▁that ▁Stati us ▁was ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁canonical ▁nine ▁ly ric ▁po ets , ▁Call im ach us , ▁and ▁the ▁Alexand rian ▁P lei ad . ▁P ind ar ▁is ▁perhaps ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁influ ences ▁for ▁Stati us ; ▁the ▁pan egy ric ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁poetry , ▁his ▁myth ological ▁examples , ▁and ▁his ▁inv oc ations ▁all ▁reference ▁P ind ar ic ▁convention ▁( see ▁also ▁ 4 . 7 ). ▁ ▁Cont ents ▁ ▁Book ▁ 1 ▁The ▁pre face ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁book ▁dedic ates ▁the ▁work ▁to ▁L . ▁Arr unt ius ▁St ella , ▁a ▁fellow ▁poet . ▁The ▁poet ▁anx iously ▁describes ▁his ▁imp rom pt u ▁style ▁of ▁composition , ▁hopes ▁his ▁poetry ▁is ▁pol ished ▁enough ▁and ▁gives ▁a ▁brief ▁outline ▁of ▁the ▁po ems ▁to ▁come ▁along ▁with ▁context ▁about ▁their ▁composition . ▁▁ 1 . 1 ▁E cus ▁Maxim us ▁Dom it iani ▁Imp . ▁(" The ▁Great ▁E quest rian ▁Stat ue ▁of ▁Dom it ian ") ▁Pra ise ▁for ▁and ▁elaborate ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁col oss al ▁e quest rian ▁statue ▁of ▁Dom it ian ▁ere cted ▁in ▁the ▁forum ▁in ▁ 9 1 ▁CE . ▁Disc uss ion ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁the ▁forum , ▁comparison ▁with ▁myth ological ▁ex emp la , ▁the ▁imag ined ▁re actions ▁of ▁Roman ▁historical ▁person ages ▁to ▁the ▁statue . ▁▁ 1 . 2 ▁Ep ith al am ion ▁in ▁St ell am ▁et ▁Vi ol ent ill