Thebaid, Volume I: Books 1–7

by Publius Papinius Statius, D.R. Shackleton Bailey (Translator)

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.

Statius was raised in the Greek cultural milieu of the Bay of Naples, and his 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 two-volume edition of the epics, a freshly edited Latin text facing a graceful translation, completes D. R. Shackleton Bailey's new Loeb Classical Library edition of Statius. Kathleen M. Coleman contributed an essay on recent scholarship on the two epics.

Genres: Classics, History

480 pages, Hardcover

First published February 17, 2004

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Kevin Nobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Kline's translation better, but Statius is underrated for his inventiveness

[Jay Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually read Book One in Latin