STATIUS IN THE SILVAE 163
here Statius begins with an introduction in which he explains the
background to his visit: after successfully competing in the poetic
contests of the Neapolitan Games, he was on his way home, when
Pollius invited him to Surrentum (6–12).^57 What is interesting here is
that Statius assumes that his addressee (and presumably also the
reader of the published collection) knows that he is a native of Naples:
he uses such expressions as “the four-year festival of my fatherland”
(6 patrii quinquennia lustri) for the Neapolitan Games, or “my native
bay” (9 gentile fretum) for the Bay of Naples; later, he speaks of the
Neapolitans as “we” (97) and “my countrymen” (135–6).^58 This stress
on the Campanian background he shares with Pollius is certainly to be
linked to the great familiarity with Pollius and his wife Polla that Sta-
tius displays, and that allows him to end the poem with praise of their
marital concord, instructing them to outstrip the famous couples of
ancient tradition: priscae titulos praecedite famae (146).
The poem on a temple of Hercules built by Pollius in the vicinity of
his villa (3.1) is motivated by an occasion in the stricter sense of a
ceremony: the dedication of the temple. As in other such poems, Sta-
tius assumes a quasi-ceremonial role, starting with an apostrophe to
Hercules that develops into a ‘kletic’ hymn, bidding the god to be
present at the occasion. Then, in a manner similar to that employed in
1.2, Statius asks a Muse to reveal to him the “beginnings” (49 exor-
dia) of the temple, and tells an aetiological story, featuring Hercules
himself as mythological spokesperson. The story turns into a renewed
kletic hymn, at which the god arrives to deliver the final address to
Pollius.^59 But Statius’ quasi-ceremonial role at the dedication is com-
bined with the role of guest in the embedded story. As in 2.2, Statius
describes a visit to Pollius Felix at his villa (it is probably the same
description by questions like mirer ...? (45), referam ...? (63), reuoluam ...? (72),
dicam ...? (98).
57 Statius’ phrasing post patrii laetum quinquennia lustri (6) suggests that Statius
was laetus because of a victory in the games (that he was also glad of the invitation is
explained later); van Dam’s objection (1984, 198) that “that victory was reported in
Statius’ father’s lifetime” (with reference to 5.3.225–7) ignores that Statius may have
been victorious more than once (as was his father: 5.3.112–3).
58 Different is nostram ... chelyn (114) to refer to hexameter poetry (cf. 1.4.30
nostras ... leges for poetry as such). Again different is the “we” of 129 and 142,
where Statius includes himself in the common mass of mortals, contrasted with the
few, such as Pollius Felix, who have attained philosophical wisdom.
59 The motif that the poet stops singing when the god takes over (163–5) is also
used in 4.3.119–20; see above, 149.