Editing Statius (section)

===Family background===
The poet's father (whose name is unknown) was a native of [[Velia]] but later moved to [[Naples]] and spent time in [[Rome]] where he taught with marked success. From boyhood to adulthood, Statius's father proved himself a champion in the poetic contests at Naples in the [[Augustalia]] and in the [[Nemean]], [[Pythian Games|Pythian]], and [[Isthmian Games|Isthmian games]], which served as important events to display poetic skill during the early empire. Statius declares in his lament for his father (''Silv.'' 5.3) that his father was in his time equal to any literary task, whether in prose or verse. He mentioned [[Mevania]], and may have spent time there, or been impressed by the confrontation of [[Vitellius]] and [[Vespasian]] in 69. Statius's father was a Roman ''[[Eques (ancient Rome)|eques]]'', but may have lost his status because of money troubles. At Naples, he was a teacher of Greek and Roman literature who attracted many pupils who were destined for religious offices in Rome. He died in 79 AD. From Pliny the Younger's Letters, it has recently been deduced that Statius also wrote under the pseudonym of Propertius.