Almost a quarter of a century after vesseys seminal, if muchchallenged. 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. A new complete downloadable english translation of his epic of the seven against thebes. Statius thebaid and the realization of roman manhood. 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. He was the author of a collection of dedicatory poems known as the silvae, the epic thebaid in twelve books, and the unfinished achilleid. Composed towards the end of the first century ce, statius thebaid relates the myth of the seven against thebes.
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. Papinius statius, written about ad 80 to 92, deals with the fraternal strife between oedipus sons eteocles and polynices for the mastery of thebes. Statius development of allegory helped establish the importance of that technique in medieval poetry. Statius thebaid and the poetics of civil war by charles mcnelis. Statius, thebaid 4 statius publius papinius statius. 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. Statius, thebaid 2 kyle gervais oxford university press. Statius publius papinius statius statius oxford scholarly editions. 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 thebaid and the reinterpretation of the aeneid. 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. 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. T2 edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary.
Will include dust jacket if it originally came with one. Statius project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. In the first book the understanding between the brothers eteocles and polynices is broken off. Based on statius own testimony, the thebaid was written c. 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.
Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary by ruth parkes at indigo. These last two works relate the stories of the seven against thebes and the youth of achilles respectively. Represents the first fulllength english language commentary on book 2 of statius thebaid. Juxtaposes the newly edited full latin text with an accessible. Other editions containing works of statius publius papinius statius statius. 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. Statius, thebaid i impressions over the past two months ive been posting a commentary as i read the first book of statius thebaid. Though ive enjoyed a lot of latin poetry over the years, i had never studied. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The poem is divided into twelve books in imitation of virgils aeneid and is composed in dactylic hexameter.
Thebais is a latin epic in 12 books written in dactylic hexameter by publius papinius statius ad c. Augoustakis also draws on bennardos 2010 dissertation, an italian commentary on book 8s first 270 lines. 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. They run to his pleasant voice and the poetry of his dear thebaid when statius has made the city happy and set a day. Over the past two months ive been posting a commentary as i read the first book of statius thebaid. Homer in the late antique commentary on statiuss thebaid jstor. Statius, thebaid 8 edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary edited by antony augoustakis. He warned his epic not to rival the divine aeneid, but here from pollman we have a commentary, on one of the most interesting books in an excellent poem, which. Juxtaposes the newly edited full latin text with an accessible translation and extensive contextualizing introduction. N2 in this volume, augoustakis presents the first fulllength edition of thebaid 8, with text and apparatus criticus, and an english translation. Chapter 3 discusses kinship as destiny and as gender in the thebaid.
Statius, thebaid book 1 theoi classical texts library. Statius completed one epic, the 12 book thebaid, but only two books of another, the achilleid. In the silvae, statius speaks of his extensive work in polishing and revising the thebaid and his public. Based on statius own testimony, the thebaid was written ad c. Book vii describes the forced march of the seven and their arrival at thebes, jocastas vain attempt at mediation and amphiaraus spectacular katabasis. In this volume, augoustakis presents the first fulllength edition of thebaid 8, with text and apparatus criticus, and an english translation. Search results for statiusthebaid2editedwithanintroductiontranslationandcommentary brills companion to statius william j.
The identification of these sources offers the key to interpret. 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. Statius thebaid and the poetics of civil war by charles. 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. 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. This commentary examines in close detail statius mannered style and analyses the text as a system of intertextual references. In late antiquity, the thebaid which was by then a classic received a commentary by a lactantius placidus. The thebaid of statius, a retelling in epic form of hepta epi thbas 467 b. The study of flavian epic poetry is in very good hands. It has many features borrowed from virgil, but suffers from overstatement and exaggeration. There is considerable dialogue in this commentary with gervais on thebaid 2, in no small part because, as augoustakis observes on 8. Their hearts are captured with sheer sweetness and the crowd is inspired by immense pleasure. Passages from homer to valerius flaccus were exploited by statius for his challenging adaptations of typical scenes.
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. The poem deals with the theban cycle and treats the assault of the seven champions of argos against the city of thebes. 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. Thebaid and achilleid download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. My primary objective is to explain the meaning in several senses of the term of the latin text. 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. 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. Pdf statius and the thebaid download read online free. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary translation by augoustakis, antony isbn. Thebaid x and also how gapaneus the proude with thonderdynt was slayn, that cride loude. Nielsen book data summary composed towards the end of the first century ce, statius thebaid relates the myth of the seven against thebes.
Statius, thebaid 2 edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary edited by kyle gervais. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary hardcover mint condition. Statius s thebaid and achilleid are two of only four extant epics from the flavian period, 6996 c. Ricerca di modelli ellenistici nel proemio della tebaide di stazio. Publius papinius statius was a roman poet who flourished in the late c1st a. Book 2 presents several key events in the buildup to the theban war. N2 in this volume, augoustakis presents the first fulllength edition of thebaid 8, with. 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. 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. Bernstein examines how the depictions of kinship in these four works differs from earlier. Shackleton baileys new loeb classical library edition of statius. 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. Throughout the middle ages, the thebaid remained a popular text, inspiring a 12thcentury french romance and works by boccaccio and chaucer. Statius appears as a christian in dantes purgatory, and he stands as a pillar of poetry in chaucers the house of fame.
The first fullscale edition of statius thebaid 8, complete with a thorough introduction, facingpage translation, and a comprehensive commentary. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. The commentary, the first on the ninth book to be published in britain this century, is written in the light of recent scholarship. Edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary. Kyle gervaiss excellent commentary on book 2 of statius thebaid is the first since h. 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. This twovolume edition of the epics, a freshly edited latin text facing a graceful translation, completes d. 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 book 8 text and translation with commentary thebaid book 9 text and translation with commentary.