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{{Short description|1st-century AD Roman poet}}
{{for-multi|the personal name|Statius (praenomen)|other uses}}
{{Infobox writer
|name = Publius Papinius Statius
|image= Publio Papinio Stazio.png
|birth_date= {{circa|45}} CE
|birth_place= [[Naples]], [[Roman Empire]]
|death_date= {{circa|lk=no|96}} CE (aged c. 51)
|death_place= Naples, [[Roman Empire]]
|occupation= Poet
|nationality= Roman (of Greek origin)
}}

'''Publius Papinius Statius''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Πόπλιος Παπίνιος Στάτιος; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|eɪ|ʃ|i|ə|s}}, {{IPA|la|ˈstaːtiʊs|lang}};{{efn|Distinct from the general Latin stem ''stăt-''.}} {{circa|lk=no|45}} {{ndash}} {{circa|lk=no|96}}) was a [[Latin poetry|Latin poet]] of the 1st century CE. His surviving poetry includes an epic in twelve books, the ''[[Thebaid (Latin poem)|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 ''[[Purgatorio|Purgatory]]'' section of [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s epic poem, the ''[[Divine Comedy]]''.

==Life==
===Family background===
The poet's father (whose name is unknown) was a native of [[Velia]] but later moved to [[Naples]] and spent time in [[Rome]] where he taught with marked success. From boyhood to adulthood, Statius's father proved himself a champion in the poetic contests at Naples in the [[Augustalia]] and in the [[Nemean]], [[Pythian Games|Pythian]], and [[Isthmian Games|Isthmian games]], which served as important events to display poetic skill during the early empire. Statius declares in his lament for his father (''Silv.'' 5.3) that his father was in his time equal to any literary task, whether in prose or verse. He mentioned [[Mevania]], and may have spent time there, or been impressed by the confrontation of [[Vitellius]] and [[Vespasian]] in 69. Statius's father was a Roman ''[[Eques (ancient Rome)|eques]]'', but may have lost his status because of money troubles. At Naples, he was a teacher of Greek and Roman literature who attracted many pupils who were destined for religious offices in Rome. He died in 79 AD. From Pliny the Younger's Letters, it has recently been deduced that Statius also wrote under the pseudonym of Propertius.

===Birth and career===
Less is known of the biography of Statius. Born {{circa}} 45 CE, he grew up in the [[Culture of Greece|Greek cultural milieu]] of the [[Bay of Naples]], and his [[Ancient greek education|Greek literary education]] lends a sophisticated veneer to his ornamental verse.<ref>{{Cite book| author = Publius Papinius Statius |url=https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674012080|title= Thebaid|date= 2003|publisher= Harvard University Press|isbn= |volume= |oclc= 475361782}}</ref> From his boyhood he won several poetic contests at his native Naples and three times at the [[Alba (CN)|Alban]] Festival, where he received the golden crown from the hand of the emperor [[Domitian]], who had instituted the contest. For the Alban Festival, Statius composed a [[poem]] on the German and Dacian campaigns of Domitian - which Juvenal lampoons in his seventh satire. Statius is thought to have moved to Rome {{circa | 90}} after his father's death in 79; there he published his acclaimed epic poem the ''Thebaid'' ({{circa | 92}}). In the capital, Statius seems to have made many connections among the Roman aristocracy and court, and he was probably{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} supported through their patronage. Statius produced the first three books of occasional poetry, his ''Silvae'', which were published in 93, and which sketch his patrons and acquaintances of this period and mention his attendance at one of Domitian's [[Saturnalia]] banquets. He competed in the great [[Capitoline Hill|Capitoline]] competition<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Friedländer
 |first1               = Ludwig
 |author-link1         = Ludwig Friedländer
 |translator-last1     = Freese
 |translator-first1    = J. H.
 |translator-last2     = Magnus
 |translator-first2    = Leonard A.
 |year                 = 1913
 |orig-date            = 1862
 |chapter              = The Arts
 |title                = Roman Life and Manners Under the Early Empire
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=55jq1xTf4F8C
 |volume               = 2
 |publication-place    = London
 |publisher            = George Routledge & Sons
 |page                 = 352
 |access-date          = 3 November 2023
 |quote                = The Capitoline competition, instituted by Domitian in 86, was held in far greater and more lasting repute than the Neronian. [...] At this festival, which was celebrated every fourth summer, poets, singers and musicians competed for the wreath of oak leaves, which the emperor himself presented to the victors [...].
}} 
</ref> -
it is not known in what year, although 94 has been suggested. Statius failed to win the coveted prize, a loss he took very hard. The disappointment may{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} have prompted his return ({{circa | 94}}) to Naples, the home of his youth. There survives a poem he addressed on this occasion to his wife, Claudia (the widow of a famous singer) who had a musically talented daughter by her first husband, (''Silv.'' 3.5).

