40 KATHLEEN M. COLEMAN
lae / Gauranosque sinus et aestuantes / septem montibus admouere
Baias, “delighting to move the Euboean Sibyl’s home, the inlets of
Gaurus, and steaming Baiae closer to the seven hills” (Silv. 4.3.24–6).
An epigraphic analogue to this language has been noted in a Domiti-
anic inscription from Puteoli that suffered damnatio memoriae and
was subsequently re-used for carving some praetorian reliefs; the last
line describes Puteoli as having been “moved closer to Rome”, urbi
admota, by the indulgentia of the Princeps:^46
Imp(eratori) Caesari / diui Vespasiani f(ilio) / Domitiano Aug(usto) /
German(ico) pont(ifici) max(imo) / trib(unicia) potest(ate) XV
imp(eratori) XXII / co(n)s(uli) XVII cens(ori) perpet(uo) p(atri)
p(atriae) / Colonia Flauia Aug(usta) / Puteolana / indulgentia maximi /
diuinique principis / urbi eius admota.
(AE 1973, 137)
To the emperor Caesar Domitian Augustus Germanicus, son of the dei-
fied Vespasian, pontifex maximus, holding the tribunician power for the
fifteenth time, hailed imperator for the twenty-second time, consul for
the seventeenth time, censor perpetuus, pater patriae, the Flavian Au-
gustan colony of Puteoli [dedicates this], having been moved closer to
his city by the indulgence of her greatest and most divine leader.At first sight, metaphorical language in an inscription is startling, and
it has been suggested that the expression urbi admota may have been
adopted from Statius’ poem or some other public context.^47 It seems
more likely, however, that Statius is reflecting official propaganda;^48
while the metaphorical impact should not be exaggerated—by Statius’
day the expression may have been so common as to qualify as a
“dead” metaphor—it seems clear that the poem is being given a delib-
erately epigraphic cast, as is appropriate in the context.
If a major construction like a road is a prime candidate for epi-
graphic reminiscence, a monumental structure over (or beneath) it is
the perfect location for such a display; just so, Statius once again turns
46 Indulgentia, “by this time almost a technical term for imperial favour”, is widely
attested of rulers from Julius Caesar to Hadrian in official sources (imperial corre-
spondence, inscriptions, and coin-legends) and in contemporary literature and the
writings of the jurists, including several instances in the Silvae (1.2.174–5 indulgentia
... praesidis Ausonii, 3.4.64 diuum indulgentia, 5.2.125 magni ducis indulgentia): see
Gibson 2006a, 238.
47 Flower 2001, 633: “one may suspect that Statius or someone else used such an
image publicly and that the local population then adopted it for their inscription”.
48 Coleman 1988, 110.