Statius’ Achilleid

Abstract This chapter continues the exploration of Statius’ engagement with Valerius by turning to an analysis of his allusions to the Argonautica in his unfinished Achilleid. In it the author elucidates how Statius’ allusive interaction with Valerius reveals the extent to which the Argonautica contributed to the conception, construction, and tenor of the Achilleid. The chapter demonstrates that Statius intertextually declares the Argonautica to be an important model before examining how Statius’ refashioning of Valerius’ epic enriches the Achilleid’s exploration of a range of important themes, such as literary belatedness, generic propriety, and gender dynamics. From this analysis, it emerges that a full appreciation of the aesthetic complexities of Statius’ most audacious poetic endeavor requires scrutinizing his reworking of Valerian material.