Elegy with Epic Consequences: Elegiac Themes in Statius' Thebaid

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Elegy with Epic Consequences: Elegiac Themes in Statius' Thebaid Elegy with Epic Consequences: Elegiac Themes in Statius’ Thebaid A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Department of Classics of the College of Arts and Sciences by Carina Moss B.A. Bucknell University April 2020 Committee Chairs: Lauren D. Ginsberg, Ph.D., Kathryn J. Gutzwiller, Ph.D. Abstract This dissertation examines the role of elegy in the Thebaid by Statius, from allusion at the level of words or phrases to broad thematic resonance. It argues that Statius attributes elegiac language and themes to characters throughout the epic, especially women. Statius thus activates certain women in the epic as disruptors, emphasizing the ideological conflict between the genres of Latin love elegy and epic poetry. While previous scholarship has emphasized the importance of Statius’ epic predecessors, or the prominence of tragic allusion in the plot, my dissertation centers the role of elegy in this epic. First, I argue that Statius relies on allusion to the genre of elegy to signal the true divine agent of the civil war at Thebes: Vulcan. Vulcan’s erotic jealousy over Venus’ affair with Mars leads him to create the Necklace of Harmonia. Imbued with elegiac resonance, the necklace comes to Argia with corrupted elegiac imagery. Statius characterizes Argia within the dynamic of the elegiac relicta puella and uses this framework to explain Argia’s gift of the necklace to Eriphyle and her advocacy for Argos’ involvement in the war. By observing the full weight of the elegiac imagery in these scenes, I show that Argia mistakenly causes the death of Polynices and the devastation at Thebes as the result of Vulcan’s elegiac curse. Next, I analyze Hypsipyle’s elegiac role in the text in two distinct ways. I first argue that Statius uses elegiac vocabulary from multiple points of view to describe Hypsipyle and her narrative. Her depiction of the Lemnian massacre is indebted to the elegiac topos of militia amoris, and her experiences with Jason, leader of the Argonauts, is characterized by servitium amoris. Then, I examine this elegiac background via Julia Kristeva’s theoretical perspective. Influenced by the association between the elegiac relicta puella and the Kristevan semiotic chora, I expand Hypsipyle’s connection to this topos vis-à-vis Kristeva’s feminine, counter- ii cultural semiotic. Hypsipyle’s engagement with elegiac topoi throughout the Lemnian and Nemean episodes indicate her oscillation between Kristeva’s semiotic and symbolic orders. Hypsipyle further exhibits the temporal attitude of the relicta puella—repetition and immobility—and hinders the forward progress of the epic. This affects both the forward progress of the Argive army as they delay in Nemea, and the successful conclusion of the epic plot. Finally, I conclude with Book 12 and analyze the elegiac revision of Polynices’ epic march Argia proposes to Antigone. Hippolyta makes an appearance as a foil to Argia and Hypsipyle and a signal that the destructive repetitions of the Theban saga are far from over. This project outlines major elegiac influences on the Thebaid. In it, I argue that Statius’ use of the elegiac mode spreads beyond individual allusion to foreshadow, hinder, and construct the very plot and teleological outcome of the epic as a whole. By incorporating multiple theoretical methodologies from intertextual analysis, genre theory, and Kristeva’s post- structuralist perspectives, my research demonstrates the importance of Latin love elegy to Statius’ epic poem. iii iv Acknowledgments I have been very lucky to have a lot of support networks in my life and am grateful for this opportunity to acknowledge them. Just over ten years ago, I took a leave of absence from university. On a whim, when I moved home, I signed up for a Latin class at the local junior college. I owe a debt of gratitude to Justin Shannon who taught me many things in that class, and who reminded me that I love learning. That semester also brought me Tim Neal and Edie Barry, who have given me their constant, effortless friendship. I also extend thanks to the rest of my California crew, especially Kevin Cozart, Kim Savage, Casey Runge, and Mario Trinchero. When I returned to Bucknell and became a Classics major, I was met and welcomed by kind and caring mentors. I would not have gotten this far if not for their generosity in those years and since. Stephanie Larson first introduced me to Thebes and I am very glad to be back. Kris Trego has always supported me with endless and monumental confidence. I would like to thank my faculty at Cincinnati for everything they have taught me, in and outside of the classroom. I want to acknowledge a few people in particular: I have learned so much from Kathleen Lynch starting from my first semester as a graduate student. Steven Ellis always had a pep-talk when I needed it, and made me feel welcome in the Pompeii office. Marion Kruse and Calloway Scott offered coffee, advice, and good conversations. Jack Davis always had a snack or anecdote to share. John Wallrodt, Jeff Kramer, Emilie Pierce, Joe Katenkamp and Lindsay Taylor kept everything running smoothly. All of the staff of the John Miller Burnam Library, but especially Mike Braunlin and Shannan Stewart offered above-and- beyond care especially in the last few months of this project. I would like to thank my committee: Daniel Markovic for stepping in with timely and thoughtful comments; Kathryn Gutzwiller for supporting this project from its beginning, and for always asking just the right v questions; and Lauren Ginsberg, who I met before either of us came to Cincinnati. Her support for this project, and my graduate career, has been instrumental in all of my successes. I would also like to thank Alyssa Gockley, Sarah Ray, and Amber Catford for their confident and steadfast friendship. I am grateful to my cohort, Andy Lund, CJ Miller, Mohammed Bhatti, Jeff Banks, and Chris Hayward for being an amazing team from our first days in Cincinnati. I especially thank CJ for talking through tricky parts in this dissertation, and Andy for reading drafts, going for coffee, kvetching or problem solving. I thank Sarah Beal and Simone Agrimonti, as well as Alice Crowe, Haley Bertram, Maura Brennan, Kimberly Passaro, Allie Pohler, Bill Weir, Chris Motz, Kyle Helms, and Kathleen Kidder for their friendship. I am grateful to all of the graduate students I’ve worked with and next to over the years for their invaluable community, and to Ploy Keener and Sarah Wenner for their endless support and motivation. To my squad: Jessie Wells, Katie Cantwell, Michelle Martinez, Sylvia Czander, Daniel Clancy, Kyle Collins, Aaron Caffrey, my life is so much brighter knowing you. For their support and love, I thank the Moss (and Moss-adjacent) family, especially my brother Eliot, my parents Howard and Adrea, my grandmother Tobey, Ken and Pat, and Lindsay. I would also like to thank my in-laws, Dawn and Andre, for welcoming me into the family. And finally, my partner Jason, whom I thank for everything. This has been a long road, and I am very glad to have you next to me to navigate it. vi Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................... v Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Statius’ background ..................................................................................................... 2 The Question of Genre ................................................................................................. 4 Multiple Imitation ....................................................................................................... 6 Genre Theory, in short ................................................................................................. 7 Elegy in Statius..........................................................................................................10 Outline .....................................................................................................................15 Chapter 1: Beginning and Origin............................................................................. 18 Introduction ..............................................................................................................18 Elegiac Beginnings: Vulcan’s Jealousy..........................................................................20 Argia........................................................................................................................36 Eriphyle....................................................................................................................59 Competing Paradigms.................................................................................................76 Theban Catalogue ......................................................................................................83 Rewriting the Origins .................................................................................................91 Agency: What About Jupiter? .................................................................................... 109 Chapter 2: Elegy in Nemea..................................................................................... 112 Introduction ...........................................................................................................
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