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THE ‘ARGONAUTIC’ EXPEDITION OF THE ARGIVES: MODELS OF HEROISM IN STATIUS' THEBAID*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2014

Ruth Parkes
Ruth Parkes*
Affiliation:
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
*
[email protected]
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Extract

While Statius' decision to treat events in landlocked Thebes offered limited opportunity to integrate into his poem a maritime episode, which had become a staple epic ingredient by the first century a.d., the Thebaid is dotted with references to the Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece, including a narrative flashback of the crew's time at Lemnos (Theb. 5.335–498). Following in a long tradition of cross-contamination between Argonautic and Theban literary texts (as shown by, for example, the Apollonian Argonautica's use of Antimachus' Thebaid), Statius' poem also evokes works of literature which narrate the legend, notably the Argonauticas of Apollonius Rhodius and Valerius Flaccus. A lack of scholarly focus on this latter area has generally led to a piecemeal scrutiny of individual allusive passages rather than a systematic treatment. However, Stover's recent paper paves the way for a more productive approach through its contention that the Thebaid makes widespread use of the mythic subject matter: ‘It … appears that Statius frequently appropriates the Argonautic tradition and that he does so largely to present the Argives as quasi Argonauts. This suggests that their adventure to conquer Thebes is analogous to the Argonauts’ voyage to Colchis.'

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 64 , Issue 2 , December 2014 , pp. 778 - 786
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 2014 

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Footnotes

*

Many thanks to the CQ referee and Bruce Gibson for feedback on this article.

References

1 See e.g. Summers, W.C., A Study of the Argonautica of Valerius Flaccus (Cambridge, 1894), 4–5Google Scholar; Stover, T., ‘Apollonius, Valerius Flaccus and Statius: Argonautic elements in Thebaid 3.499–647’, AJPh 130 (2009), 439–55Google Scholar, at 448–9 n. 26. See also Theb. 3.517–21; 6.327–9; 8.212–14, 255–8; 11.435–8.

2 See Matthews, V.J., Antimachus of Colophon: Text and Commentary (Leiden, 1996), 54–6Google Scholar.

3 See e.g. Vessey, D.W.T.C., Statius and The Thebaid (Cambridge, 1973), 178Google Scholar; Lovatt, H., Statius and Epic Games: Sport, Politics and Poetics in the Thebaid (Cambridge, 2005), 154–62CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Stover (n. 1), 440–4; Scioli, E., ‘Incohat Ismene: the dream narrative as a mode of female discourse in epic poetry’, TAPhA 140 (2010), 195–238Google Scholar, at 219 and 222–3.

4 See e.g. Manitius, M., ‘Vorbilder und Nachahmer des Valerius Flaccus’, Philologus 48 (1889), 248–54CrossRefGoogle Scholar, at 252–3; Summers (n. 1), 8–11; Steele, R.B., ‘Interrelation of the Latin poets under Domitian’, CPh 25.4 (1930), 328–42Google Scholar; Smolenaars, J.J.L. (ed.), Statius Thebaid VII: A Commentary (Leiden, 1994)Google Scholar, at xvii, xxvi–xlii, and passim; Ripoll, F., ‘Silius Italicus et Valérius Flaccus’, REA 101 (1999), 499–521CrossRefGoogle Scholar, at 500; d'Espèrey, S. Franchet, Conflit, violence et non-violence dans la Thébaïde de Stace (Paris, 1999), 144Google Scholar; Lovatt (n. 3), 154–62; McNelis, C., Statius' Thebaid and the Poetics of Civil War (Cambridge, 2007), 62–3CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Stover (n. 1), 445–53; Scioli (n. 3), 222.

5 Stover (n. 1), 449 n. 26.

6 Ibid.

7 The question of whether Statius had access to the rest of Valerius' poem while composing the latter part of his Thebaid lies outside the scope of this paper.

8 See Zissos, A., ‘Navigating genres: Martial 7.19 and the Argonautica of Valerius Flaccus’, CJ 99 (2004), 405–22Google Scholar, at 408.