===Later years at Naples===
Statius's first three books of the ''Silvae'' seem to have received some criticism, and in response he composed a fourth book' at Naples, which was published in 95. During this period at Naples, Statius maintained his relations with the court and his patrons, earning himself another invitation to a palace banquet (''Silv.'' 4.2). He seems to have taken an interest in the marriage and career of his stepdaughter and, being childless, he also took under his wing a young slave boy, who died c. 95. In that same year Statius embarked on a new epic, the ''Achilleid'', giving popular recitations of his work (Juv. 7.83) only to complete a book and a half before dying in 95, leaving the poem unfinished. His fifth book of ''Silvae'' were published after his death c. 96.

==Works==
As a poet, Statius was versatile in his abilities and contrived to represent his work as ''[[otium]]''. Taught by his educated father, Statius was familiar with the breadth of classical literature and displayed his learning in his poetry which is densely allusive and has been described as elaborate and mannerist. He was able to compose in [[hexameter]], [[hendecasyllable]], [[Alcaic]], and [[Sapphic stanza|Sapphic]] meters, to produce deeply researched and highly refined epic and polished impromptu pieces, and to treat a variety of themes with the dazzling rhetorical and poetic skill that inspired the support of his patrons and the emperor. Some of Statius's works, such as his poems for his competitions, have been lost; he is recorded as having written an ''Agave'' mime, and a four line fragment remains of his poem on Domitian's military campaigns, the ''De Bello Germanico'' composed for the Alban Games in the scholia to Juvenal 4.94.<ref>''lumina; Nestorei mitis prudentia Crispi/et Fabius Veiento (potentem signat utrumque/purpura, ter memores implerunt nomine fastos)/et prope Caesareae confinis Acilius aulae'') ("lights/eyes; the gentle wisdom of Nestor-like Crispinus, and Fabius Veiento, the purple marks each as eminent, three times have they filled the recording annals with their names--and Acilius, near neighbour of Caesar's palace." trans. [[Susanna Braund|Braund, S. M.]] ''Juvenal Satires Book 1'' (Cambridge, 1996) pg. 251</ref>

===The ''Thebaid''===
{{main| Thebaid (Latin poem)}}

Based on Statius's own testimony, the ''Thebaid'' was written between c. 80 and 92, beginning when the poet was around 35, and the work is thought to have been published in 91 or 92.<ref>Feeney, Dennis ''The Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (Oxford, 1996) pg.1439</ref> The poem is divided into twelve books in imitation of [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]'' and is composed in dactylic hexameter.<ref>Shackleton Bailey, D.R. ''Statius' Thebaid 1–7'' (Cambridge, 2003) pg.3</ref> In the ''Silvae'', Statius speaks of his extensive work in polishing and revising the ''Thebaid'' and his public recitations of the poem.<ref>''Silv.'' 5.2.161</ref> From the epilogue it seems clear that Statius considered the ''Thebaid'' to be his ''magnum opus'' and believed that it would secure him fame for the future. In the poem, Statius follows Virgil closely as a model (in the epilogue<ref>Theb. 12.810-19.</ref> he acknowledges his debt to Virgil), but he also refers to a wide range of sources in his handling of meter and episodes.
[[File:Hoplites fight Louvre E735.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The ''Thebaid'' describes the siege of Thebes by the seven Argive champions]]

