Scene notturne nell’Achilleide di Stazio

Abstract

This paper takes into examination the narrative significance of night scenarius in Statius Achilleid. Specifically, the analysis of 4 night scenes (ll. 195-250, 619-644, 698-818, 931-955) will show how the poet, largely drawing upon the poetic tradition, uses this scenario to frame what should be hidden and some emotional moments.Hence, in the poem the night works as a space of loneliness, fragility, violence, and femininity, in contrast to the heroic space of the daylight.

Key-words: Statius, Achilleid, night, Achilles, epic poetry.