The Argonautica - Softcover

Apollonius, Rhodius

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1438532253 ISBN 13: 9781438532257

Publisher: Book Jungle, 2009

Synopsis

Apollonios Rhodios (c. 305-235 B.C.), the author of the Argonautika, was appointed Chief Librarian in the legendary library at Alexandria around 265 B.C. His first draft of this poem, composed when he was a very young man, drew scornful reactions from the literati of the day, Kallimachos in particular, who thought epic pass and long poems vulgar. The Argonautika: the story of Jason and the quest for the golden fleece is a retelling of the tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece ... Jason, a young prince, is sent on a perilous expedition but comes through various ordeals with the aid of the king's daughter, Medeia, He is a very modern figure, not at all Achillean: almost an anti-hero. Along the way, the story incorporates ... accounts of early exploration and colonizing ventures.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The aim of the series remains that of including the works of all the principal classical authors. Although this has been largely accomplished, new volumes are still being published to fill the remaining gaps, and old editions are being revised in the light of recent research or replaced.

About the Author:

Apollonius of Rhodes, Latin: Apollonius Rhodius), floruit first half of 3rd century BCE, is best known as the author of the Argonautica, an epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. The poem is one of the few extant examples of the epic genre and it was both innovative and influential, providing Ptolemaic Egypt with a "cultural mnemonic" or national "archive of images", and offering the Latin poets Virgil and Gaius Valerius Flaccus a model for their own epics. His other poems, which survive only in small fragments, concerned the beginnings or foundations of cities, such as Alexandria and Cnidus – places of interest to the Ptolemies, whom he served as a scholar and librarian at the Library of Alexandria. A literary dispute with Callimachus, another Alexandrian librarian/poet, is a topic much discussed by modern scholars since it is thought to give some insight into their poetry, athough there is very little evidence that there ever was such a dispute between the two men. In fact almost nothing at all is known about Apollonius and even his connection with Rhodes is a matter for speculation. Once considered a mere imitator of Homer, and therefore a failure as a poet, his reputation has been enhanced by recent studies, with an emphasis on the special characteristics of Hellenistic poets as scholarly heirs of a long literary tradition writing at a unique time in history.

About this edition

• Publisher: Book Jungle
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1438532253
• ISBN 13: 9781438532257
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 148