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Female Characterisation in Epic Poetry of P.Papinius Statiui

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Female Characterisation in Epic Poetry of P.Papinius Statiui -~----------------- FEMALE CHARACTERISATION IN THE EPIC POETRY OF P. PAPINIUS STATIU~ by Diane Jorge Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Classics at the University of Cape Town University of Cape Town Supervisor: Dr K M Coleman, University of Cape Town September 1990 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the following individuals without whom the completion of this thesis would have been well-nigh impossible: for her help and support, Dr Maggie Mezzabotta; for assistance and encouragement, my friend Roger Palmer (who translated the French texts and did proof­ reading); for all the above and much more, my supervisor and mentor, Dr Kathy Coleman, who guided my first tentative steps, made constructive criticism, and translated the Italian works (I read the German and Dutch material). I extend my thanks also to Interlibrary Loans at the libraries of the University of Cape Town and the University of Natal (Durban), for their prompt and efficient service. Financial assistance rendered by the Human Sciences Research Council towards the cost of this thesis is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed or conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not to be regarded as those of the Human Sciences Research Council. i ABSTRACT "No serious Latinist will deny the probability that Statius will again emerge from the current scholarly re-evaluation of Silver Age Epic as the great poet he seemed to the finest spirits of High Middle Ages and Renaissance, rather than as the pale imitator of Virgil he appeared to the censorious criticism of the nineteenth century, obsessed as it was with its twin heresies of originality and inevitable progress." (Tanner, R G 1986. Epic Tradition and Epigram in Statius ANRW II 32.5, 3020) Publius Papinius Statius (c.AD 40-96) is best known for his occasional poetry, the Silvae, which is in scholarly vogue at present. He also composed a monumental twelve-book epic, little known until this century, concerning the myth of the Seven Against Thebes, as well as beginning a poem, popular in the Middle Ages, intended to chronicle the full career of the hero, Achilles. Death prevented the completion of the latter work, so that there are only 1127 lines extant. I here undertake an evaluation of female characterisation in the Thebaid and Achilleid, as a positive contribution to the rehabilitation programme described in the quotation above. Because Statius' poetry properly observes the ancient literary convention of imitatio, an examination of any feature thereof necessarily first takes account of the treatment of these myths before statius. Although there is no precise literary precedent for the Achilleid, there are various possible Greek and Roman sources for the Thebaid, among them Euripides' Phoenissae and Hypsipyle, Apollonius' Argonautica and Seneca's Phoenissae. Naturally Homer's Iliad provided many of the poetical techniques for depicting the pathos of young warriors killed in battle and the subsequent grief of their relatives. A vital consideration, given Statius' reputation as a "pale imitator of Virgil", is to identify the influence of the Aeneid on Statius' techniques of characterisation, as well as to assess his usage of Virgilian style and phraseology. An equally significant contribution to Statius' presentation of women, and one of especial importance for the Achilleid, is made by Ovidian poetry, particularly the Metamorphoses and Heroides. To a lesser extent Statius was influenced by contemporary Latin epics: Valerius Flaccus' mythological Argonautica, Lucan's politico-historical Pharsalia and Silius Italicus' Punica. In analysing the presentation of heroines and goddesses in the Thebaid, little attempt is made to divine a method or spirit of characterisation "common" to both poems. Rather, the contrast between the portrayal of female personality in the two epics emphasises the very different tone of each: the distinctly comic tone of the Achilleid is reflected in the light-hearted portrayal of the three main characters Thetis, Deidamia and Achilles; on the other hand, the tragic atmosphere of the Thebaid is reflected in the intense portrayal of the chief female characters, Argia, Antigone, Jocasta and Hypsipyle. Insofar as it is ever valid or possible to expect literature to reflect the "real" perceptions and ideals of author and audience, I make some brief attempt to set Statius' treatment of his female characters against the prevailing attitudes and socio-cultural norms of his day. Statius' portrayal of women in his Silvae is of some relevance here, though chiefly the poems are to be regarded as literary texts rather than sociological documents. