The Argonautica of Apollonius

In recent years the subtlety and complexity of Apollonius’ Argonautica have been better appreciated, but in Dr Hunter’s view the purposes and aesthetic of the epic are still not readily understood and much basic analysis remains to be done. The present book seeks to offer some of that analysis and to place the Argonautica within its social and intellectual context. A series of studies deal with notions of heroism; with eros and the suffering of Medea; the role of the divine; poetic voice and literary self-consciousness; and the Ptolemaic context of the poem. A pervasive theme of the book is Apollonius’ creative engagement with Homer, and a final chapter sketches out an approach to Virgil’s use of Apollonius in the Aeneid. The Argonautica emerges as a brilliant and original experiment. This book is the only advanced study of the Argonautica currently available. All Greek is translated.

• Richard Hunter is an established Press author - note especially his commentary in the CGLC series: Apollonius of Rhodes: Argonautica Book III • The only advanced study available of the Argonautica • Hellenistic epic, its connections with Homer and its influence on Virgil, is an area of strong current interest

1. Introduction; 2. Modes of heroism; 3. Images of love; 4. The gods and the divine; 5. The poet and his poem; 6. The Argonautica and its Ptolemaic context; 7. Argonautica and Aeneid; Appendix: hen aeisma dienekes: Aristotle, Callimachus, Apollonius.