547. The sources for his story were the old Cyclic poem, the later epic of Antimachus, the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, that draw their plots from the Theban cycle of legend. The material thus given him he worked over in the Vergilian manner, remoulding incidents or introducing fresh episodes in such a fashion as to provide precise parallels to many episodes in the _Aeneid_. He also drew certain hints from the _Phoenissae_ and _Oedipus_ of Seneca: for details see Legras, _Étude sur la Thébaide de Stace_, part i, ch. 2, part ii, chh. 1 and 2. The subject had been treated also by one Ponticus, the friend of Propertius (Prop. i. 7. 1, Ov. _Tr_. iv. 10. 47) and possibly by Lynceus (Prop. ii. 34). 548. Legras, _Les Légendes Théb._, ch. iii. 4. The [Greek: Amphiaraou exelasis] mentioned by Suidas s.v. [Greek: Hom_eros] is sometimes identified with the _Thebais_; but it is more probably merely the title of a book of that epic. Still the fact that the [Greek: Amph. exel.] is given such prominence by Suidas does lend some support to the view that he was the chief character of the epic. He is certainly the most tragic figure. 549. Porphyr. ad Hor. _A.P._ 146. 550. Vergil had given six books to the wanderings of Aeneas; Statius must give six to the preparation and march of the Thebans! 551. See Legras, op. cit., pp. 183 ff. 552. x. 632. 553. xi. 457. Cp. also the strange and stilted description of the cave of sleep, x. 84, where Quies, Oblivio, Ignavia, Otium, Silentium, Voluptas, and even Labor and Amor are to be found. But with the exception of Amor these abstract personages are inventions of Statius. Virtus and Pietas had temples at Rome. 554. iv. 32-308; vii. 250-358. 555. x. 262-448. 556. vi. 1-921. Two other funerals are to be found, in. 114-217, xii. 22-104. 557. _Th._ i. 557 sqq.; Verg. _Aen._ viii. 190 sqq. 558. v. 17-498: with this compare the version of the story given by Valerius Maccus, ii. 78-305; except in point of brevity there is little to choose between the two versions. But it is not a digression in Valerius, and it is told at less inordinate length. The versions differ much in detail, and Statius owes little or nothing to Valerius. 559. Op. Legras, _Les légendes Thébaines_, ch. ii. 4, Welcker, _Ep. Cycl._ ii. 350. The story was well known. Aeschylus probably treated it in his [Greek: Nemea,] Euripides certainly in his [Greek: ypsipel_e]. The legend gives the origin of the Nemean games. 560. The speeches in the _Thebais_, though they lack variety, are almost always exceedingly clever and quite repay reading; see esp. i. 642; iii. 59, 151, 348; iv. 318; vi. 138; vii. 497, 539; ix. 375; xi. 155, 677, 708. 561. iii. 348. 562. v. 660. 563. vii. 538.