The poem's theme is the myth of the [[Seven against Thebes]], the story of the battle between the sons of [[Oedipus]] for the throne of [[Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)|Thebes]]. The poem opens (Book 1) with the disgraced Oedipus' curse on his two sons, [[Eteocles]] and [[Polyneices]], who have decided to hold the throne of Thebes in alternate years, one ruling, the other in exile. Jupiter plans a war between Thebes and [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], although Juno begs him not to incite it. Polyneices in exile fights with [[Tydeus]], another exile at [[Adrastus]]' palace; the two are entertained and marry Adrastus' daughters. In Book 2, Tydeus goes to Eteocles to ask him to lay down the throne and yield power, but he refuses and tries to kill Tydeus with an ambush. Tydeus slaughters the Thebans and escapes to Argos, causing Adrastus and Polyneices to declare war on Thebes (Book 3). In the fourth book the Argive forces gather, commanded by the seven champions Adrastus, Polyneices, [[Amphiaraus]], [[Capaneus]], [[Parthenopaeus]], [[Hippomedon]], and Tydeus, and march to Thebes, but at [[Nemea]], Bacchus causes a drought. The army meets [[Hypsipyle]] who shows them a spring then tells them the story of the Women of [[Lemnos]] (Book 5). While she is speaking, her ward, [[Opheltes]], is killed by a snake; in Book 6, the Argives perform games for the dead child, instituting the [[Nemean Games]]. In 7, Jupiter urges the Argives to march on Thebes where battle breaks out during which Amphiaraus is swallowed in the earth. In 8, Tydeus, wounded and dying, kills Melanippus and eats his head; a battle over his body leads to the death of Hippomedon and Parthenopaeus (Book 9). In 10, Juno causes sleep to overcome the Thebans and the Argives slaughter many in the camp; [[Menoeceus]] sacrifices himself to save Thebes and Jupiter kills the wicked Capaneus with a thunderbolt. In 11, Polyneices and Eteocles join in single combat and kill each other; [[Jocasta]] kills herself and [[Creon of Thebes|Creon]] assumes power, forbidding burial of the Argive dead. In the final book, the Argive widows go to [[Athens]] to ask [[Theseus]] to force Creon to allow their husbands' burial while [[Antigone]], Polyneices's sister, and [[Argia]], Polyneices's wife, burns him illicitly. Theseus musters an army and kills Creon. The ''Thebaid'' ends with an epilogue in which the poet prays that his poem will be successful, cautions it not to rival the ''[[Aeneid]]'', and hopes that his fame will outlive him.

Modern critics of the ''Thebaid'' have been divided over interpretations of the epic's tone. Earlier critics in the 19th and 20th century considered the poem a piece of elaborate flattery that vindicated the regime of Domitian; however, more recent scholars have viewed the poem as a subversive work that criticizes the [[authoritarianism]] and violence of the Flavians by focusing on extreme violence and social chaos.<ref>Hardie, P. ''The Epic Successors of Virgil: A Study in the Dynamics of a Tradition'' (Cambridge, 1993).</ref> Statius' use of [[allegory]] in the ''Thebaid'' and his abstract treatment of the gods has been seen as an important innovation in the tradition of classical poetry which ushered in Medieval conventions.<ref>Lewis, C. S. ''[[The Allegory of Love]]'' (1936) pp.48–56</ref> Finally, although earlier scholars criticized the style of the poem as episodic, current scholars have noted the subtlety and skill with which Statius organizes and controls his narrative and description.<ref>Coleman in Bailey, pg.13–18</ref> Other topics discussed in the scholarship on the Thebaid are the pervasive role of madness (furor), time, or the family.<ref>Venini 1964; Hershkowitz 1994; Hershkowitz 1995; Simms 2020; e.g. Bernstein 2003.</ref>

