The Argonautica (Greek: Ἀργοναυτικά) is a Greek epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BC. The only surviving Hellenistic epic, the Argonautica tells the myth of the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the mythical land of Colchis. In mathematics, see epic morphism. ... Apollonius of Rhodes (Apollonios Rhodios) (270 BC? – unknown, after 245 BC), Hellenistic Greek epic poet and scholar of the Library of Alexandria, during the reigns of Ptolemy II and Ptolemy III, and a chief librarian of the Library of Alexandria. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 3rd century BC started on January 1, 300 BC and ended on December 31, 201 BC. // Events The Pyramid of the Moon, one of several monuments built in Teotihuacán Teotihuacán, Mexico begun The first two Punic Wars between Carthage... The term Hellenistic (derived from HéllÄ“n, the Greeks traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the spreading of Greek culture over the non-Greek peoples that were conquered by Alexander the Great. ... Jason (Greek: Ιάσων, Etruscan: Easun) is a hero of Greek mythology who led the Argonauts in the search of the Golden Fleece. ... The Argo, by Lorenzo Costa In Greek mythology, the Argonauts (Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest for the Golden Fleece. ... Jason returns with the golden Fleece on an Apulian red-figure calyx krater, ca. ... In ancient geography, Colchis (sometimes spelled also as Kolchis) (Greek: Κολχίς, kŏl´kĬs; Georgian: კოლხეთი, Kolkheti) was a nearly triangular district in Caucasus. ...

Summary

In the first book, the ship Argo is built and a crew of around fifty heroes are assembled in response to an oracle received by King Pelias. Led by Jason, the heroes include Heracles and his companion Hylas, Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri: sons of Tyndareus and brothers of Helen and Clytemnestra), Orpheus, Meleager, Zetes and Calais (sons of Boreas), Peleus (father of Achilles), Laertes (supposed father of Odysseus), Telamon (father of Ajax), and the ship's builder, Argus. Their goal is to travel to Colchis and to obtain the Golden Fleece. After Jason suggests the election of a leader, Heracles recommends Jason himself, and the heroes agree. In Greek mythology, Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcus to retrieve the Golden Fleece. ... King Pelias was the father of Acastus, Pisidice, Alcestis in Greek mythology. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) For other uses, see Heracles (disambiguation). ... Two Argonauts before a hunt. ... In Greek mythology, Castor (or Kastor) and Pollux (sometimes called Polydeuces) were the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. ... In Greek mythology, Tyndareus (or Tyndareos) was a Spartan king, son of Oebalus (or Perieres) and Gorgophone (or Bateia), husband of Leda and father of Helen, Polydeuces (Pollux), Castor, Clytemnestra, and Philonoe. ... In Greek mythology, Helen (Greek: , Helénē), also known as Helen of Troy, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda and the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. ... Clytemnestra (Greek: Κλυταιμνήστρα Klytaimnéstra, praiseworthy wooing) was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... This article is about the mythological figure, for the Macedonian king see Meleager (king). ... The Boreads, in Greek mythology, were Calais and Zetes. ... Location within France The Burghers of Calais, by Rodin, with Calais Hotel de Ville behind J.M.W. Turner: Calais Pier Calais (Dutch: ) is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a... There was one person and one god known as Boreas in Greek mythology. ... Peleus consigns Achilles to Chirons care, white-ground lekythos by the Edimburg Painter, ca. ... The Wrath of Achilles, by François-Léon Benouville (1821–1859) (Musée Fabre) In Greek mythology, Achilles, also Akhilleus or Achilleus (Ancient Greek ) was a hero of the Trojan War, the central character and greatest warrior of Homers Iliad, which takes for its theme, not the War... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Odysseus and the Sirens. ... In Greek mythology, Telamon, son of Aeacus, King of Aegina, and Endeis and brother of Peleus, accompanied Jason as one his Argonauts, and was present at the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. ... For other uses of the name Ajax, see Ajax. ... There are five figures in Greek mythology named Argus or Argos (Άργος). Argus Panoptes (Argus all eyes) is a giant with a hundred eyes. ...

Setting sail from the eastern coast of Thessaly, the Argonauts first reach Lemnos, where the women, led by their Queen Hypsipyle, have murdered all of their husbands. Omitting the murder from her story, Hypsipyle convinces the men (except for Heracles) to breed with the women in order to repopulate the island. If Hypsipyle, Jason’s choice of consort, has a son, he tells her, send him to my parents; then the Argo sets sail. Traveling through the Hellespont, they reach land of the Doliones; though the King, Cyzicus, is friendly, the Argonauts accidentally fight with the Doliones and kill Cyzicus, and his widow Cleite then commits suicide, and Jason makes sacrifices in order to appease the gods. The Argonauts’ next destination is Cius, where Heracles’ companion Hylas is abducted by nymphs. Heracles becomes upset and the Argo is obliged to leave him behind, though Glaucus appears from the sea to reassure its crew that they made the right decision. Map showing Thessaly periphery in Greece Thessaly (Θεσσαλια; modern Greek Thessalía; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is one of the 13 peripheries of Greece, and is further sub-divided into 4 prefectures. ... Lemnos (mod. ... In Greek mythology, Hypsipyle was the Queen of Lemnos. ... Hellespont (i. ... Kios (also known as Cius) was an ancient Greek town bordering the Propontis (now known as the Sea of Marmara), and had as such a long history, being mentioned by Homer, Aristoteles and Strabo. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... In Greek mythology, Glaucus (shiny or bright or bluish-green) referred to several different people. ...

