Publius Papinius Statius (c. 45, Naples – c. 96 AD, Naples) is a Roman poet of the 1st century CE (the Silver Age of Latin literature).
Besides his poetry in Latin, which includes an epic poem, the Thebaid, a collection of occasional poetry, the Silvae, and the unfinished epic, the Achilleid, he is best known for his appearance as a major character in the Purgatory section of Dante's epic poem The Divine Comedy.
