Synopses & Reviews
Statius' Silvae are argued in this book to be important social and literary productions. Traditionally derided as occasional and therefore inconsequential verse, they offer fascinating insight into the history, politics, art and literature of the Flavian period. They celebrate and explore in all its variety and ambiguity a flourishing literary and artistic culture which the condemnation of Domitian's memory after his assassination had largely suppressed. They deserve consideration for what they reveal about the role of poetry and patronage in imperial society as well as about imperial art and architecture.
Review
"Newland's approach--honed from her ^Playing with Time: Ovid and the Fasti" in which she tackled Ovid's combiniation of poetic narrative and national encomium--will provoke a new and to some degree sythetic phase in this movement.... Anyone interested in Flavian interested in Flavian poetry should consult this book, which is recommended for upper-division underground, graduate, and research collections." Choice
Synopsis
Statius' Silvae, published in AD 93 and 95, have traditionally been derided as occasional and therefore inconsequential verse. However, this important new study argues that in fact they offer fascinating insights into the history, politics, art and literature of the Flavian period. They celebrate and explore in all its variety and ambiguity a flourishing literary and artistic culture which was largely suppressed by the condemnation of the Emperor Domitian's memory after his assassination in AD 96. All passages of Latin quoted are translated into English.
Synopsis
New study of the poems, exploring their insights into the culture of the Flavian period.
About the Author
Carole Newlands is Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has published Playing with Time: Ovid and the Fasti (1995).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction; 2. Embodying the statue: Silvae 1.1 and 4.6; 3. Engendering the house: Silvae 1.2 and 3.4; 4. Imperial pastoral: Vopiscus' villa in Silvae 1.3; 5. Dominating nature: Pollio's villa in Silvae 2.2; 6. Reading the Thebaid: Silvae 1.5; 7. The Emperor's Saturnalia: Silvae 1.6; 8. Dining with the emperor: Silvae 4.2; 9. Building the imperial highway: Silvae 4.3.