The example of Hannibal's dream, iii. 163-182, will show these different points. The story of the dream is got from Livy xxi. 22, but, for _iuvenis divina specie_, Silius, like Virg. _Aen._ iv. 222 _sqq._ and 259 _sqq._ substitutes Mercury. Individual imitations in the passage are: l. 172, 'Turpe duci totam somno consumere noctem,' from _Il._ ii. 24, οὐ χρὴ παννύχιον εὕδειν βουληφόρον ἄνδρα; l. 168, 'umentem noctis umbram' is from _Aen._ iv. 7, 'umentemque Aurora polo dimoverat umbram'; l. 174, 'iam maria effusas cernes turbare carinas,' from _Aen._ iv. 566, 'iam mare turbari trabibus ... videbis'; l. 182, 'altae moenia Romae' is from _Aen._ i. 7; l. 181, 'respexisse veto' from _Ecl._ 8, 102, 'nec respexeris.' The Epitome of the Iliad (in 1075 hexameters), which passes under the name of _Homerus Latinus_, has been attributed to Silius. It is a close adaptation from the original. STATIUS. (1) LIFE. P. Papinius Statius was born at Naples (_Silv._ i. 2, 260, 'mea Parthenope'), probably about A.D. 60, for he speaks of himself as on the threshold of life at the time of his father's death, about A.D. 80 ('limine primo fatorum,' _Silv._ v. 3, 72). The apparent discrepancy in _Silv._ iv. 4, 69 (written A.D. 94-5), 'Nos facta aliena canendo vergimur in senium,' may be explained by observing that 'senium' is very often used for premature age induced by study (cf. 'insenuit,' Hor. _Ep._ ii. 2, 82). The father of Statius came of a distinguished but not wealthy family: _Silv._ v. 3, 116, 'Non tibi deformes obscuri sanguinis ortus nec sine luce genus, quamquam fortuna parentum artior expensis.' He taught first at Naples (_ibid._ l. 146) and then at Rome (l. 176); and died at the age of sixty-five (l. 252) soon after the eruption of Vesuvius, which he had intended to make the subject of a poem (l. 205). It was from his learned father ('genitor perdocte,' l. 3) that Statius derived his first impulse towards poetry, and to his training he acknowledges deep obligations (ll. 209-214). Statius won two prizes for poetry, at the _Augustalia_ in Naples and at Alba; but was unsuccessful at the Capitoline competition, probably in A.D. 94 (_ibid._ 225-232). In that year he seems to have removed from Rome to Naples, and spent there the remainder of his days: _Silv._ iii. 5, 12, 'Anne quod Euboicos fessus remeare penates auguror et patria senium componere terra?' The date of his death is unknown. The latest event mentioned in his poems is the seventeenth consulship of Domitian, A.D. 95 (_Silv._ iv. 1). Statius was married to a widow named Claudia (_Silv._ iii. 5, 51 _sqq._), but had no children (v. 5, 79). He enjoyed the favour of Domitian ('indulgentissimus imperator,' _Silv._ i. praef.) who granted him a supply of water for his country house at Alba, and occasionally invited him to his table: _Silv._ iii. 1, 61,