American Journal of Philology

This article seeks to establish the Thebaid as an important intertext for the Achilleid. Many echoes of the Thebaid may be found, especially in the description of the mustering at Aulis and the portrayal of Achilles. The Thebaid is exploited to help construct the Achilleid’s struggle between arma and amor: the episodes most heavily drawn on are those which thematise the tussle between love and war, with war prevailing. Such intertextual investigation may contribute to the debate over the Achilleid’s epic identity.