Publius Papinius Statius (Naples, c. 45 AD – c. 96 AD) was a Roman poet and one of the leading exponents of Flavian epic poetry, together with Silius Italicus and Valerius Flaccus. He is also well known for his appearance in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, where he serves as a guide in Purgatory. He is generally remembered as the author of important epic poems, including the Thebaid, which recounts the war of the Seven against Thebes and the fratricidal conflict between Eteocles and Polynices, and of a collection of 32 poetic prose compositions, the Silvae. Considered Statius’ masterpiece, the five books of the Silvae gather occasional poems addressed to friends for private events such as births and marriages, but also for the purchase of a villa or to celebrate a valuable work of art. These spontaneous compositions offer a vivid portrait of Roman high society and the Flavian court, while at the same time constituting a valuable historical source for understanding everyday life in that period. In the second Silva of Book III, Statius composed a famous propempticon, that is, a farewell and good-wishes poem for a journey, entitled Propempticon Maecio Celeri. It is dedicated to his friend Maecius Celer, a Roman patrician and officer, who was departing by sea for the eastern Mediterranean on an assignment to Syria. In the poem, the poet expresses the feelings that separation from a beloved friend arouses in him, in intensely affectionate and heartfelt tones.
“Justly do I complain: behold, the ship moves away, ceaselessly driven by the waves, ever smaller it escapes the gaze of those who watch it intently, gathering so many fears within so fragile a vessel: the ship above all that carries you, O Celer, pledge of my affection. With what spirit shall I endure the coming days? Who will tell me, trembling at every danger, whether, with the waves calmed, the stormy Lucanian shores have allowed you to pass? Whether turbulent Charybdis and maiden Scylla are in turmoil? She who disturbs the deep Sicilian sea? What welcome the impetuous Adriatic will offer to your course.”
The poem therefore arises from a concrete circumstance: the departure of a dear friend who must undertake a long voyage across the eastern Mediterranean. However, as often happens in the Silvae, the real event becomes the starting point for a broader reflection on the feelings of friendship and the anguish of separation. The text opens with the image of the ship moving away from the shore and becoming smaller and smaller in the eyes of the observer, visually representing the separation: the physical distance between the two friends increases, and with it grows the poet’s anxiety. Statius emphasizes the fragility of the vessel, described as “so fragile a vessel,” in order to underline the precariousness of sea travel in antiquity, when storms and currents could easily endanger the lives of sailors. A large portion of the poem is occupied by a list of the dangers that Celer will have to face along his route. The poet mentions the Lucanian coasts, the impetuous Adriatic, and above all the Sicilian sea. It is here that Scylla and Charybdis appear, mythological figures made famous by ancient narratives. Their presence is neither accidental nor merely ornamental: Scylla and Charybdis stand precisely at the gateway to the Strait of Messina, a stretch of sea that a vessel sailing eastward from the Tyrrhenian Sea would have had to cross. Thus, the reference is both realistic and mythological: they represent an actual point along the route to Syria. Moreover, invoking the “maiden Scylla” and the “turbulent Charybdis” gives a monstrous and tangible face to the fear of the unknown. For a Roman of the period, the Strait of Messina represented the ultimate boundary between safety and the unknown, and crossing it meant challenging the limits of the protected natural world. By evoking Scylla and describing her as a “maiden,” the poet recalls her mythological origin, making the danger she represents to his friend appear all the more striking and cruel. At the same time, the mythological reference heightens the sense of peril: Scylla, the sea monster hidden among the rocks, and Charybdis, the whirlpool capable of swallowing the waters, become symbols of the threats hanging over the journey. In this way, Celer is almost compared to epic heroes such as Odysseus, who face difficult trials in order to reach their destination. The real journey thus acquires a more solemn and dramatic dimension. In conclusion, the letter to Maecius Celer is a farewell poem that describes his departure for Syria, expresses the anxiety and affection of the friend left behind, and emphasizes both the real and mythical dangers of the sea. The mention of Scylla and Charybdis is justified both by their actual presence along the route and by their symbolic value, which intensifies the emotion of separation and elevates the tone of the composition.
Giuseppe Ribuffo
