204 LORENZO SANNA
which becomes cruel in the dust of real fights (Theb. 9.785
uero...puluere), and the homely and preparatory wargames of children
(9.786 proelia lude domi;^27 784 mixtus aequalibus). Especially inter-
esting is the expression uero puluere,^28 a polemical quotation of Theb.
4.261 and 9.710: Amphion seems to emphasize the difference between
the puluis of the real bloody clashes of war, and the ‘fake’ antiheroic
puluis of the puer’s naive phantasies (Theb. 4.260–4) or his ambigu-
ous ephebic charms (Theb. 9.710–1). For Parthenopaeus, dust is not a
heroic element, it is just a matter of charm; it turns out to be fatal,
though, because it is precisely his muddling of games and war which
leads to his death.
Far from this war background, another child-hero appears. I am
talking of Statius’ Achilles, who like Parthenopaeus is characterized
by an ambiguous beauty, a dazzling contrast of puerile and virile fea-
tures, of feminine tenderness and precocious male fierceness and
strength.^29 Sweat and dust are also to be found in the first surprising
appearance of the young hero:
... Figit gelidus Nereida pallor:
ille aderat multo sudore et puluere maior,
et tamen arma inter festinatosque labores
dulcis adhuc uisu: niueo natat ignis in ore
purpureus fuluoque nitet coma gratior auro.
Necdum prima noua lanugine uertitur aetas,
tranquillaeque faces oculis et plurima uultu
mater inest, qualis Lycia uenator Apollo
cum redit et saeuis permutat plectra pharetris.
(Ach. 1.158–66)
Icy pallor rivets the Nereid. The lad was there, much sweat and dust
made him bigger, and yet amid weapons and hurried labours he was
still sweet to look upon. A bright glow swims in his snow-white face27 The same words proelia ludit will also be used for the war games of the puer
Achilles, in Ach. 1.40.
28 The link between the two words is stressed by the hyperbaton and emphasized
by desaeuit, a verb with strong martial connotations (cf. Verg. A. 10.569 sic toto
Aeneas desaeuit in aequore uictor; Stat. Theb. 12.738 cetera plebeio desaeuit san-
guine uirtus).
29 Parthenopaeus and Achilles have evident traits in common, starting from the
similarity of their life lives: in both cases, in fact, the poet presents the complexity of
the relationship between a mother and her adolescent son and the contrast between the
mother’s fears and the bellicose zeal of the puer. As already stated, their ephebic
looks are similar, they both still have their mothers’ features (Theb.4.336–7 uultusque
recedunt / ore mei; Ach. 1.164–5 plurima uultu / mater inest).