Statius: Silvae

This fascinating collection assembles the witty occasional verse of Statius, the Latin master of epic and discursive poetry, in accessible and engaging recreations by two skilful poets. Elegant encomia sit alongside moving laments, finely grafted sentences beside extemporised rhetorical flourishes. The translators' contagious enthusiasm is evident in their free-form improvisations, making for a Statius for Classicists and the Latinless alike. Publius Papinius Statius (circa 45-96 A.D) was a prize-winning poet, victorious at the Augustalia and, thrice, at the Alban Games. Bill Shepherd's previous translations include Horace: The Complete Odes and Epodes and Propertius: The Poems, both published as Penguin Classics. Anthony Howell, a former dancer with the Royal Ballet, has published 11 poetry collections, a novel and other prose works.

Publius Papinius Statius (circa 45-96 A.D) was born in Naples. He was a prize-winning poet who won the poetry prize at the Augustalia and three times at the Alban Games. His reputation remained high until well into the Middle Ages. He featured both in Chaucer's House of Fame (as "Stace") and in Dante's Divine Comedy, where he is called "il dolce poeta".

Bill Shepherd was born in 1935 and educated at Cambridge. Before retiring he worked in industry. His excellent classical credentials were established by his critically acclaimed translations, Horace: The Complete Odes and Epodes, and Propertius: The Poems, both published as Penguin Classics. Anvil has published three collections of his verse: Sun, Oak, Almond, I (1970), Evidences (1980), and Self-Love (1983). Anthony Howell was born in 1945. A former dancer with the Royal Ballet, he is respected as a performance artist. He founded the Theatre of Mistakes in the 1970s; touring successfully in France, the UK and the US. He has published eleven collections of poetry, several with Anvil, as well as a novel, and an edition of The Selected Poems of Nicholas Lafitte.