• Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Statius and the Thebaid

Statius and the Thebaid

Paperback

General World History

ISBN10: 0521147514
ISBN13: 9780521147514
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: Jun 24 2010
Pages: 368
Weight: 1.03
Height: 0.82 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
A critical study of Statius' Thebaid, Dr Vessey combats the common notion that the Thebaid is simply an exercise in anachronism, an episodic narrative of the Theban saga. He shows that the poem can and indeed must be read as an elaborate and sustained allegory of the emotions - a study in the extremes of human behaviour. Within this interpretation those features of the epic which have seemed bizarre or superfluous to many critics fall into place as organic and necessary to the poet's purpose. We can moreover see why Statius enjoyed such esteem and influence among writers like Dante, Chaucer and Spenser. Dr Vessey succeeds in situating Statius in both the ancient and European literary traditions; he argues that his importance in both should be recognised. His study should be valuable for classicists and for medievalists alike.

Also in

General World History