Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics and Poetics in the Thebaid

349 Pages·2005·1.19 MB·English

by  Helen Lovatt

StatiusandEpicGames
Epic games are more than just an interlude; they reflect the realities of epic:
heroism,powerandwar.ThisfirstmajorstudyoftheathleticgamesinStatius’
ThebaidBook6usesthemtoproduceanewreadingofthepoemasawhole.
It explores each event in Statius’ games, discussing intertextual manoeuvres,
historicalcontextandpoeticpositioning,developingathemefromeach:audience
power,cosmicdisruption,nationalidentity,masculinityandthebody,gamesand
war,kingshipandnarrativecontrol.Thisbookusesaclosereadingofonepartof
onetexttorangeoverancientliterature.Itcastslightonthetraditionofgamesin
ancientepicasawhole,examiningtheworksofHomer,Virgil,Apollonius,Ovid
andLucan.ItisessentialreadingforthestudentofStatiusandofancientepic,
andshouldalsoappealtohistoriansofRomansocietywithaninterestinsport
andspectacle.
helen lovattisLecturerinClassicsattheUniversityofNottingham.She
haswrittennumerousarticlesonLatinepicanditsreception.

cambridge classical studies
Generaleditors
r. l. hunter, r. g. osborne, m. d. reeve,
p. d. a. garnsey, m. millett, d. n. sedley,
g. c. horrocks

STATIUS AND EPIC GAMES
Sport,PoliticsandPoeticsintheThebaid
HELEN LOVATT
UniversityofNottingham
cambridge university press
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
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© Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge 2005.
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2005
isbn-13 978-0-511-11155-6 eBook (NetLibrary)
isbn-10 0-511-11155-x eBook (NetLibrary)
isbn-13 978-0-521-84742-1 hardback
isbn-10 0-521-84742-7 hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of
urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Tothosewhohelpmakethepossibleintoreality.
TheboardbecamebothCultureandEmpireagain.Thesettingwasmadebythem
both; a glorious, beautiful, deadly killing field, unsurpassably fine and sweet
andpredatoryandcarvedfromNicosar’sbeliefsandhistogether.Imageoftheir
minds;ahologramofpurecoherence,burninglikeastandingwaveoffireacross
theboard,aperfectmapofthelandscapesofthoughtandfaithwithintheirheads.
Hebegantheslowmovethatwasdefeatandvictorytogetherbeforeheeven
knewithimself.Nothingsosubtle,socomplex,sobeautifulhadeverbeenseen
onanAzadboard.Hebelievedthat;heknewthat.Hewouldmakeitthetruth.
Thegamewenton.
Breaks,days,evenings,conversations,meals;theycameandwentinanother
dimension;amonochromething,aflat,grainyimage.Hewassomewhereelse
entirely.Anotherdimension,anotherimage.Hisskullwasablisterwithaboard
insideit,hisoutsideselfjustanotherpiecetobeshuffledhereandthere.
He didn’t talk to Nicosar, but they conversed, they carried out the most
exquisitelytexturedexchangeofmoodandfeelingthroughthosepieceswhich
theymovedandweremovedby;asong,adance,aperfectpoem.Peoplefilledthe
game-roomeverydaynow,engrossedinthefabulouslyperplexingworktaking
shapebeforethem;tryingtoreadthatpoem,seedeeperintothismovingpicture,
listentothesymphony,touchthislivingsculpture,andsounderstandit.
IainM.Banks,ThePlayerofGames
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements pagex
Listofabbreviations xii
Introduction 1
1. Thechariotrace 23
Epicgamesandrealgames 40
2. Therunning 55
Audiences 80
3. Thediscus 101
Gigantomachy 114
4. Theboxing 141
Nationalidentity 166
5. Thewrestling 193
Bodies 219
6. Theswordfight 243
Gamesandwar 257
7. Thearchery 277
Controllingthenarrative 285
Conclusion 307
Appendix:summaryofepicgames 311
Bibliography 317
Indexofpassagesdiscussed 331
Generalindex 334
ix