French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Lagière, The Thebaid of Statius and the Sublime
Other Literary Studies
Review published in Acta Fabula (March 2020, vol. 21, no. 3): Anne Martineau, "Statius and the Spectacular Sublime"
Anne Lagière
La «Thébaïde» de Stace et le sublime
Peeters Publishers, 2017.
ISBN: 978-90-429-3558-7
300 p.
57.00 €
Attributed to Pseudo-Longinus, the Treatise on the Sublime serves as a contemporary hermeneutic tool for Neronian and Flavian literatures, thus free from the projections of modern aesthetic thought. As presented by Pseudo-Longinus, the notion of the sublime sheds new light on Statius's Thebaid and helps to better define the poetic universe of this work. The prominence of passion in both the Treatise on the Sublime and the Thebaid highlights the close ties linking the two works: a shared, bold, and transgressive conception of poetic creation; a mutual attraction to passionate impulses; and a common pursuit of a reception mode based on shock that triggers feelings of terror and admiration. The sublime manifests itself in the rapture of both the poet and his characters, as well as in the spectacular depictions of horror or a convulsed nature. Finally, the Treatise on the Sublime proves to be a valuable instrument for understanding the generic interferences observable in the Thebaid. It illuminates a tragedy of passion which, unfolding through the theme of tyranny, comes into tension with the epic mode and with the traditional treatment of heroism. Consequently, Statius's poem delivers a complex vision of the protagonists involved and their actions.
Anne Lagière examines Statius through the critical framework of the ancient treatise on the sublime, traditionally attributed to Pseudo-Longinus. This approach avoids modern aesthetic projections and roots the analysis firmly in the literary context of the Neronian and Flavian periods. By connecting the poetic strategies of the Thebaid with contemporary rhetorical theory, the study illuminates how classical texts engage with intense emotional states and grand scale. It offers a fresh perspective on how Latin epic poetry interacts with dramatic traditions and questions of genre.
This scholarly monograph will particularly interest researchers and students of classical literature, Latin poetry, and the history of literary criticism. It addresses broader questions regarding the representation of tyranny, passion, and horror in antiquity, making it a valuable resource for those exploring epic conventions and their subversion. Scholars of reception studies and classical poetics will find the application of the treatise to Statius an insightful tool for understanding how ancient texts construct terror and admiration.