9 The Thebaid, a work whose composition apparently took twelve years (Theb. 12.811–12), seems to have been written c. a.d. 80–92 (Coleman, K.M. [ed.] Statius: Silvae IV: Edited with an English Translation and Commentary [Oxford, 1988], xvii–xviiiGoogle Scholar). Valerius seems to have begun work on his Argonautica in the 70s a.d. and, although the duration of its composition is unclear, a cut-off point for the poem is given by Quintilian's reference to Valerius' recent (nuper) death at Inst. 10.1.90, in a text probably composed in the mid-90s (Stover, T., ‘The date of Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica’, PLLS 13 [2008], 211–29Google Scholar, at 212, argues for a flexible use of nuper, as part of his thesis that the poem was cut short by Valerius' death c. a.d. 80). On the difficult issue of the Argonautica's composition, see Smolenaars (n. 4), xvii; Liberman, G. (ed.) Valerius Flaccus: Argonautiques: Tome I: Chants I–IV (Paris, 1997), xviii–xxivGoogle Scholar; Stover (this note), 212; Zissos, A., Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica Book 1: Edited with Introduction, Translation, and Commentary (Oxford, 2008), xiv–xviiGoogle Scholar. The Lemnian episode in Val. Fl. 2 is usually held to antedate Hypsipyle's Lemnian narrative in Thebaid 5 (see below). For various views on the relative dating of the two episodes, see also d'Espèrey, S. Franchet, ‘Variations épiques sur un thème animalier’, REL 55 (1977), 157–72Google Scholar, on 170; Franchet d'Espèrey (n. 4), 144; Smolenaars (n. 4), xvii, xxxvii–xlii; Ripoll, F., La Morale héroïque dans les épopées latines d'époque Flavienne: tradition et innovation (Louvain and Paris, 1998), 500Google Scholar; Stover (n. 1), 449 n. 26. There is little taste for arguing for Statian influence on Valerius, though see Smolenaars, J.J.L., ‘“On went the steed, on went the driver”: an intertextual analysis of Valerius Flaccus Argonautica 6.256–264, Statius Thebais 7.632–639 and Silius Punica 7.667–679’, in Risselada, R., de Jong, J., and Bolkestein, A.M. (edd.), On Latin: Linguistic and Literary Studies in Honour of Harm Pinkster (Amsterdam, 1996), 151–61Google Scholar, at 151 (registering feelings of unease about assuming the priority of Valerius' Books 7 and 8). Reciprocal influence is suggested by Feeney, D.C., The Gods in Epic: Poets and Critics of the Classical Tradition (Oxford, 1991), 313Google Scholar; cf. Smith, A. Harper, ‘A commentary on Valerius' Flaccus’ Argonautica II' (Diss., University of Oxford, 1987), xvii–xxiGoogle Scholar.

10 For which, see Kytzler, B., ‘Gleichnisgruppen in der Thebais des Statius’, WS 75 (1962), 141–60Google Scholar, at 155–8.

11 ‘And as the night-traveller, overtaken in an unknown region, keeps ear and eye alert, and the dark plain on either side and the trees which confront him with greater shadows increase the terrors of the night, so the heroes were gripped by fear.’ Quotations of Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica are drawn from Ehlers, W.-W. (ed.), Gai Valeri Flacci Setini Balbi Argonauticon libros octo (Stuttgart, 1980)Google Scholar. Translations are my own.

12 Quotations of the Thebaid are taken from Hill, D.E. (ed.), P. Papini Stati Thebaidos libri XII: recensuit et cum apparatu critico et exegetico instruxit (Leiden, 1983; repr. 1996 with corrigenda)Google Scholar.

13 Cf. Harper Smith (n. 9), on Val. Fl. 2.38–47; Poortvliet, H.M., C. Valerius Flaccus: Argonautica Book II: A Commentary (Amsterdam, 1991)Google Scholar, on Val. Fl. 2.42 ff.

14 ‘As a sailor caught in a stormy sea, to whom neither lazy Wain nor Moon with friendly light shows the way, stands without means in mid-commotion of sky and sea, and now expects a reef submerged in the shallow waters or foaming rocks, topped with spikes, to run upon the rearing prow: so the Cadmean hero traverses the dark forest with hurrying step’. Cf. Harper Smith (n. 9), xix, and on Val. Fl. 2.38–47.

15 Poortvliet (n. 13), on Val. Fl. 2.42 ff.

16 Fucecchi, M., ‘Tematiche e figure “trasversali” nell'epica flavia’, in Bonadeo, A. and Romano, E. (edd.), Dialogando con il passato: permanenze e innovazioni nella cultura latina di età flavia (Florence, 2007), 18–37Google Scholar, at 27–8; Stover (n. 1), 445–53.

17 Stover (n. 1), 448.

18 Parkes, R., Statius, Thebaid IV. Edited with a Translation and Commentary (Oxford, 2012), 54–5Google Scholar.

19 Ibid., 146–7. See also ibid., 107, on celer … | Asterion (Theb. 4.121–2).

20 Ibid., 197.

21 Ibid., 158, 188–9.

22 Ibid., 158.

23 Ibid., 158.

24 Ibid., 188–9.

25 See e.g. ibid., 229.

26 See e.g. Vessey, D.W.T.C., ‘Notes on the Hypsipyle episode in Statius: Thebaid 4–6’, BICS 17 (1970), 44–54Google Scholar, at 47; Burck, E., Unwetterszenen bei den flavischen Epikern (Wiesbaden, 1978), 32–8Google Scholar; Harper Smith (n. 9), 45–6; Poortvliet (n. 13), 68–9; Aricò, G., ‘La vicenda di Lemno in Stazio e Valerio Flacco’, in Korn, M. and Tschiedel, H.J. (edd.), Ratis omnia vincet: Untersuchungen zu den Argonautica des Valerius Flaccus (Hildesheim, 1991), 197–210Google Scholar; Dominik, W.J., ‘“Ratio et dei”: psychology and the supernatural in the Lemnian episode’, in Deroux, C. (ed.), Studies in Latin Literature and Roman History, 8 (Brussels, 1997), 29–50Google Scholar; Hershkowitz, D., Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica: Abbreviated Voyages in Silver Latin Epic (Oxford, 1998), 66Google Scholar; Ripoll (n. 9), 7; Franchet d'Espèrey (n. 4), 214–15; Ganiban, R.T., Statius and Virgil: The Thebaid and the Reinterpretation of the Aeneid (Cambridge, 2007), 76CrossRefGoogle Scholar; McNelis (n. 4), 90–1.

