Silvae Av Statius

<p>Statius¿ <i>Silvae</i>, thirty-two occasional poems, were written probably between 89 and 96 CE. Here the poet congratulates friends, consoles mourners, offers thanks, admires a monument or artistic object, and describes a memorable scene. The verse is light in touch, with a distinct pictorial quality. Statius gives us in these impromptu poems clear images of Domitian¿s Rome.</p><p></p><p>Statius was raised in the Greek cultural milieu of the Bay of Naples, and his Greek literary education lends a sophisticated veneer to his ornamental verse. The role of the emperor and the imperial circle in determining taste is also readily apparent: the figure of the emperor Domitian permeates these poems.</p><p></p><p>D. R. Shackleton Bailey¿s edition of the <i>Silvae</i>, which replaced the earlier Loeb Classical Library edition with translation by J. H. Mozley, is now reissued with corrections by Christopher A. Parrott.</p>