Argonautica
Also known as: A. R. · Apollon. · Argonautics
- 1The Argonautica is a Greek epic poem composed by Apollonius Rhodius during the 3rd century BC.
- 2It is the only Hellenistic epic poem to survive in its entirety.
- 3The narrative follows the journey of Jason and the Argonauts as they seek the Golden Fleece in Colchis.
- 4The poem integrates scholarly research in geography, ethnography, and comparative religion.
- 5Apollonius is credited with pioneering the literary study of the pathology of love through the relationship between Jason and Medea.
- 6The work served as a foundational model for later Latin poets, including Virgil, Catullus, and Ovid.
The Argonautica is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC.
Connections1
literary depiction of the Sirens
Apollonius of Rhodes features the Sirens in his epic, where Orpheus saves the Argonauts from their song by playing his lyre more beautifully.
The Argonautica is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. The only entirely surviving Hellenistic epic, the Argonautica tells the myth of the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece from remote Colchis. Their heroic adventures and Jason's relationship with the Colchian princess/sorceress Medea were already well known to Hellenistic audiences, which enabled Apollonius to go beyond a simple narrative, giving it a scholarly emphasis suitable to the times. It was the age of the great Library of Alexandria, and his epic incorporates his research in geography, ethnography, comparative religion, and Homeric literature. However, his main contribution to the epic tradition lies in his development of the love between hero and heroine – he seems to have been the first narrative poet to study "the pathology of love". His Argonautica had a profound impact on Latin poetry: it was translated by Varro Atacinus and imitated by Valerius Flaccus, it influenced Catullus and Ovid, and it provided Virgil with a model for his Roman epic, the Aeneid.
Jason and the Argonauts Arriving at Colchis, by Charles de La Fosse. The poem Argonautica was written specifically for Ptolemaic Alexandria, [ 1 ] but it has long been a resource for other dynasties seeking to illustrate their power and ambitions. [ 2 ] This painting is located in the Château de Versailles.Wikimedia CommonsAthena helps build the Argo; Roman moulded terracotta plaque, first century AD.Wikimedia CommonsMap showing the route taken by the Argo. Therer are two possible locations for "Lake Triton".Wikimedia CommonsMap interpreting the voyage according to Apollonius Rhodius 's Argonautica, reprint of Ortelius 's Parergon, 1624Wikimedia CommonsIn Medea, a conflicted Medea is shown mixing a potion for an incantation, c. 1867 by Frederick SandysWikimedia Commons 176 words