[Sidenote: The Thebais.] Statius was an ardent admirer of Virgil, and the _Thebais_ is an elaborate imitation of the _Æneid_. Not only Virgil’s language is imitated, but the division of the poem into twelve books, the general chronological sequence of events, the arrangement by which the scenes of combat begin with the seventh book, and the treatment of many individual scenes are adopted from the _Æneid_. The subject of the _Thebais_ had been treated by many previous poets, and Statius could find the story in various mythological handbooks. It is therefore not certain, though not improbable, that he followed the version given by Antimachus in his _Thebais_, written in the fifth century B. C. Statius is not a great epic poet. He lacks the sense of proportion and has little dramatic power, in spite of the fact that he evidently aims at dramatic effect. He excels in descriptions and similes, but devotes far too much space to each; his similes especially become wearisome. The entire poem lacks the charm of true poetic inspiration. It is learned and correct, but artificial, imitative, and tedious. One of the briefest of the powerful descriptions in the _Thebais_, and one which shows Statius’s liking for what is horrible and painful, is that of Œdipus, when he hears of the death of his sons and comes forth to lament over their bodies: But when their father heard the tale of crime, He rushed from the deep shadows where he dwelt, And on the cruel threshold brought to view His half-dead form; his hoary locks unkempt Were vile with ancient filth, and stiff with gore The hair that veiled his Fury-driven head; His mouth and cheeks were sunken deep, and clots Of blood were remnants of his torn-out eyes.[96]