Nature, imperialism, and the ethics of war in Flavian epic

Abstract

This dissertation argues that Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica, Silius Italicus’ Punica, and Papinius Statius’ Thebaid use human encounters with nature to reflect on the morality of their poems’ central characters. Interactions and conflicts with nature occur at programmatic points in the poems, further indicating their importance for the narratives. This common thread throughout all three epics points to a deeper interest in nature and the unknown beyond the edges of the empire. As such, ecocritical theory and theories of space and place have greatly informed my approach to this topic. By examining encounters with nature such as humans crossing geographical boundaries, cutting down forests, and fighting river gods, Flavian epic is shown to comment on the military exploits of the three Flavian emperors, their interactions with nature while on campaign, and the ideology of their regime.