The second book begins in Bebryces, where King Amycus challenges the heroes to a boxing match. Pollux accepts, killing the king. At Bosporus, Zetes and Calais drive the Harpies away from Phineas, a former king being punished for the misuse of his prophetic gifts; Phineas rewards them with the secret to passing through the Clashing Rocks. Passing through the Clashing Rocks, using this secret and the aid of Athena, they visit many strange lands: the land of the Amazons, led by Hippolyte; the land of Mossynoikoi, who make love in public; an island sacred to Ares, where they are attacked by Ares’ birds. Passing near the place where Prometheus is chained, they rescue the survivors of a ship from Colchis, and the Argonauts gain the grateful sons of Phrixus as accomplices in their bid to steal the Golden Fleece. Arriving in Colchis, Jason considers the best way of approaching the cruel King Aeëtes. In Greek mythology, the Bebryces were a mythical tribe of people in Bithynia. ... In Greek mythology, Amycus was the son of Poseidon and Melia. ... Bosporus - photo taken from International Space Station. ... In Greek mythology, Harpies (robbers) were first beautiful winged women: Hesiod (Theogony) calls them as two lovely-haired creatures. ... In Greek mythology, Phineas (also spelled Phineus) was a King of Thrace, son of Agenor, who had the gift of prophecy. ... In Greek mythology, the Symplegades were a pair of rocks at the Hellespont that clashed together randomly. ... Helmeted Athena, of the Velletri type. ... In Greek mythology, the Amazons () were either an ancient legendary nation of female warriors or a land dominated by women at the outer edges of their known world. ... In Greek mythology, Hippolyta is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war. ... Prometheus, by Gustave Moreau In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Ancient Greek, Προμηθεύς, forethought) is the Titan chiefly honored for stealing fire from the gods in the stalk of a fennel plant and giving it to mortals for their use. ... In Greek mythology, Phrixus figured prominently in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. ... Aeetes (in Greek Αἰήτης, Georgian Ayeti) - King of Colchis (Georgian name Kolkheti, territory of modern West Georgia) in Greek mythology, Aeetes figured prominently in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. ...

The third book begins with Hera and Athena, determined to help Jason in his quest, asking Eros to cause Aeëtes’ daughter Medea to fall in love with Jason. Jason goes to the Aietes's accompanied by Phrixus' sons, who Aeëtes is suspicious to see home so early, and who tell him of their shipwreck and rescue by the Argonauts. Aeëtes sees a conspiracy in this story, and tells Jason he can take the fleece if he passes a test of strength and courage: harness the bulls with bronze hooves, plow the plain of Ares, and plant the teeth of a serpent, giving rise to an army of soldiers. Medea, powerful and skilled with drugs and magic, sees the hopelessness of the task and prays to Hecate. Jason, seeing that Medea is a useful tool and that she is under a divine love spell, asks her for drugs and aid and receives them; he returns her affection, asking her to follow him to Greece and to be his wife. In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (IPA pronunciation: ; Greek or ) was the wife and older sister of Zeus. ... Eros, a god in Greek mythology Eros can also refer to: The Greek word Eros, which means sexual love 433 Eros, an asteroid EROS, the Extremely Reliable Operating System Pjur Eros, a premium latex-safe personal lubricant Eros, the life instinct postulated by Freudian psychology, standing in opposition to Thanatos... Medea by Evelyn De Morgan. ... For other uses, see Hecate (disambiguation). ...

After he sacrifices to Hecate, Medea’s favored goddess, Jason sprinkles Medea’s drug on his skin, clothing, spear, and sword. Protected by the drug, he is able to withstand the charge of the bulls, and to harness them to plow the field. Planting the teeth in the plowed field, the earth-born warriors rise from the ground, and Jason places a great round rock among them. They go to war over this rock, and Jason joins in the fighting until all are slain. Jason has succeeded at his task, but Aietes does not intend to release the Golden Fleece.

In the last book, Medea offers to put the dragon guarding the fleece to sleep in exchange for the Argonauts taking her aboard their ship and away from the father she has betrayed. Jason agrees, promising again to marry her, and she uses her skill with drugs to neutralize the dragon. Departing with the Golden Fleece, the Argo is pursued by Aietes and by Medea’s older brother Absyrtus. Jason proposes to leave Medea to Artemis, protector of virgins, an idea which causes an enraged Medea to threaten setting fire to the ships until Jason explains she is the bait in a trap set out for Absyrtus; the trap works, and Absyrtus is ambushed and killed by Jason, causing the Colchians to scatter. Absyrtus (also Apsyrtus) was the son of Aeëtes and a brother of Medea. ... The Artemis of Versailles, a Roman copy of the marble sculpture of Leochares, now at the Louvre Artemis (Greek: nominative , genitive ), in Greek mythology was daughter of Zeus and of Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. ...

