First Aldine edition of the collected works of the Roman poet Statius, comprising the Silvae, the Thebaid, and the unfinished Achilleid. Issued in octavo, the present edition made the works of one of Rome's principal poets of the Flavian period available in a compact format for the first time. The volume opens with the Orthographia et flexus dictionum Graecarum, a glossary explaining the Greek words used by Statius, reflecting the Aldine press's emphasis on scholarship and the accurate reading of classical texts.
Publius Papinius Statius (ca. 45-96 CE) was one of the leading poets of the Silver Age of Latin literature. His epic Thebaid was widely read in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, while the Silvae, rediscovered in 1417, provide a wealth of information on literary and courtly life in Rome under Emperor Domitian (reign: 81-96 CE). Statius is also known for his appearance in Dante's Purgatorio, where he serves as Virgil's companion and Dante's guide.
With a 19th-century bookplate with the motto "Suscipiant montes pacem" mounted on the front pastedown. The vellum is slightly soiled. A water stain in the upper half of the title page, which gets smaller throughout the work; according to the title label, the binding also held a work by Pontano, but this has been taken out and replaced by blank leaves. Otherwise in good condition. Adams S-1670; Machiels S-539; Renouard, p. 35, nr. 7; BM STC Italian 646; UCLA 61; USTC 857455.