The intertextual matrix of Statius’ Thebaid 11.315-23

• Main Author: Astrid Voigt
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Université Lille-3 2016-01-01
• Series: Dictynna
• Subjects: Flavian Epic; Intertextuality; Jocasta; Simile; Statius; Thebaid
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/dictynna/1149

In Statius’ Thebaid 11.315-23, the poet uses a striking simile in order to describe Jocasta’s attempt to stop Eteocles from confronting Polynices on the battlefield. He compares her to Agave when she brings her son’s head to Dionysus. This paper explores the ‘matrix of possibilities’ for this passage constituted by intra- and intertexts from the accounts of other women, mostly mothers, whose characterization in other epic poems, tragedies, historiography or Statius’ Thebaid itself reflects on aspects of Jocasta here and make her, in turn, the Roman mother, the pious mother, the Theban mother, the grieving mother, the epic mother. It will show that there are more facets to Jocasta’s characterization than madness and nefas.