Statius facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Statius
Born	c. 45 CE Naples
Died	c. 96 CE (aged c. 51) Naples
Occupation	Poet
Nationality	Roman

Publius Papinius Statius (born around 45 CE in Naples, died around 96 CE) was a famous Roman poet from the 1st century CE. He wrote several important works in Latin. These include a long epic poem called the Thebaid, a collection of shorter poems known as the Silvae, and an unfinished epic, the Achilleid. Statius is also well-known for appearing as a character in Dante's famous poem, the Divine Comedy.

Life of Statius

Statius' Family and Early Life

Most of what we know about Statius comes from his own poems, especially the Silvae. He was born into a family with both Greek and Italian roots. His father, whose name we don't know, was from Velia but later moved to Naples. He also spent time in Rome, where he was a very successful teacher.

Statius' father was a talented poet himself. From a young age, he won many poetry contests in Naples and at important games like the Nemean, Pythian, and Isthmian Games. These events were big opportunities to show off poetic skills in the early Roman Empire. Statius said his father was great at any kind of writing, whether it was poetry or prose. His father taught Greek and Roman literature in Naples and had many students who became important religious figures in Rome. He passed away in 79 AD.

Statius' Birth and Career as a Poet

Statius was born around 45 CE. He grew up in the Bay of Naples, a place with a strong Greek culture. His Greek education helped him write his beautiful and detailed poems.

From his childhood, Statius won many poetry contests in Naples. He also won three times at the Alban Festival, where he received a golden crown from Emperor Domitian. Statius wrote a poem about Domitian's military campaigns for this festival.

Around 90 CE, after his father died, Statius moved to Rome. There, he published his epic poem, the Thebaid, around 92 CE. In Rome, Statius made many friends among the rich and powerful Roman families and was likely supported by them. He published the first three books of his Silvae in 93 CE. These poems often mention his wealthy supporters and friends.

Statius also competed in the big Capitoline competition, but he didn't win. This loss upset him greatly. This disappointment might have led him to return to Naples around 94 CE, the city where he grew up.

Statius' Later Years in Naples

Statius' first three books of Silvae received some criticism. In response, he wrote a fourth book in Naples, which came out in 95 CE. During this time, he kept his connections with the emperor's court and his supporters.

Statius was childless, so he took a young enslaved boy under his care, but the boy died around 95 CE. In the same year, Statius started a new epic poem called the Achilleid. He gave public readings of his work, but he only finished about a book and a half before he died in 95 CE. His fifth book of Silvae was published after his death, around 96 CE.

Statius' Major Works

Statius was a very skilled poet. He learned a lot from his educated father and knew a wide range of classical literature. His poems are full of references to other works and are known for being detailed and artistic. He could write in different poetic styles and meters. He created long, well-researched epic poems and also quick, polished pieces. His amazing writing skills earned him the support of important people and even the emperor.

Some of Statius' works, like his competition poems, are now lost.

The Thebaid Epic Poem

Statius wrote the Thebaid between about 80 and 92 CE. He started it when he was around 35 years old. The poem was likely published in 91 or 92 CE. It has twelve books, just like Virgil's famous Aeneid, and is written in a specific poetic rhythm called dactylic hexameter.

Statius spent a lot of time making the Thebaid perfect and often read parts of it in public. He believed the Thebaid was his greatest work and would make him famous forever. He followed Virgil's style closely, but he also used many other sources.

The Thebaid describes the siege of Thebes by the seven Argive champions

The Thebaid tells the myth of the Seven against Thebes. This is the story of a battle between the two sons of Oedipus for the throne of Thebes. The poem begins with Oedipus cursing his sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, who agreed to rule Thebes in alternating years.

The god Jupiter plans a war between Thebes and Argos. Polyneices, who is in exile, fights with Tydeus, another exile. They are welcomed by King Adrastus and marry his daughters. Tydeus goes to Eteocles to ask him to give up the throne, but Eteocles refuses and tries to kill Tydeus. Tydeus escapes and returns to Argos, leading Adrastus and Polyneices to declare war on Thebes.

The Argive army, led by seven champions, marches to Thebes. Along the way, they meet Hypsipyle, who shows them a spring. While she is talking, her young ward, Opheltes, is killed by a snake. The Argives hold games for the dead child, which start the Nemean Games.

Battles break out at Thebes. Many heroes die, including Amphiaraus, who is swallowed by the earth. Tydeus, wounded and dying, kills an enemy and eats his head. Capaneus is killed by Jupiter's thunderbolt. Finally, Polyneices and Eteocles fight each other and both die. Creon takes power and forbids the burial of the Argive dead.

In the last book, the Argive widows go to Athens to ask Theseus to make Creon allow the burials. Argia, Polyneices' wife, secretly burns her husband's body. Theseus gathers an army and kills Creon. The poem ends with Statius hoping his poem will be successful and bring him lasting fame.

Modern scholars have different ideas about the Thebaid's meaning. Some think it praised Emperor Domitian, while others see it as a hidden criticism of the emperor's harsh rule and violence.

The Silvae Collection

Statius likely wrote the Silvae between 89 and 96 CE. The first three books were probably published after 93 CE, Book 4 in 95 CE, and Book 5 after his death around 96 CE. The title Silvae means "forest" or "raw material." This suggests that these poems were written quickly, inspired by a moment, and then polished later.

The collection has 32 poems, divided into five books. Each book has a special letter to a friend. Most of the poems are in hexameter, but some use other poetic styles.

The topics in Silvae are very varied. Five poems are about the emperor and his friends, including a description of Domitian's statue and praise for his road building. Six poems are laments for deaths or comforting messages to those who lost loved ones. These include very personal poems about the death of Statius' father and his foster-son. There are also poems about the death of a favorite parrot or a lion in the arena.

