Publius Papinius Statius, Achilleid

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The

Achilleid

is the last surviving work of Publius Papinius Statius (c. 45-96 CE), the foremost epic poet of the Flavian era (69-96 CE). Composition of the poem likely began around 94 CE. Statius refers to the completion of the

Thebaid

and his current engagement with the

Achilleid

twice in the fourth book of the

Silvae

(4.7.87-100, 4.7.21-24), published in 95 CE (Coleman xix). A poem in the posthumously collected fifth book of the

Silvae

refers to Statius’ recitation of “[his] Achilles” (

Silvae

5.2.160-3) before an audience that includes Roman senators. The unfinished epic relates episodes from the early life of the Greek mythological warrior Achilles in a book and a quarter of Latin hexameter verse (1127 lines). In the epic’s proem, the narrator defines his goals as different…

1528 words

Citation: Bernstein, Neil. "Achilleid". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 February 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34881, accessed 29 March 2024.]

34881 Achilleid 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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