The lines at the beginning of the Anticlaudianus in which Alan of Lille attacks the Alexandreis of his poetic rival Walter of Châtillon constitute a famous crux. In a recent article Gärtner has endeavoured to shed light on this passage by positing a reminiscence of Statius’ Silvae. Gärtner’s thesis is also of capital importance for the Rezeptionsgeschichte of the latter text, since it has hitherto proved impossible to identify an echo of the Silvae between Charlemagne and the Renaissance. The present article attempts to show that Alan’s attack on Walter does not evince the influence of the Silvae after all.