Other Silvae poems describe the beautiful homes, gardens, and artworks of Statius' friends. These poems give us a clear picture of how wealthy Romans lived in the countryside. The rest of the Silvae are congratulatory messages to friends or poems for special events, like a wedding poem.

Like the Thebaid, the Silvae were once criticized because of Statius' connection to Emperor Domitian. However, in recent times, scholars have started to appreciate them more. Many poems seem to praise the emperor and his court. The content of the Silvae was often shaped by what Statius' wealthy friends and supporters wanted.

The Achilleid Epic Poem

Only a part of Statius' epic poem about the life of Achilles—the Achilleid—still exists. It has one complete book and a few hundred lines of a second. Statius wrote what was finished of this poem between 94 and 95 CE. He also gave public readings of it. It's believed that Statius' death in 95 CE is why the poem was never finished.

In the first book, Achilles' mother, Thetis, knows her son will die in the Trojan War. She tries to hide him on the island of Scyros by dressing him as a girl. But Ulysses arrives to recruit Achilles for the war and reveals his true identity. In the second book, Ulysses and Achilles leave. Achilles then tells the story of his early life and how he was taught by the centaur Chiron. The poem stops at the end of his speech.

Scholars often note that the Achilleid has a very different feel from the Thebaid. It is more like the style of Ovid than Virgil. Some have also pointed out that the poem focuses a lot on female characters and their power.

Statius' Influence and Legacy

Statius' poetry was very popular during his lifetime. However, some critics didn't like his quick, impromptu style. The satirist Juvenal made fun of Statius' court poetry, but he also mentioned how incredibly popular Statius' public readings were. Later, in ancient times, the Thebaid became a classic and had a commentary written about it by Lactantius Placidus.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Thebaid remained a popular book. It inspired a French romance in the 12th century and works by famous writers like Boccaccio and Chaucer. Statius' use of allegory (stories with hidden meanings) helped make this technique important in Medieval poetry.

In the Renaissance, Statius' Silvae helped inspire a whole new type of poetry collection called Sylvae. These collections of various, occasional poems remained popular and influenced writers like Hugo Grotius and John Dryden. Dante even mentioned Statius as one of the four "great poets."

Statius in Dante's Divine Comedy

Statius as a Character in Purgatorio

In Dante's Divine Comedy, Dante and Virgil meet Statius in the section called Purgatory. This happens as they leave the area for the greedy and wasteful and enter the area for the gluttonous. Statius' release from Purgatory is heard when the mountain trembles, and the souls sing a hymn. Statius then joins Dante and Virgil.

Statius climbs Mount Purgatory with Dante and Virgil. He stays with Dante in the Earthly Paradise at the top of the mountain, even after Virgil returns to Limbo. Statius is last mentioned near the end of Purgatorio. Even though Statius has a smaller role after Virgil leaves, his presence is important. He helps Dante through Earthly Paradise and highlights how different he is from Virgil. Dante's Statius is a Christian poet inspired by Virgil, representing a new kind of Christian poet in Dante's journey.

Statius' arrival in Purgatorio is often compared to Jesus appearing to his followers after his resurrection. Scholars have also compared Virgil and Statius' relationship to that of John the Baptist and Jesus. Statius says that Virgil's poems led him to become a Christian. He explains that reading Virgil's words helped him overcome the sin of being wasteful. He also found reasons to convert to Christianity in another of Virgil's poems. Statius tells Virgil, "through you I was a poet, through you a Christian."

Statius' connection with Virgil shows the sad fate of Virgil. Virgil could inspire salvation in others, but he could not achieve it himself.

Even though Statius became a Christian, he kept his faith a secret. He lived at a time when Christians were persecuted. Because he kept his faith hidden, he spent four centuries in Purgatory, cleansing the sin of laziness.

Dante shows Statius as the author of the Thebaid and Achilleid, and as someone who greatly admires Virgil. Statius says Virgil's Aeneid "was my mama and my nurse," meaning Virgil was his main inspiration. When Dante tells Statius who Virgil is, Statius tries to hug Virgil but fails. This is similar to Aeneas trying to hug his father's ghost in the Aeneid.

Dante also added creative details about Statius' life to fit the story of the Divine Comedy. Statius serves as a reflection of Dante himself. Both Statius and Dante are helped by Virgil to find salvation. Statius' conversations with Virgil are similar to Dante's conversations with Virgil. For example, Statius asks Virgil about other famous poets. Both Dante and Statius are curious about the souls in Hell and see Virgil as a guide.

Dante's creative portrayal of Statius shows three important parts of conversion. First, his conversion to Christianity symbolizes humanity's redemption through Christ. Second, his turning away from sin shows a soul changing from sin to grace. Third, his cleansing in Purgatorio represents a soul moving from hardship to eternal glory. Also, the idea that Virgil caused Statius' conversion is like how Virgil rescued Dante in Inferno. However, Statius' secret Christianity is also a "negative example" for Dante. Statius hid his faith, unlike Dante, who openly writes about his faith in the Divine Comedy.

Influence of Statius' Works on the Divine Comedy

Besides Statius himself, characters from his poems also appear in the Divine Comedy. Argia, a character from Statius' Thebaid and wife of Polynices, is mentioned by Dante. Dante considers her a noble woman and places her among the virtuous pagans in Limbo.

Capaneus, a central figure in the Thebaid's tragic story, is placed in the seventh circle of Hell in the Divine Comedy. There, those who committed violence against God are punished. In Statius' poem, Capaneus is a heroic character. But in Dante's poem, he is only shown for his physical strength and his failure to accept God's power.

Images for kids

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  A portrait of Statius.

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  The Thebaid describes the siege of Thebes by the seven Argive champions.

See also

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