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface/Acknowledgements ...................................... i Abstract . ..................................................... i i Table of Contents . ............................................ iii Bibliography . ................................................. v 1 . CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .................................. 1 I. FEMALE CHARACTERISATION IN SECONDARY EPIC BEFORE STATIUS II. THE SCOPE OF STATIUS' EPIC POETRY III. SOME PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS ON METHODOLOGY 2 . CHAPTER TWO: ARGIA . ........................................ 18 I. INTRODUCTION: WIVES IN STATIUS' SILVAE II. ARGIA'S ROLE IN SECTION I OF THE THEBAID (BOOKS 1-4) III. ARGIA'S EFFECT ON POLYNICES DURING THE COURSE OF THE POEM IV. ARGIA'S ROLE IN BOOK 12 V. SIMILES USED TO DESCRIBE ARGIA 3. CHAPTER THREE: ANTIGONE .........................•.......... 54 I. INTRODUCTION: PRE-STATIAN ANTIGONE II. ANTIGONE IN BOOKS 7 AND 8 III. ANTIGONE IN BOOKS 11 AND 12 IV. SIMILES USED TO DESCRIBE ANTIGONE (AND ISMENE) 4 . CHAPTER FOUR: JOCASTA ...........................•.......... 9 0 I. INTRODUCTION: MOTHERS IN THE SILVAE II. PRE-STATIAN JOCASTA III. EVENTS OF BOOK 7 AND BEFORE IV. EVENTS OF BOOK 11 V. SIMILES USED TO DESCRIBE JOCASTA iii 5. CHAPTER FIVE: HYPSIPYLE .................................... 1 28 I. THE PLACE OF THE HYPSIPYLE-EPISODE WITHIN THE OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE POEM II. THE NARRATIVE OF HYPSIPYLE: A) THE LEMNIAN EPISODE B) JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS III. EVENTS IN NEMEA: A) THE DEATH OF OPHELTES B) LYCURGUS' ANGER; HYPSIPYLE REUNITED WITH HER SONS IV. SIMILES USED TO DESCRIBE HYPSIPYLE 6 . CHAPTER S I X : THET I S . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . 1 7 4 I. INTRODUCTION: PRE-STATIAN THETIS II. INITIAL CONCERN: THE PLAN IS FORMED III. ARRIVAL AT SCYROS: THE PLAN IS IMPLEMENTED IV. THE PLAN IS UNDERMINED V. THE PLAN FAILS VI. SIMILES USED TO DESCRIBE THETIS 7. CHAPTER SEVEN: DEIDAMIA .........................•.......... 222 I. INTRODUCTION: PRE-STATIAN DEIDAMIA II. ACHILLES FALLS IN LOVE III. ACHILLES SEDUCES DEIDAMIA IV. ACHILLES IS DISCOVERED AND LEAVES SCYROS V. SIMILES USED TO DESCRIBE DEIDAMIA 8. CONCLUSION ................................................. 261 I. STATIUS' CONTRIBUTION TO FEMALE CHARACTERISATION IN EPIC II. THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES OF THE TWO EPICS III. CHARACTERISATION AND THE EPIC SIMILE APPENDIX A: ACHILLES .......................................... 283 APPENDIX B: TEXTUAL EMENDATIONS ............................... 293 iv BIBLIOGRAPHY ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations of ancient authors and works are normally those found in the Oxford Classical Dictionary. Abbreviations of periodicals and compendia are as follows: AClass Acta Classica AJPh American Journal of Philology ANRW Aufsti.eg und Niedergang der r8mischen Welt. Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung. Berlin: De Gruyter. AU Der altsprachliche Unterricht. Arbeitshefte zu seiner wissenschaftlichen Begrtlndung und praktischen Gestalt. Stuttgart, Klett. AUB(class) Annales Universitatis Budapestinensis de Rolando E8tv8s nominatae, Sectio classica. BICS Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies of the University of London BSTEC Bulletin de la Societe toulousaine d'Etudes classiques. Universit~ de Toulouse-Le Mirail. CHCL Cambridge History of Classical Literature CJ Classical Journal CP Classical Philology CQ Classical Quarterly CR Classical Review cw Classical World G&R Greece and Rome HSCP Harvard Studies in Classical Philology ICS Illinois Classical Studies JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies JRS Journal of Roman Studies LCM Liverpool Classical Monthly MH Museum Helveticum Mnem Mnemosyne v PACA Proceedings of the African Classical Associations PCA Proceedings of the Classical Association REA Revue des Etudes Anciennes RhM Rheinisches Museum fUr Philologie · . Q.FIC R'•vista cH F':i.lo log io. e di Istruz.ione Cl~ssrc.a. Torr no, (oesche.v-. TAPA Transactions of the American Philological Association ws Wiener Studien SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY This is a special bibliography: only items used more than once and referenced with an abbreviation in the text are cited here: where different works by a single author need to be distinguished, books are referred to by abbreviated titles and articles by date. Books and .articles mentioned only once are cited in the footnotes of the relevant chapter. Articles on the topic of textual criticism are not mentioned here: these are cited in full in the APPENDIX B, at the first place
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