|
Showing 1 - 4 of
4 matches in All Departments
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.
|
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.