===The ''Silvae''===
{{main|Silvae}}

The ''Silvae'' were probably composed by Statius between 89 and 96. The first three books seem to have been published together after 93, Book 4 was probably released in 95, and Book 5 is thought to have been released posthumously in c. 96.<ref>Shackleton Bailey, D. R. ''Statius Silvae'' (Cambridge, 2003) pg.5</ref> The title of the collection (''silvae'' meaning "forest" or "raw material") was used to describe the draft of a poet's work which was composed impromptu in a moment of strong inspiration and which was then revised into a polished, metrical poem.<ref>Quintilian 10.3.17</ref> This suggests that the ''Silvae'' are revised, impromptu pieces of occasional poetry which were composed in the space of a few days' time. There are thirty-two poems in the collection (almost all with a dedicatee), divided into five books, each with a dedicatory epistle. Of nearly four thousand lines which the books contain, more than five-sixths are [[hexameter]]s. Four of the pieces are written in the hendecasyllabic metre, and there is one [[Alcaic]] and one [[Sapphic stanza|Sapphic]] ode.
 
Subjects of the ''Silvae'' vary widely. Five poems are devoted to the emperor and his favorites, including a description of [[Domitian]]'s equestrian statue in the Forum (1.1), praise for his construction of the [[Via Domiziana|Via Domitiana]] (4.3), and a poem on the dedication of the hair of [[Flavius Earinus|Earinus]], a eunuch favorite of Domitian's, to a shrine of Aesculapius (3.4). Six are lamentations for deaths or consolations to survivors, including the highly personal poems on the death of Statius's father and his foster-son (5.3,5). The poems on loss are particularly notable in the collection and range from consolations on the death of wives (3.3) to pieces on the death of a favorite parrot (2.4) and a lion in the arena (2.5). Another group of the ''Silvae'' give picturesque descriptions of the villas, gardens, and artworks of the poet's friends. In these we have a more vivid representation than elsewhere of the surroundings Roman aristocrats of the empire lived in the country. Important examples include a piece on Pollius's temple to [[Hercules]] (3.1), the aetiology of the tree at Atedius' villa (2.3), an antique statue of [[Lysippus]]'s [[Heracles]] (4.6) and a description of Pollius' villa at [[Surrentum]] (2.2). The rest of the ''Silvae'' consist of congratulatory addresses to friends, and poems for special occasions such as the wedding poem for Stella and Violentilla (2.2), the poem commemorating the poet [[Lucan]]'s birthday (2.7), and a joking piece to Plotius Grypus on a Saturnalia gift (4.9).

As with the ''Thebaid'', Statius's relationship to Domitian and his court caused him to fall out of favor with critics and readers, but in recent times, the ''Silvae'' have been rehabilitated by scholars.<ref>Coleman in Bailey, pp.11–17</ref> Domitian is an important presence in the ''Silvae'', and many of the poems appear to flatter the emperor and court. The content of the ''Silvae'' is primarily dictated by the needs of Statius's [[Patronage in ancient Rome|patrons]], and many of the addressees come from the wealthy, privileged class of landowners and politicians.<ref>{{cite journal |author-last=Cannizzaro |author-first=Francesco |date=July 2021 |title=Statius' ''Silvae'' 4.8 and 4.9: The Poet's Anger and Patronage |editor-last=Nooter |editor-first=Sarah |journal=[[Classical Philology (journal)|Classical Philology]] |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] for the Department of Classics, Division of the Humanities, [[University of Chicago]] |volume=116 |issue=3 |pages=445–455 |doi=10.1086/714432 |s2cid=235598972 |eissn=1546-072X |issn=0009-837X}}</ref> Statius's flattery of these elites has been interpreted in two ways by scholars; some maintain that the collection is highly subversive and is a subtle criticism of Domitian and the Roman aristocracy.<ref>Newlands, C. E. ''Statius' Silvae and the Poetics of Empire'' (Cambridge, 2002)</ref> Others urge a reading of the ''Silvae'' as individual pieces that respond to specific circumstances with their own unique viewpoints.<ref>Nauta, R. R. ''Poetry for Patrons: Literary Communication in the Age of Domitian'' (Leiden, 2002)</ref>

