This volume presents closely connected articles by Elaine Fantham, which deal with Roman responses to Greek literature on three major subjects: the history and criticism of Latin poetry and rhetoric, women in Roman life and dramatic poetry and the poetic representation of children in relation to their mothers and teachers. The volume opens with papers on Roman comedy:
Menaechmi
,
Trinummus
Hautontimorumenos
, papers on women of the demimonde in
Truculentus
and
Eunuchus
Cistellaria
Poenulus
. The second part deals with rhetoric, including the subject of imitation as a stylistic feature, the study of performance comparing oratory and comedy and of declamation. Papers on Ovid's
Fasti
include a study of failed rape-scenes and papers concerned with women's cults. The last part (Senecan tragedy, Lucan, Statius) focuses on Lucan's Civil War and his treatment of Caesar as well as Statius'
Thebaid
Achilleid
.