{"product_id":"fragility-of-power-statius-domitian-and-the-politics-of-the-thebaid-9780190251819","title":"Fragility of Power: Statius, Domitian and the Politics of the Thebaid","description":"Statius' narrative of the fraternal strife of the Theban brothers Eteocles and Polynices has had a profound influence on Western literature and fascinated generations of scholars and readers. This book studies in detail the poem's view of power and its interaction with historical contexts.\u003cbr\u003eWritten under Domitian and in the aftermath of the civil war of 69 CE, the \u003cem\u003eThebaid \u003c\/em\u003euses the veil of myth to reflect on the political reality of imperial Rome. The poem offers its contemporary readers, including the emperor, a cautionary tale of kingship and power. Rooted in a pessimistic view of\u003cbr\u003ehuman beings and human relationships, the \u003cem\u003eThebaid\u003c\/em\u003e reflects on the harsh necessity of monarchical power as the only antidote to a world always on the verge of returning to chaos. While humans, and especially kings, are fragile and often the prey of irrational passions, the \u003cem\u003eThebaid\u003c\/em\u003e expresses the hope\u003cbr\u003ethat an illuminated sovereign endowed with \u003cem\u003eclementia\u003c\/em\u003e (mercy) may offer a solution to the political crisis of the Roman empire. Statius' narrative also responds to Domitian's problematic interaction with the emperor Nero, whom Domitian regarded as both a negative model and a secret source of\u003cbr\u003einspiration. With \u003cem\u003eThe Fragility of Power\u003c\/em\u003e, Stefano Rebeggiani offers thoughtful parallels between the actions of the \u003cem\u003eThebaid\u003c\/em\u003e and the intellectual activities and political views formulated by the groups of Roman aristocrats who survived Nero's repression. He argues that the poem draws inspiration from\u003cbr\u003ean initial phase in Domitian's regime characterized by a positive relationship between the emperor and the Roman elite. Statius creates a number of innovative strategies to negotiate elements of continuity between Domitian and Nero, so as to show that, while Domitian recuperated aspects of Nero's\u003cbr\u003eself-presentation, he was no second Nero. Statius' poem interacts with aspects of imperial ideology under Domitian: Statius' allusions to the stories of Phaethon and Hercules engage Domitian's use of solar symbols and his association with Hercules. This book also shows that the \u003cem\u003eThebaid\u003c\/em\u003e adapts\u003cbr\u003eprevious texts (in particular Lucan's \u003cem\u003eBellum Civile\u003c\/em\u003e) in order to connect the mythical subject of its narrative with the historical experience of civil war in Rome in 69 CE. By moving past recent solely aesthetic readings of the \u003cem\u003eThebaid\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Fragility of Power \u003c\/em\u003eoffers a serious and thoughtful addition\u003cbr\u003eto the recent scholarship in Statian studies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Stefano Rebeggiani\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/08\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.20w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780190251819\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStefano Rebeggiani\u003c\/strong\u003e is Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Southern California.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press, USA","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":40078469955699,"sku":"9.78019E+12","price":76.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/products\/img_172501e1-0668-4bf1-a27d-0c96c8b77b06.jpg?v=1652191062","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/en-de\/products\/fragility-of-power-statius-domitian-and-the-politics-of-the-thebaid-9780190251819","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}