27 See Augoustakis, A., Motherhood and the Other: Fashioning Female Power in Flavian Epic (Oxford, 2010), 47CrossRefGoogle Scholar, on the connection between the two narratives of nefas.

28 Hershkowitz (n. 26), 87 n. 200; Lovatt (n. 3), 154–62. This also looks to the fight at Ap. Rhod. 2.1–97: see ibid., 154–62.

29 Indeed, it is possible that Statius' choice of material responds on a competitive level to Valerius' decision to involve his Argonauts in the conflict, an innovative narrative move anticipated as early as the first book (Val. Fl. 1.441–3).

30 Stover (n. 1), 441–3.

31 Compare Theb. 3.546–7 with Ap. Rhod. 1.139–41 and 1.443–7; see also Stover (n. 1), 443–4.

32 See e.g. Ganiban (n. 26), 76.

33 Parkes (n. 18), 282.

34 J. Brown, ‘Into the woods: narrative studies in the Thebaid of Statius with special reference to books IV–VI’ (Diss., University of Cambridge, 1994), 217, may well be right to see here an allusion to the triple perambulation of the Apollonian Argonauts around the pyre of Cyzicus at Ap. Rhod. 1.1059, which would act as ‘an acknowledgement of responsibility by the Argives for Opheltes’ death': note that the rites of both accidental victims are followed by games (Ap. Rhod. 1.1060; Theb. 6.249–846) and the erection of a memorial (a tomb at Ap. Rhod. 1.1061–2; a temple at Theb. 6.242–8). There may be additional engagement with Valerius Flaccus' depiction of these funeral honours (perhaps encouraged by the appearance of the name Opheltes among the massacred Doliones at Val. Fl. 3.198): Cyzicus' pyre is encircled three times by the Valerian Argonauts (Val. Fl. 3.347–8) and there are correspondences in the funeral offerings: Jason consigns to the pyre the king's helmet and belt (Val. Fl. 3.342), while the Argives offer arms such as belts (Theb. 6.225) and helmet crests (Theb. 6.226). Jason also donates the purple cloak woven by Hypsipyle (Val. Fl. 3.340–2) which shows her rescue of her father from Lemnos (cf. Val. Fl. 2.409–13). Compare the purple woven artefact depicting the fate of Linus (Theb. 6.62–4) atop the bier of Ophletes, the infant slain while Hypsiple was narrating this very rescue.

35 See Zissos, A., ‘Sailing and sea storm in Valerius Flaccus (Arg. 1.574–642): the rhetoric of inundation’, in Nauta, R.R., Dam, H.-J. Van, and Smolenaars, J.J.L. (edd.), Flavian Poetry (Leiden, 2006), 79–95Google Scholar, at 94 n. 44, regarding ‘the unresolved ideological tension, the mutually exclusive and yet inextricably intertwined constructions of the Argonautic venture that the text makes available’.

36 See Zissos (n. 35).

37 For Apollonius' concern with Jason's heroism, see Zissos (n. 9), xxi.

38 Parkes (n. 18), xxi.

39 Ibid., xviii.

40 Cf. Stover (n. 1), 440 and 443.

41 Zissos (n. 9), 300.

42 Parkes (n. 18), 53.

43 See Zissos (n. 9), 296–7.

44 Vessey (n. 3), 94.

45 In fact, there is no such reference in the Statian corpus, a fact adduced by Summers (n. 1), 4, as evidence for the incompleteness of Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica.

46 Pollmann, K.F.L., Statius: Thebaid 12: Introduction, Text, and Commentary (Paderborn, 2004), 284Google Scholar; cf. Malamud, M., ‘Happy birthday, dead Lucan: (p)raising the dead in Silvae 2.7’, Ramus 24 (1995), 1–30CrossRefGoogle Scholar, at 22.

47 The nostos motif is a recurrent theme in the Argonauticas of both Apollonius and Valerius, even though Valerius' poem does not, as it stands, cover the voyage back: see Zissos (n. 9), 138.

48 See Theb. 3.517–21. Amphiaraus is not usually numbered among the crew and he does not appear as a member of the expedition in Hypsipyle's narrative (Stover [n. 1], 447).

49 See Stover (n. 1), 448–9 n. 26.

50 For Tiphys as a model for Amphiaraus, see Fucecchi (n. 16), 29–30; Stover (n. 1), 448–9 n. 26.

51 Stover (n. 1), 444.