A classical epic of fratricide and war, the "Thebaid" retells
the legendary conflict between the sons of Oedipus--Polynices and
Eteocles--for control of the city of Thebes. The Latin poet Statius
reworks a familiar story from Greek myth, dramatized long before by
Aeschylus in his tragedy "Seven against Thebes." Statius chose his
subject well: the Rome of his day, ruled by the emperor Domitian,
was not too distant from the civil wars that had threatened the
survival of the empire. Published in 92 A.D., the "Thebaid" was an
immediate success, and its fame grew in succeeding centuries. It
reached its peak of popularity in the later Middle Ages and
Renaissance, influencing Dante, Chaucer, and perhaps Shakespeare.
In recent times, however, it has received perhaps less attention
than it deserves, in large part because there has been no
accessible, dynamic translation of the work into English.
Charles Stanley Ross offers a compelling version of the
"Thebaid" rendered into forceful, modern English. Casting Statius's
Latin hexameter into a lively iambic pentameter more natural to the
modern ear, Ross frees the work from the archaic formality that has
marred previous translations. His translation reinvigorates the
"Thebaid" as a whole: its meditative first half and its violent
second half; its intimate portrayal of defeat and retribution, and
the need to seek justice at any cost. In a wide-ranging
introduction, Ross provides an overview of the poem: its
composition, reception and legacy; its major themes and literary
influences; and its place in Statius' life. And in a helpful series
of notes, he offers background information on the major characters
and incidents.
General
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