Thebaid (The World's Classics) [Paperback]

Statius (Author), A. D. Melville (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oxford World's Classics | Publication Date: June 8, 1995

The Thebaid of Publius Papinas Statius, an epic poem in twelve books completed in about A.D. 90, has been thought by many to stand second only to Virgil's Aeneid among Latin narrative poems. It tells of the war between Eteocles and Polynices, sons of Oedipus, for the throne of Thebes. Rich in incident and always dramatic in tone, it unfolds a panorama of human ambition and violence, triumph and catastrophe. Though remaining within the Homeric and Virgilian tradition, it achieves its own power and vitality in thought, language, and description. This new translation captures all power of the Latin original, demonstrating that the Thebaid is not only a masterpiece of poetry but a compelling story, at times horrifying, noble, and pathetic, of humankind bound by the power of Fate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Melville's translation...is without doubt the best one yet published, for he conveys better than any previous translator the tone, diction, style and imagery of the Thebaid. This handsomely produced book is a welcome addition to studies on Statius and will serve to increase the awareness among scholars and teachers of one of the finest postclassical poets."--Bryn Mawr Classical Review

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 8, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192824538
• ISBN-13: 978-0192824530
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,726,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ian Myles Slater on A Neglected Epic, October 1, 2003

By 

Ian M. Slater "aylchanan" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Thebaid (The World's Classics) (Paperback)

This paperback edition of A.D. Melville's translation of the "Thebaid" is a worthwhile addition to the Oxford University Press' "World's Classics" series (now appearing as "Oxford World's Classics"). The Roman poet Statius has suffered in modern estimation for not being Virgil, and classical, or Ovid, and romantic. In addition, his story overlapped with a version by Aeschylus ("The Seven Against Thebes") and Sophocles' three surviving Theban plays, so in the Greeks versus Romans playoffs, the Latin poet was pitted against two geniuses in a different genre.

To the Middle Ages, though, Statius was one of the great poets, with adaptations and sequels in vernacular languages. Readers may be familiar with, for example, Chaucer's "Knight's Tale," which assumes the Theban war as a background event. There have been only a handful of translations into modern English, however, and only the uninspiring English in the Loeb Classical Library bilingual version has been very readily available. (I tend to be a little wary of Melville's dismissals of the competition in his other translations, but once having forced myself through part of the 1928 Loeb edition then available, I have to agree in this case.)

[It should be added that a NEW Loeb edition of Statius, edited and translated by D. R. Shackleton Bailey, is now available, and is NOT included in this observation. Paolo Asso has treated this two-volume publication (which includes the fragment of an Achilles epic) in the on-line "Bryn Mawr Classical Review" -- which, as of November 8, 2004, has just issued a "correct version of BMCR 2004.11.02, Loeb Statius. Thebaid," replacing an accidental repeat of his review of Bailey's edition of Statius' lyrics, the "Silvae". Asso -- to whom I am indebted for the elegant descripton of Statius as writing Greek poetry in Latin -- has serious concerns with Bailey's treatment of the Latin text. But he finds the translation, taken with its annotations, readable.]

From his early ("Allegory of Love") to his latest ("Discarded Image") medieval studies, C.S. Lewis was a great champion of Statius, pointing out how congenial and helpful his materialist (astrological) and allegorical (psychological) treatment of the pagan gods was to medieval Christian readers and writers. His approach suggested that "un-classical" aspects of the poem should be seen as something new and different, not a failure to be Homeric or Virgilian. Melville's translation seems to have stimulated a similar appreciation in "The Encyclopedia of Fantasy" (Clute and Grant), which gives Statius an article in which he is treated as one of the precursors of modern fantasy.

Statius presents the Theban War more as a catalogue of horrors than an heroic romp, and if treated as modern fantasy the epic would mainly fall on the "Dark Fantasy" side. Moorcock's Elric would be more at home in Statius' version of Greece before the Trojan War than would Tolkien's Aragorn -- although some of the characters in "The Silmarillion" might find it all depressingly familiar. It is not light reading, but I agree that it is a great poem, neglected far too long.

Addendum: There is a new translation by Charles Stanley Ross, "The Thebaid: Seven Against Thebes," from Johns Hopkins University Press, announced for December 2004 (not seen).

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Preferred His Earlier Work, August 8, 2000

By 

Timmy Joe Parks (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thebaid (The World's Classics) (Paperback)

What can you say, it's a pretty good poem. Of course, there are those people out there who say either you like Statius or you don't. Frankly, I like Statius. This is a very good book to start out with if you're thinking about reading Statius. Personally, I think everyone should be more familiar with him.

2 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Latin Poem--Reminds Me of X-Men Meets Coyote Ugly, August 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Thebaid (The World's Classics) (Paperback)

This is the best, most moving poem I've ever read. Forget all that you've heard about Statius. I know some people say he's dull, but obviously those people have never read Statius. He's an absolute hoot and a gas to read. I laughed, I cried throughout the poem. Of course, it helps if you know Etruscan, which I am deeply familiar with.