===The ''Achilleid''===
{{main|Achilleid}}

A fragment of his epic poem on the life of [[Achilles]]—the ''[[Achilleid]]''—is also extant, consisting of one book and a few hundred lines of a second.<ref>The best text for both epics is provided by the ninth-century ''Codex Puteaneus'', from the [[Abbey of Corbie]], a manuscript in the [[Bibliothèque nationale de France|Bibliothèque Nationale]] (BN 8051) that was once the property of the humanist [[Claude Dupuy (jurist)|Claude Dupuy]]. The best recent edition is O.A.W. Dilke, (Cambridge 1954), which has more recently been reprinted with a new introduction (Bristol 2005). A new translation in the [[Loeb Classical Library]] is by D. R. Shackleton Bailey.</ref> What was completed of this poem was composed between 94 and 95 based on ''Silvae'' 4.7.21ff. Statius records that there were recitations of the poem.<ref>''Silv.'' 5.2.161ff.</ref> It is thought that Statius' death in 95 is the reason that the poem remains unfinished. In the first book, Thetis, having foreknowledge of her son's death in the [[Trojan War]], attempts to hide Achilles on the island of Scyros by dressing him up as a girl. On the island, Achilles falls in love with [[Deidamia (daughter of Lycomedes)|Deidamia]] and forces her to have sex with him. [[Odysseus|Ulysses]] arrives to recruit Achilles for the war effort and reveals his identity. In the second book, Ulysses and Achilles depart and Achilles gives an account of his early life and tutelage by the centaur [[Chiron]]. The poem breaks off at the end of his speech. In general, scholars have remarked on the markedly different tone of the ''Achilleid'' in comparison with the ''Thebaid'', equating it more to the style of Ovid than Virgil.<ref>[[Elaine Fantham]] in "Statius' Achilles and His Trojan Model" ''The Classical Quarterly'' New Series, '''29'''.2 (1979, pp. 457–462) p 457 describes it as "a more varied and charming work than readers of the ''Thebaid'' could ever have imagined and is perhaps the most attractive approach to the imitative and professional poet.".</ref> Some have also noted the predominance of feminine themes and feminine power in the fragment and focus on the poem's perspectives on gender relations.<ref>Shackleton Bailey, D. R. ''Statius' Thebaid 1–7'' (Cambridge, 2003) pg.7, 26–8</ref>

==Statius's influence and literary afterlife==
Statius's poetry was very popular in his lifetime, although he was not without his critics who apparently had problems with his ''[[ex tempore]]'' style.<ref>Prologue to ''Silvae'' 4</ref> Juvenal is thought to extensively lampoon Statius's type of court poetry in his fourth satire on the turbot of Domitian, but he also mentions the immense popularity of Statius's recitations in Satire 7.82ff.<ref>Juvenal 7.82–87: "They run to his pleasant voice and the poetry of his dear ''Thebaid'' when Statius has made the city happy and set a day. Their hearts are captured with sheer sweetness and the crowd is inspired by immense pleasure. But once he has broken the benches, he'll starve unless he sells his virgin ''Agave'' to Paris.</ref> In late antiquity, the ''Thebaid'', which was by then a classic, received a commentary by a [[Lactantius Placidus]].

Throughout the Middle Ages, the ''Thebaid'' remained a popular text, inspiring a 12th-century French romance as well as works by [[Giovanni Boccaccio|Boccaccio]] and [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]]. Statius's development of allegory helped establish the importance of that technique in medieval poetry. In the Renaissance, the ''Silvae,'' thanks to [[Poliziano]], helped inspire an entire genre of collections of miscellaneous, occasional poetry called ''Sylvae'' which remained popular throughout the period, inspiring works by [[Hugo Grotius]] and [[John Dryden]].<ref>Van Dam, H. "Wandering Woods Again: From Poliziano to Grotius" in ''The Poetry of Statius'' ed. Smolenaars, J., Van Dam, H., and Nauta, R. (Leiden, 2008)</ref> [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]] mentions Statius in ''[[De vulgari eloquentia]]'' along with [[Ovid]], [[Virgil]] and [[Marcus Annaeus Lucanus|Lucan]] as one of the four ''regulati poetae'' (ii, vi, 7).

