Description
Book SynopsisStatius' unfinished epic, the Achilleid, explores Achilles' mother's attempt to save her son from the Trojan War by dressing him as a girl. This first book-length study of the poem offers a detailed interpretation and explores questions of the poem's reception and of gender in antiquity.
Trade Review'… a welcome addition to the ever-increasing number of scholarly works devoted to elucidating the subtle politics and sophisticated poetics of imperial Latin epic … animated throughout … a significant contribution to Latin literary studies in this stimulating volume.' A. M. Keith, Victoria College
'[The author's] profound familiarity with classical literature enables him to approach the issue from a wide perspective and pay attention to versatile conventions and details. Through structural and linguistic analysis the author is able to expose Statius' subtle and humoristic treatment of classical literature. … Heslin's profound orientation on the subject enables the reader to consider the Achilleid not only as a successful epic narrative, but also as a reflection of the whole range of classical literature preceding the imperial era - a respectful nod to the great classical authors, and a witty parody of genre-related clichés. … All in all, Heslin's survey is an admirable pursuit to fill the void concerning the study of the Achilleid by classical scholars.' De novis libris iudicia
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Opening nights at the opera 1641–1741; 2. The design of the Achilleid; 3. Womanhood, rhetoric, and performance; 4. Semivir, Semifer, Semideus; 5. Transvestism in myth and ritual; 6. Rape, repetition, and romance; 7. Conclusion.
