in the Purgatorio: the end of Canto 20 and all of 21 and 22 deal with Statius, and especially with his relationship to the writings of Virgil. Footnotes[1] On the poet's birthplace, see Silv. 3.5.81. [2] On the details of the senior Statius' poet career and his death, see Silv. 5.3.129ff. [3] At Silv. 3.1.61 Statius mentions an Alban estate - a definite sign of wealth. On the other hand, Juvenal (Sat. 7.86) states that Statius made his living from his poetry, and the fact that his father was a school teacher would support the supposition that he was not independently wealthy. [4] The twelve year composition for the Thebaid is mentioned at Theb. 12.811-2: o mihi bissenos multum vigilata per annos / Thebai!. [5] Of the 34 poems that comprise the Silvae, four are written in hendecasyllables (1.6, 2.7, 4.3, 4.9), on in Sapphics (4.7), and one in Alcaics (4.5). The rest are written in hexameters. [6] Silv. 3.5 is written to his wife (ad Claudiam uxorem) in an attempt to convince her to join him in Naples. [7] The fourth book of the Silvae was published in 95 CE: its first poem celebrates the seventeenth consulship of Domitian, which fell on that year. The fifth book (which unlike the first four has no prose preface) was probably published posthumously. [8] Statius mentions starting the Achilleid in Silv. 4.7, published in 95 (see previous note). Related Sections: Bibliography |