The other Campanian volcano : Inarime in Flavian epic

Abstract

This chapter surveys the literary representation of Ischia’s volcano, Inarime, which Valerius Flaccus pairs in his Argonautica with Mount Vesuvius in a striking simile describing the violence of battle at Cyzicus (V. Fl. 3.208–9). The imagery of gigantomachy infiltrates Inarime’s diverse reappearances in all three Flavian epics, accentuating a contrast with Statius’ description of the tranquil view of Ischia across the Bay of Naples from the villa of Pollius Felix (Silv. 2.2.75), which in turn provides a glimpse of pastoral serenity likely to inspire in Statius’ Flavian and modern reader-audiences’ reflections on Inarime’s well-hidden (but all too apparent) dangers.