 His surviving Latin poetry includes an epic in twelve books, the "Thebaid"; a collection of occasional poetry, the "Silvae"; and an unfinished epic, the "Achilleid".He is also known for his appearance as a guide in the "Purgatory" section of Dante's epic poem, the "Divine Comedy".Information about Statius' life is almost entirely drawn from his "Silvae" and a mention by the satirist Juvenal.