Silvae: Vol. 1 (Loeb Classical Library) - Tapa dura

Both the classicist and the casual reader of Latin poetry owe a debt of gratitude to Shackleton Bailey for making this difficult collection of poems accessible in a scholarly yet eminently readable edition that may help Statius' occasional poetry to participate in the renewal of interest which the poet's epic production is currently experiencing.--Stephen Newmyer "Scholia Reviews "

Statius' "Silvae", 32 occasional poems, were written probably between 89 and 96 AD. Here the poet congratulates friends, consoles mourners, offers thanks, admires a monument or artistic object, or describes a memorable scene. The verse is light in touch, with a distinct picture quality. Statius gives us in these impromptu poems clear images of Domitian's Rome. 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 another readily apparent influence: the figure of the emperor Domitian permeates these poems.