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FLAVIAN EPIC
ous eulogy in the Punica (12.393—414). That Silius should revere Ennius at
all is a portent, showing him to be a harbinger of second-century archaism.
Statius, including Ennius in a catalogue of Roman poets, designated him
'unpolished' and 'harsh' (2.7.75). The precise contribution of Ennius' Annales
to Silius' Punica is indeterminable: but even lip service testifies to an attitude
of mind. Valerius Flaccus was nearest in spirit to Virgil, but the assessment of
proximity depends on an observer's location. Ovid necessarily exercised a considerable
effect on Valerius' formal techniques. It seems certain that in the
Argonautica he aimed at a restraint in language and thought which he considered
to be Virgilian. Quintilian, the apostle of classicism, noted with regret the
passing of Valerius (/rut. 10.1.90) — doubtless recognizing in him a kindred
spirit.
No less than the Augustans, the Flavians drank deep at the fountain of
Greek poetry. Valerius' principal narrative source was Apollonius Rhodius,
though there was little of the servile in the relationship. From Homer, the
'wellspring of all poesie', both Statius and Silius adapted much, introducing
not only episodes already reshaped by Virgil but fresh ones as well. Both poets,
for example, have incidents based on Achilles' fight with the River Scamander
(Jliad 2i.234ff.): Statius describes Hippomedon's battle with Ismenus (Theb.
9.404ft".), Silius Scipio's conflict with Trebia (Pun. 4.638(1.). The riches of
Homer were inexhaustible, and Statius quarried freely. Silius saw no difficulty
in welding Homeric motifs on to the framework of Roman history. 1 Homer's
primacy in the genre and Virgilian precedent were, therefore, simultaneously
recognized.
For Statius, it was natural to study the Greeks. He was of Hellenic descent,
born in Naples, where, as he says in a poem addressed to his wife Claudia,
Grata licentia and Romanus honos were happily conjoined (Silv. 3.5.94). His
father was a poetaster and schoolmaster specializing in the explication of Greek
texts (Silv. 5.3.1468".). Statius' Hellenism is not, however, obtrusive. He
utilized Euripidean tragedy — the Phoenissae and Suppliant women had obvious
relevance to the Thebaid and the Hypsipyle may have added something to
Books 4—6 — but never without radical transformation. From Callimachus he
derived, among other things, some details for the myth of Linus and Coroebus
(1.557—672). Apollonius Rhodius played a subsidiary role in the evolution of
Hypsipyle's narrative in Book 5. Old theories that he drew material from the
Cyclic Thebaidox from Antimachus of Colophon may be dismissed as unproven
and improbable. 2
For a long time the Flavian writers were regarded as little better than plagiarists.
Recent investigations have revealed the inadequacy and injustice of this
approach. This is especially true in Statius' case. His originality has been
1
See the full investigations of Juhnke (1972). * Cf. Vessey (1970) 118—43.
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