Thebaid

The Thebaid is an epic poem by the Roman poet Statius. It recounts the myth of the war between the brothers Polyneices and Eteocles for the throne of the ancient Greek city of Thebes. While it draws heavily on the style of Virgil, the poem is noted for its dramatic tension and tragic power, particularly in its opening and closing passages. Statius, a prominent poet of the Silver Age of Latin literature, was a court poet under Emperor Domitian. The Thebaid is one of his two major epic works, the other being the unfinished Achilleid. The term "Thebaid" can also refer to the region surrounding Thebes, either in Egypt or Greece.12