Statius on parade: performing Argive identity inThebaid6.268–95

In book 6 of theThebaid, Statius puts on a funeral for a baby prince (Opheltes) accidentally crushed by the flick of a giant serpent's tail, while his nurse is busy telling her life story to the leaders of the Argive army on their way to Thebes. The Argives hold full-scale funeral games, which represent an opportunity to play with epic predecessors and create a new world between Greece and Rome, epic and reality. At 268–95, nine days after Opheltes' funeral pyre has burnt out, after the crowd have arrived for the games and before the chariot race, Statius stages a procession. I give the full passage:exin magnanimum series antiqua parentuminuehitur, miris in uultum animata figuris.primus anhelantem duro Tirynthius angenspectoris attritu sua frangit in ossa leonem.haud ilium impauidi quamuis et in aere suumqueInachidae uidere decus. pater ordine iunctolaeuus harundineae recubans super aggere ripaecernitur emissaeque indulgens Inachus urnae.Io post tergum, iam prona dolorque parentis,spectat inocciduis stellatum uisibus Argum.ast illam melior Phariis erexerat aruisIuppiter atque hospes iam tunc Aurora colebat.Tantalus inde parens, non qui fallentibus undisinminet aut refugae sterilem rapit aera siluae,sed pius et magni uehitur conuiua Tonantis.parte alia uictor curru Neptunia tenditlora Pelops, prensatque rotas auriga natantesMyrtilos et uolucri iam iamque relinquitur axe.et grauis Acrisius speciesque horrenda Coroebiet Danae culpata sinus et in amne repertotristis Amymone, paruoque Alcmena superbitHercule tergemina crinem circumdata luna.iungunt discordes inimica in foedera dextrasBelidae fratres, sed uultu mitior astatAegyptus; Danai manifestum agnoscere fictoore notas pacisque malae noctisque futurae.mille dehinc species, tandem satiata uoluptaspraestantesque uiros uocat ad sua praemia uirtus.(Thebaid6.268-95)