' ▁pat rons , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁add resse es ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁wealth y , ▁privile ged ▁class ▁of ▁land own ers ▁and ▁polit icians . ▁Stati us ' ▁fl atter y ▁of ▁these ▁el ites ▁has ▁been ▁interpreted ▁in ▁two ▁ways ▁by ▁sch ol ars ; ▁some , ▁such ▁as ▁Car ole ▁New lands , ▁maintain ▁that ▁the ▁collection ▁is ▁highly ▁sub vers ive ▁and ▁subt ly ▁express es ▁Stati us ' ▁concerns ▁about ▁the ▁aut ocr atic ▁t endencies ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁upper ▁class . ▁O thers ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁we ▁cannot ▁judge ▁the ▁standards ▁of ▁Roman ▁pan egy ric ▁by ▁modern ▁taste ▁and ▁ur ge ▁a ▁reading ▁of ▁the ▁Silva e ▁as ▁individual ▁pieces ▁that ▁respond ▁to ▁specific ▁circumstances ▁with ▁their ▁own ▁unique ▁view points . ▁ ▁Style ▁Stati us ' ▁style ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁extremely ▁elaborate ▁(" mann er ist ") ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁connected ▁with ▁a ▁specific ▁bi - ling ual , ▁Greek ▁cultural ▁circle ▁in ▁Nap les . ▁M yth ological ▁examples , ▁standard ▁features ▁( top oi ), ▁and ▁elaborate ▁description ▁all ▁enh ance ▁his ▁pra ise ▁of ▁his ▁pat rons ' ▁lives ▁and ▁poss essions . ▁He ▁also ▁uses ▁some ▁standard ▁types ▁of ▁r het or ical ▁composition ▁as ▁noted ▁by ▁Men ander ▁Rh et or ▁such ▁as ▁ep ith al am ium , ▁prop empt icon , ▁and ▁gen eth lia con . ▁His ▁use ▁of ▁myth ological ▁speak ers ▁at ▁times ▁has ▁been ▁interpreted ▁sub vers ively , ▁as ▁a