A few incidental adventures later, the Colchians return, demanding the return of Medea. They are persuaded that Medea, since she left voluntarily, may stay with Jason if their marriage has been consummated, but she may not if she is still a virgin; Medea and Jason then consummate their marriage and Medea is allowed to remain with her husband. At Lake Triton, possibly the Nile, they come across a serpent killed by Heracles, but are unable to find the hero himself. On Crete, the Argonauts encounter Talos, the last survivor of an ancient race of men, who attacks them; Medea comes to the rescue with her spells, and slays Talos, who bleeds ichor as he dies. Euphemus, son of Poseidon, casts a clod of earth he received at Lake Triton into the sea, creating the island of Kalliste (Thera); and at long last, the Argo reaches the coast of Thessaly and home. The Nile (Arabic: ‎, translit: , Ancient Egyptian iteru) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river on Earth, though some sources claim the Amazon in South America is longer. ... Winged Talos armed with a stone. ... In Greek mythology, ichor (Greek ἰχώρ) is the mineral that is the Greek gods blood, sometimes said to have been present in ambrosia or nectar. ... View from the top of Thira Santorini is a small, circular group of volcanic islands located in the Aegean Sea, 75 km south-east of the Greek mainland, (latitude: 35. ...

Style

The Argonautica differs in some respects from traditional or Homeric Greek epic, though Apollonius certainly used Homer as a model. The Argonautica is much shorter than Homer’s epics, with four books totaling less than 6,000 lines, while the Iliad runs to more than 15,000. Apollonius may have been influenced here by Callimachus' brevity, or by Aristotle’s demand for "poems on a smaller scale than the old epics, and answering in length to the group of tragedies presented at a single sitting" (Poetics). Argonautica meets Aristotle's requirements; each of the Argonautica's four books are around the same length as a tragedy. Tragedies were traditionally performed in groups of four, three tragedies and a satyr play, whose total length was very nearly that of the Argonautica. The Iliad (Ancient Greek , Ilias) is, together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer, a supposedly blind Ionian poet. ... Callimachus (ca. ... Aristotle (Greek: AristotélÄ“s) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... In general usage, a tragedy or tragoedy is a drama, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. ... Satyr plays were an ancient Greek form of comedy, similar to the modern-day burlesque style. ...

Apollonius’ epic also differs from the more traditional epic in its weaker, more human protagonist Jason and in its many discursions into local custom, aeitiology, and other popular subjects of Hellenistic poetry. Apollonius also chooses the less shocking versions of some myths, having Medea, for example, merely watch the murder of Absyrtus instead of murdering him herself. The gods are relatively distant and inactive throughout much of the epic, following the Hellenistic trend to allegorize and rationalize religion. Heterosexual loves such as Jason’s are more emphasized than homosexual loves such as that of Heracles and Hylas, another trend in Hellenistic literature as heterosexual love gained prestige. Medea by Evelyn De Morgan. ... Absyrtus (also Apsyrtus) was the son of Aeëtes and a brother of Medea. ...

Many critics name the love of Jason and Medea in this book as the best and most beautiful part of the Argonautica, inspiring some of Apollonius' finest writing:

So Love the Destroyer Blazed in a coil around her heart, her mind's keen anguish Now flushed her soft cheeks, now drained them of all color. (line 297-299.)

Selected references

• Editio princeps (Florence, 1496).
• Merkel-Keil (with scholia, 1854).
• Seaton (1900).
• 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Green, Alexander to Actium: The political evolution of the Hellenistic age (1990), particularly Ch. 11 and 13.
• Longinus (De Sublim, p. 54, 19)
• Quintilian (Instit, x. 1, 54)
• Aristotle (Poetics)

English translations: Verse: In classical scholarship, editio princeps is a term of art. ... Aristotles Poetics aims to give an account of poetry. ...

• Edward Burnaby Greene, The Argonautic Expedition (1780)
• Francis Fawkes, The Argonautics of Apollonius Rhodius (1780)
• William Preston, The Argonautics of Apollonius Rhodius (1803)
• Arthur S. Way, The Tale of the Argonauts (1901)
• Peter Green, The Argonautika by Apollonios Rhodios (1987)

Francis Fawkes (1721 - 1777) was a poet and translator, born near Doncaster, and educated at Cambridge, after which he took orders. ... William Ballard Preston (1805 - 1862) was a U.S. political figure. ... At least two notable persons have been named Peter Green: Peter Green (musician), founder of Fleetwod Mac Peter Green (historian) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

External links

• Works by Apollonius of Rhodes at Project Gutenberg
• Leiden Apollonius bibliography