
The Mythic Voice of Statius
Power and Politics in the Thebaid
William J. Dominik(Author)
Brill (Publisher)
Published on 1. October 1994
Book
Leather / fine binding
XIV, 198 pages
978-90-04-09972-2 (ISBN)
Description
This is the first thematic study of Statius' Thebaid to be published in monograph form in English in the past twenty years. It examines in detail the thematic design and intent of the Thebaid and considers the question of its contemporary relevance.
The book focuses on the central theme of power - how it is exercised on the supernatural and human levels and the consequences of its pursuit and abuse in terms of the human condition. An ensuing discussion explores the political undercurrents of the epic.
This discussion is in four main parts: (1) 'Use and Abuse of Supernatural Power'; (2) 'Pursuit and Abuse of Monarchal Power'; (3) 'Consequences of the Abuse of Power'; and (4) 'Political Relevance to Contemporary Rome'.
The views expressed represent a fundamental departure from previous studies and constitute a critical reassessment of the Thebaid. The provision of translations makes the book accessible to the Latinless reader.
The book focuses on the central theme of power - how it is exercised on the supernatural and human levels and the consequences of its pursuit and abuse in terms of the human condition. An ensuing discussion explores the political undercurrents of the epic.
This discussion is in four main parts: (1) 'Use and Abuse of Supernatural Power'; (2) 'Pursuit and Abuse of Monarchal Power'; (3) 'Consequences of the Abuse of Power'; and (4) 'Political Relevance to Contemporary Rome'.
The views expressed represent a fundamental departure from previous studies and constitute a critical reassessment of the Thebaid. The provision of translations makes the book accessible to the Latinless reader.
Reviews / Votes
'Students of Statius will be grateful to Dominik for the extensive and up-to-date bibliography he provides, and by the chronology of Statius' life that reflects the current state of thought on the subject.'Stephen T. Newmyer, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 1995.
More details
Series
136
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 246 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
532 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-09972-2 (9789004099722)
Schweitzer Classification
Person
William J. Dominik, Ph.D. (1989) in Classical Studies, Monash University (Australia), is Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Natal, Durban (South Africa) and Editor of the classical journal Scholia. His publications on Roman literature include Speech and Rhetoric in Statius' Thebaid.