ates ▁the ▁book . ▁The ▁subjects ▁of ▁the ▁poetry ▁are ▁varied ▁and ▁provide ▁sch ol ars ▁with ▁a ▁wealth ▁of ▁information ▁on ▁Dom it ian ' s ▁Rome ▁and ▁Stati us ' ▁life . ▁ ▁The ▁Silva e ▁were ▁redis cover ed ▁by ▁P og gio ▁B rac ci ol ini ▁in ▁the ▁Library ▁of ▁Reich en au ▁Ab bey ▁around ▁ 1 4 1 7 , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁P un ica ▁of ▁Sil ius . ▁ ▁Com position ▁The ▁Silva e ▁were ▁probably ▁composed ▁by ▁Stati us ▁between ▁ 8 9 - 9 6 ▁CE . ▁The ▁first ▁three ▁books ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁published ▁together ▁after ▁ 9 3 ▁CE ▁( a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁The ba id ), ▁and ▁Book ▁ 4 ▁was ▁probably ▁released ▁in ▁ 9 5 ▁CE . ▁Book ▁ 5 ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁released ▁post hum ously ▁c . ▁ 9 6 . ▁Each ▁book ▁is ▁dat able ▁by ▁a ▁comparison ▁of ▁the ▁care ers ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁po ems ' ▁add resse es ▁and ▁references ▁in ▁other ▁authors ▁such ▁as ▁Mart ial . ▁The ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁has ▁caused ▁some ▁debate ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁sch ol ars , ▁though ▁it ▁is ▁assumed ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁lost ▁Silva e ▁of ▁Luc an . ▁In ▁Latin , ▁sil va ▁which ▁in ▁the ▁nomin ative ▁pl ural ▁is ▁Silva e , ▁can ▁mean ▁both ▁" for est " ▁and ▁" material ." ▁Silva ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁describe