Achilleid

work by Statius

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July 23, 2026

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The Achilleid is an unfinished epic poem by the Roman poet Statius, written around 96 CE. It details the early life and education of the Greek mythological hero Achilles, son of the mortal Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis. The poem describes Achilles' upbringing and training, but it was left incomplete at the point when Odysseus arrived to take Achilles to the Trojan War. Statius is also known for his Silvae, a collection of occasional poems, and the Thebaid, a completed epic about the war between the brothers Eteocles and Polyneices for the throne of Thebes.12

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Statius
…two books of another, the Achilleid. The Thebaid, a more ambitious work, describes the struggle of the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles for the throne of the ancient Greek city of Thebes. It has many features borrowed from Virgil, but suffers from overstatement and exaggeration. The work begins and ends, however,…
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…two books of another, the Achilleid. The Thebaid, a more ambitious work, describes the struggle of the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles for the throne of the ancient Greek city of Thebes. It has many features borrowed from Virgil, but suffers from overstatement and exaggeration. The work begins and ends, however,…
Read More