Stace

Stace ( Publius Papinius Statius ) is a Latin poet in language E of the ancient Rome, born with Naples towards 40. His/her father, originating in Velia, lost his fortune and consequently his membership of the equestrian row. He then settles like grammairien in Naples all while devoting himself to poetry. It is thus near his/her father that Stace, as of most tender childhood, is initiated with poetry. He is itself grammairien in Naples before settling with Rome in the disturbed year 69. He begins with déclamer his worms in public and meets a widow, Claudia, musician very implied in the fashionable life of Rome, which he marries. Claudia has already a girl of its first marriage but its union with Stace remains sterile. This one later raises and educates like his/her own son a freed slave, without however adopting it.

To Rome, it leads a fashionable life of professional well-read man, is introduced at the imperial court (in particular under Domitien) and is crowned many times at the poetic plays the such plays albains, the plays capitolins or in Naples in 78, under the eyes of his father. Patient starting from 95, it divides himself between Rome and Naples. One has any more no information on him after 96. There is plausible that he died in Rome, occupying its last days with the drafting of sound Achilléide , epopee remained unfinished.

Work

Its work is divided between two epopees, Thébaïde and Achilléide , of which he hopes that they will bring poetic immortality to him, and Silves , five books (32 parts) for the majority made up in Hexamètres dactylic.

Thébaïde has as an aim the war which Polynice and its allies supports, Tydée and Capanée, against Étéocle, his/her brother, king of Thèbes. If one excludes some beautiful passages (death of Tydée, dead Polynice cried by his/her mother and its sister…) the unit is very unequal. The practice of Stace to read in public of the brilliant pieces does not prevent that they are badly connected between them.

Achilléide , remained unfinished after the second song, described the childhood of Achilles near the centaur Chiron, or among the girls of Lycomède, with a great accuracy of tone.

Silves (or Impromptus ) is the principal work of Stace. The framework is the Roman high society at one time when the patrons became rare. Stace thus does not miss any occasion to celebrate the large ones (of which of course the emperor Domitien) on very varied subjects (festivals, births, marriages…). In fact tables of the Roman life have much charm, charms which comes for much the style at the same time spontaneous and natural, and which is composed with an disconcerting ease. Stace indeed never puts more than two days to write parts of which some count more than 300 worms.

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