=== Statius in Dante's ''Divine Comedy'' ===

==== Statius as a character in ''Purgatorio'' ====
In the ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', Dante and [[Virgil]] meet Statius as they leave the fifth terrace in [[Purgatorio]] (reserved for the avaricious and the prodigal) and enter the sixth terrace (reserved for the gluttonous). Statius's redemption is heard in ''Purgatorio'' 20, when the mountain of [[Purgatory]] trembles and the penitent souls cry out the hymn "[[Gloria in excelsis Deo]]". Statius joins Dante and Virgil, as indicated in ''Purgatorio'' 21. Statius ascends Mount Purgatory with Dante and Virgil, and he stays with Dante in the [[Garden of Eden|Earthly Paradise]] at the mountain's summit, after Virgil has returned to [[First circle of hell|Limbo]]. Statius is last mentioned in ''Purgatorio'' 33. Although Statius plays a small role after the disappearance of Virgil, his presence in accompanying Dante through Earthly Paradise until the rivers of [[Lethe]] and [[Eunoe]] serves an important role in the plot line of the ''Comedy'', as it underscores Statius's significant difference from Virgil. This is because Dante's Statius, a Christian poet who drew inspiration from Virgil, represents a model of the "new vernacular Christian Dante-poeta" in Dante's journey in the ''Comedy'' as a protagonist.

Statius's arrival in ''Purgatorio'' 20 is often compared to Jesus' appearance to the disciples after the [[Resurrection of Jesus|Resurrection]] as narrated by [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 24:13–16.<ref name=":0" /> Scholars have also paralleled Virgil's and Statius's relationship to that of [[John the Baptist]] and [[Jesus]]: John the Baptist precedes Jesus and formally baptizes him. In ''[[Inferno (Dante)|Inferno]]'', Virgil alludes to Christ's [[Harrowing of Hell]], through which John the Baptist is freed from Limbo. In the same spirit, Statius cites Virgil's poems as the reason for his conversion to Christianity. In particular, Statius was saved from the vice of [[prodigality]] by reading Virgil's condemnation of this particular vice in a passage of the ''[[Aeneid]]'' (''Aeneid'' 3.56–57), and that he found reason for converting to Christianity while reading a passage from Virgil's ''[[Eclogues]]'' (Eclogue 4.5–7). Statius recounts to Virgil that, "through you I was a poet, through you a Christian" (''per te poeta fui, per te cristiano'', ''Purg''. 22.73). Statius' relationship with Virgil highlights the tragedy of Virgil, who may beget salvation, but cannot attain it.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Kleinhenz|first=Christopher|date=2008|title=Lectura Dantis, Purgatorio|url=https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=328368|journal=University of California Press|pages=}}</ref>

Though Statius converted to Christianity, he states that he kept his Christianity a secret (''Purg''. 22.90) as he lived at a time where Christians were [[Persecution of Christians#Antiquity|persecuted]], which resulted him spending four centuries in the fourth terrace of Purgatory, where the vice of sloth is cleansed.

Dante presents Statius as the author of [[Thebaid (Latin poem)|''Thebaid'']] and ''[[Achilleid]]'' and as someone who has a great admiration for Virgil. Statius remarks that Virgil's ''[[Aeneid]]'' "was my mama and my nurse" (''Purg''. 21.98) to express Virgil as his inspiration. In ''Purgatorio'', when Dante reveals Virgil's identity to Statius, Statius makes a failed attempt to embrace Virgil, which parallels with [[Aeneas]]'s failed attempt to embrace the shade of his father [[Anchises]] in ''[[Aeneid]]'' 6.700–2. Dante also adds inventive details about Statius's life to fit with the narrative of the ''Divine Comedy''. In addition to being a foil for Virgil, Dante's creative freedom allows him to establish Statius as a reflection of himself. Both Statius's and Dante's salvation is facilitated by Virgil. Statius's conversations with Virgil parallel Dante's conversations with Virgil. For example, Statius asks Virgil where the poets [[Terence]], [[Caecilius Statius|Caecilius]], [[Plautus]] and [[Lucius Varius Rufus|Lucius Varius]] are. Both Dante and Statius are curious about the souls in Hell and look to Virgil as a mentor.<ref name=":0" />

