Vox aurea: The role of socio-economic distinction in Statius' 'Silvae' (Roman Empire)

Statius' Silvae consist of 32 poems addressed to Romans encompassing a broad range of social classes, occupations, and interests. The poems themselves are as varied as the addressees and traditionally have been harshly criticized as examples of court sycophancy or just bad poetry. A reevaluation of the Silvae, however, reveals that the poems are valuable social documents and provide essential information about the material tastes and fashions of the 1st c. AD.; This dissertation examines the Silvae as vehicles of distinction. By applying some of the economic theories of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (distinction and capital), I show that non-material wealth (e.g., family pedigree, literary skills, philosophy) ultimately serves as the most valuable commodity in the pursuit of individual distinction. Statius' purpose is not aimed at mere flattery; rather, his poetic art is consciously driven by a desire to distinguish each addressee according to his or her primary forms of capital. Thus, this study not only maps the social landscape of various individuals in Domitianic Rome, but also illuminates the cultural values associated with different kinds of material and non-material wealth through which widely disparate Romans sought distinction.; The social reality of the time can be recovered from Statius who is a “legitimate spokesperson” for the dominant culture (chapter 1). By cataloguing the material wealth in the poems, I illustrate the types of material tastes which served as vehicles in social mobility (chapter 2). I then discuss how Statius attaches linguistic values to this material wealth (chapter 3). In chapter 4 I treat eight poems as case studies to show how non-material and material wealth function as poetic instruments of distinction; this chapter analyzes not only what makes the addressees distinctive, but just as important, the way in which Statius himself creates and promulgates this distinction through his poetic art. My conclusion addresses Statius' role as the poet of the literary discourse that functions as a vehicle of distinction, and as a poet who distinguishes himself through this poetry.