ABSTRACT
The Silvae present a map, so to speak, of the various kinds of people inhabiting the Domitianic social landscape. By conceptualizing Domitiamc Rome as a multi-dimensional space, in which agents compete for distinction, people may conceive the division of space according to various fields and their respective capital (politics, lineage, money, etc.). It is clear from internal evidence that some of Statius’ addressees specifically commissioned poems for occasions they considered important. A fitting parallel suggests how Violentilla's cultural and economic capital-together, a manifestation of her taste-could convert into a symbolic form that Stella himself can utilize for his distinction. The portrayal of Claudius Etruscus sharply diverges from that of Rutihus Gallicus, the addressee of the preceding poem. Statius begins the poem by recalling the occasion of original composition—a dinner party hosted by Vindex himself—where Statius first viewed the statue. Youthfulness is the primary theme of the poem, and it is what makes the boy’s skills and accomplishments exceptional and distinctive.
