[Sidenote: Statius.] The most eminent poet of this period was Publius Papinius Statius. He was born at Naples, probably about 40 A. D., but spent most of his life at Rome, though he returned to Naples, probably in 94 A. D. The last date to which reference is made in his poems is 95 A. D. His father was of a distinguished but not wealthy family, and attained some distinction as a poet and teacher, first at Naples, and later at Rome, where Domitian was among his pupils. He had intended to write a poem on the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A. D., but was prevented by death, which must therefore have come upon him about 80 A. D. From him Statius received his early education and his first impulse toward poetry. Statius won prizes for poetry at the _Augustalia_ at Naples, and at Alba, but failed to win a prize at the _Capitolia_ in Rome. This was probably in 94 A. D., and his retirement to Naples may have been due to his disappointment. He was married to a widow named Claudia, who had a daughter by her former husband; but Statius had no children of his own. Domitian regarded him with favor, gave him a supply of running water for his country house at Alba, and invited him to his table. These few details of his life are derived from his poems, chiefly from a poem in honor of his father’s memory, which is published as the third in the fifth book of the _Silvæ_. [Sidenote: Works of Statius.] The chief work of Statius is the _Thebais_, an epic poem in twelve books, the subject of which is the strife between the two sons of Œdipus, Eteocles and Polynices, and the legendary history of Thebes to the death of Creon. This work occupied the poet for twelve years, probably about 80-92 A. D. His other extant works are the _Silvæ_, a collection of shorter poems on various subjects, divided into five books, and the _Achilleis_. None of the poems contained in the _Silvæ_ appears to have been written before 91 or 92 A. D., and the fifth book, which has no preface and which contains some incomplete poems, was probably published after the poet’s death. The _Achilleis_ was to be an account of the life of Achilles, embracing the story of the Trojan War, but it breaks off in the second book, before Achilles reaches Troy. The only lost works of Statius to which any reference exists are a pantomime entitled _Agave_, and an epic on Domitian’s German war; but the latter work was probably never completed.