Furthermore, Dante's inventive portrayal of Statius embodies three elements of conversion important for the ''Comedy''{{'}}s [[tropology]] of exile.<ref name=":0" /> First, his conversion to Christianity symbolizes exodus as humanity was redeemed through Christ. Second, his aversion of vice exemplifies the soul's conversion from sin to grace. Third, his completion of cleansing in ''Purgatorio'' allegorizes the soul's exodus from servitude to eternal glory. In addition, the idea that Virgil was the reason for his conversion simulates how Virgil was a rescuer for Dante in [[Inferno (Dante)#Canto I|the first canto of ''Inferno'']]. However, though Statius's conversion to Christianity is a key positive element in the ''Divine Comedy'', it is also a "negative exemplum" to Dante. This is because Statius shunned from publicly revealing his Christianity, contrary to Dante, who publicly writes about his faith in the ''Divine Comedy''.<ref name=":0" />

====Influence of works by Statius on the ''Divine Comedy''====

In addition to Statius himself, characters drawn from his works are also found in the ''Divine Comedy''. [[Argia (daughter of Adrastus)|Argia]], who was a character in Statius' ''Thebaid'' and wife of [[Polynices]], is referred to in the line "of your people" (''de le genti tue'') in ''Purg''. 22 109–110. Dante considers her to be a noble woman, placing her among the virtuous pagans in Limbo. [[Capaneus]], who is at the center of the ''Thebaid''{{'}}s tragic theme, is placed in the third ring of the seventh circle of [[Dis (Divine Comedy)|Dis]], where those who committed sins of violence against the God are condemned. However, Statius' Capaneus is represented as a heroic character, whereas in the ''Comedy'' his only attributes are physical strength and a failure to accept God's divine power.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* Newlands, Carol. (2012). Statius, Poet between Rome and Naples. ''Classical literature and society.''   London:  Bristol Classical Press. 
* Vessey, David. (1973). ''Statius and the Thebaid.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.

===Editions===
* John Henry Mozley (ed., trans.), ''Statius, with an English translation'', in 2 volumes. {{Wikisource link with icon|[[s:Statius (Mozley 1928) v1|Vol. I]], [[s:Statius (Mozley 1928) v2|Vol. II]]|ps=no}} (Loeb Classical Library, 1928).
* [[David R. Slavitt]] (tr.), ''Broken Columns: Two Roman Epic Fragments: The Achilleid of Publius Papinius Statius and The Rape of Proserpine of Claudius Claudianus, with an Afterword by David Konstan'' (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997).
* Betty Rose Nagle, ''The Silvae of Statius. Translated with Notes and Introduction'' (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2004).
* Karla F.L. Pollmann, ''Statius, Thebaid 12: Introduction, Text, and Commentary'', Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Altertums. Neue Folge. 1. Reihe, Band 25 (Paderborn: Ferdinand Schoeningh, 2004).
* Gibson, Bruce, ''Statius. Silvae 5. Edited with Introduction, Translation and Commentary'', Oxford Classical Monographs (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006).
* Jane Wilson Joyce (ed.), ''Statius. ''Thebaid: A Song of Thebes'' (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008) (Masters of Latin Literature).
* Pavan, Alberto (ed., trans., comm.), ''La gara delle quadrighe e il gioco della guerra: Saggio di commento a P. Papinii Statii Thebaidos liber VI 238–549'', Minima philologica 6 (Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2009).
* McNelis, Charles (ed., trans.), ''Statius: Achilleid''. Edited with introduction, translation, and commentary (Oxford, 2024)

