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Thebes and Rome

This chapter considers the political and ideological implications of Statius’ reception of Lucan’s Bellum Ciuile. The author shows that the Thebaid draws on Lucan’s seemingly inconsistent view of imperial power in the Bellum Ciuile. The Thebaid builds on Lucan’s initial presentation of imperial power as the only force able to protect and grant stability to a world always on the verge of returning to chaos. At the same time, Statius adopts a reading of Lucan whereby criticism of imperial power in the Bellum Ciuile is interpreted as denigration of Nero in particular and not of imperial power in general. Thus, Statius can represent Domitian as the illuminated sovereign who fulfills the promises encoded in Lucan’s praise of Nero. Statius also uses allusions to Lucan to connect his mythical narrative with Roman historical experiences of civil war.