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Dr. Kyle Gervais, Assistant Professor of Classics, Western University
Ending epic quickly: 鈥楢bridging allusions鈥� in Statius鈥� Thebaid

I argue that various allusions to Aeneid 12 in Thebaid 12 abridge the earlier narrative, cutting out difficult scenes so that Theseus and Creon鈥檚 duel becomes a more straightforward battle between right and wrong than that of Aeneas and Turnus. These 鈥渁bridging allusions鈥� are one of several techniques used to thematize   narrative speed in Thebaid 12, in contrast to the thematization of delay in earlier books. I first discuss delay as a central feature in the two epics, then examine Statius鈥� abridging allusions and situate them in various ongoing debates about the poem and its relationship with the Aeneid.