Fallit tuentes: infiltrazioni comiche nell’Achilleide di Stazio

Statius’ Achilleid is well known for introducing situations and character traits reminiscent of those typically found in comedy. The plot of the Scyros episode, which oc- cupies most of Book 1, is structured around recurring theatrical conventions of comedy: themes of deception, disguises that drive dramatic action, adventures stemming from stratagems, and plot twists with moments of recognition that resolve the story’s initial conflicts. Specifically, the motifs of masking, trickery to infiltrate a female environment, and violence against a young woman invite further exploration of the connections be- tween the Achilleid and Terence’s Eunuchus. This paper begins by examining the general affinities between the Achilleid and the Eunuchus, focusing on their plots and linguistic echoes. I argue that Statius, through an Ovidian lens, offers a reinterpretation of comic elements centered on themes of sexual ambiguity and the inversion of gender roles. In the final section, I explore how Statius’ emphasis on themes of dissimulation and decep- tion– rooted in the semantics of theatrical illusion and Ovid’s playful literary ludus– suggests a metapoetic dimension within his work.