===Studies===
* Andreacchio, M. "Dante's Statius and Christianity: A Reading of Purgatorio XXI and XXII in their Poetic Context." ''Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy'' (Vol. 39:1, 2012); pp.&nbsp;55–82.
* Bernstein, N. W. (2003). "Bernstein, Ancestors, Status, and Self-Presentation in Statius' Thebaid", ''Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association'' 133: 353–79.
* {{cite book |last1=Cannizzaro |first1=Francesco |title=Sulle orme dell'Iliade: riflessi dell'eroismo omerico nell'epica d'età flavia |date=2023 |publisher=Società editrice fiorentina |location=Firenze |isbn=9788860326898}}
* Fantham, E. "''Chironis Exemplum'': on teachers and surrogate fathers in Achilleid and Silvae", ''Hermathena'' '''167''' (1999), 59–70.
* Feeney, D. "''Tenui... latens discrimine'': spotting the differences in Statius' ''Achilleid'', ''Materiali e discussioni per l'analisi dei testi classici'' '''52''' (2004), 85–106.
* Ganiban, Randall T. (2007). ''Statius and Virgil: The Thebaid and the Reinterpretation of the Aeneid.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.
* Hardie, A. ''Statius and the Silvae'' (Liverpool, 1983).
* Hershkowitz, Debra (1994). "Sexuality and Madness in Statius' Thebaid", ''Materiali e discussioni per l'analisi dei testi classici'' 33: 123–147.
* Hershkowitz, Debra (1995). "Patterns of Madness in Statius' Thebaid", ''Journal of Roman Studies'' 85: 52–64.
* Heslin, P. J. ''The Transvestite Achilles: Gender and Genre in Statius' Achilleid'' (Cambridge, 2005).
* Johannsen, N. ''Dichter ueber ihre Gedichte: Die Prosavorreden in den 'Epigrammaton libri' Martials und in den 'Silvae' des Statius'', Hypomnemata, 166 (Goettingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2006).
*Lewis, C. S. "Dante's Statius." ''Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature'' (Cambridge, 1966).
*[[Helen Lovatt|Lovatt, H.]] ''Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics, and Poetics in the Thebaid'', Cambridge Classical Studies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005).
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* McNelis, Charles. (2007). ''Statius' Thebaid and the Poetics of Civil War.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.
* Mendelsohn, D. "Empty Nest, Abandoned Cave: maternal anxiety in ''Achilleid'' 1", ''ClAnt'' '''9'''.2 (1990), 295–308.
* Newlands, Carol. (2012). Statius, Poet between Rome and Naples. ''Classical literature and society.''   London:  Bristol Classical Press. 
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* Simms, Robert C. (2020). ''Anticipation and Anachrony in Statius' Thebaid'' (London, 2020).
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* Vessey, David. (1973). ''Statius and the Thebaid.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press.

==External links==
{{Library resources box |by=yes |onlinebooks=yes |others=yes |about=yes |label=Statius
  |viaf= |lccn= |lcheading= |wikititle= }}
*{{commonscat-inline}}
*{{wikiquote-inline}}
*{{wikisource author-inline}}
* [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=statius Works by Statius at Perseus Digital Library]
* {{Librivox author |id=14640}}
* ''Statius'', J. H. Mozley (ed.), 2 voll., London, William Heinemann Ltd - New York, G. P. Putnam's sons, 1928: [https://archive.org/details/statiusstat01statuoft vol. 1], [https://archive.org/details/statiuswithengli02statuoft vol. 2].
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=YMGedk3wXaUC Lactantius Placidus in Statii Thebaida commentum]'', vol. 1, R. D. Sweeney (ed.), Stutgardiae et Lipsiae, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1997.
* [http://www.theoi.com/Text/StatiusThebaid1.html Online text: Statius, Thebaid & Achilleid translated by J.H. Mozley]
* [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/statius.html Online text: Statius, Thebaid, Achilleid & Silvae (Latin)]
* [http://www.rhapsodes.fll.vt.edu/Statius.htm SORGLL:  Statius, Thebes I.46–87; read by Stephen Daitz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830210102/http://www.rhapsodes.fll.vt.edu/Statius.htm |date=2009-08-30 }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Statius}}
[[Category:40s births]]
[[Category:96 deaths]]
[[Category:Silver Age Latin writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Naples]]
[[Category:1st-century Roman poets]]
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