Thebaid

The primary theme of Statius’s Thebaid is the corruptive, malevolent nature of monarchal power. Every king in the Thebaid (except, perhaps, Adrastus) is portrayed as evil in some way, and their corruptness seems directly proportional to their level of power. Eteocles is the prime mortal example of a cruel tyrant, but Jupiter exercises the same tyranny in heaven. He bullies the other gods in his court, knowing full well that they wish they could speak up but are too afraid to dare (e.g. Book 1, 288-9). Even Polynices, the more kind-hearted brother on the surface, angles shrewdly for political favor (Book 3, line 382), a populist technique Statius’s Roman audience would have recognized well.

The Thebans subjects are quick to mention, in fact, that Polynices only behaves differently from his brother because he is not currently on the throne (Book 1, 186-91). In their final face off, Polynices is just as cruel and insane as his brother. While Eteocles abuses his position and unjustly tries to keep his throne, Polynices is equally disordered in his insatiable quest for it. Absolute power, Statius posits, corrupts absolutely—as does the pursuit of power.