Apollonius Rhodius Research Articles

Apollonius Rhodius and a Homeric Gloss

This paper examines Apollonius Rhodius’s use of a Homeric gloss, ὁμαδέω. It argues that Apollonius adopts a double strategy in his intertextual engagement with Homer: Apollonius differentiates himself from his epic model on the one hand and establishes continuity on the other. For their appreciation, the two contrasting strategies require varying levels of familiarity with the Homeric original and Apollonius’s own epic. This reflects, I argue, the fact that Apollonius addresses different expectations from his audiences, and that he, accordingly, variously presents himself as an innovative poet or as a meticulous scholar. The double strategy lends Apollonius authority as poet and scholar.

Doors and Doorposts: A Note on the Opening of Book 4 of the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius

A textual problem is identified in Book 4 of the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius at 4.26–27. This problem is discussed and explained. A diagnostic conjecture is then proposed.

Tra gli Inferi e le stelle: un problema testuale nel mito di Orfeo in Virgilio (georg. 4,509) e il Leitmotiv astronomico nelle catabasi da Omero a Dante (con echi di Apollonio Rodio)

Abstract The article treats the presence of stars in terrestrial landscapes, in opposition to the Underworld and in connection to the topos of katabasis, above all in order to pursue in more depth a textual problem in the fabula Orphei of Vergil’s Georgics (4,509 astris / antris). The philological question is approached both on the basis of context and in relation to the descent into Hades of Aeneas, as well as in diachronic comparison with the earlier Homeric katabasis of Odysseus and the later otherworldly voyage of Dante in the Commedia. This internal and intertextual investigation reveals multiple functions of the celestial bodies in similar stories, as well as analogies between Homer, Vergil and Dante, linked by interests in nature and astronomy and by reciprocal influences. In fact, the Greek model and the Italian emulator seem to help clarify the contested passage in the Vergilian katabasis of Orpheus, while the Latin poet and Dante (who also share echoes of Apollonius Rhodius) rework a celestial detail already present in the νέκυια of Homer. Finally, both these classical authors, as well as Ovid, are subtly present at the ends of the three parts of the Commedia, each of which closes with the suggestive and symbolic image of “stars”, which evokes and renews an ancient tradition.

Off to Scythia: Apollonius Arg. 1, 307-311, and Ananius fr. 1 West

This paper argues that Apollonius Rhodius’ simile comparing Jason to Apollo (Arg. 1, 307-311) alludes to Anan. fr. 1 West. Beyond its intrinsic interest in enriching the interpretation of Apollonius’ simile, this allusion offers new evidence for the reception that Ananius - a minor poet at the margins of the iambic canon - enjoyed in the Hellenistic period.

CHANGING THE SAIL: PROPERTIUS 3.21, CATULLUS 64 AND OVID, HEROIDES 5

AbstractConcentrating on Propertius 3.21 in particular, this article identifies a previously unnoticed network of allusions by three Roman poets (Catullus, Propertius and Ovid) to one another and to Book 1 of Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica. It shows that these intertextual links are pivoted on the three poets’ common use of the verse-ending lintea malo in scenes of departure by sea, and on their common interest in framing other aspects of the nautical context (especially the naval equipment involved and the presence of a favourable wind) in specific ways. Highlighting the presence in all three cases of departing male lovers with traditionally compromised or otherwise dubious claims to heroism, the article argues that each of the three instances shows the poet in question interacting competitively and self-consciously with the usages of his predecessor(s) (and with those usages’ immediate contexts) and exploiting the choices made by them to serve his new context and to advertise his personal skill in the creative deployment of revered poetic models.

Herodotean Intertexts in Apollonius Rhodius (on A. D. Morrison, Apollonius Rhodius, Herodotus and Historiography)

Herodotean Intertexts in Apollonius Rhodius (on A. D. Morrison, Apollonius Rhodius, Herodotus and Historiography)

CRAFTING CHAOS: INTELLIGENT DESIGN IN OVID, METAMORPHOSES BOOK 1 AND PLATO'S TIMAEUS

Many attempts have been made to define the precise philosophical outlook of Ovid's account of cosmogony from the beginning of the Metamorphoses, while numerous different and interconnected influences have been identified including Homer, Hesiod, Empedocles, Apollonius Rhodius, Lucretius and Virgil. This has led some scholars to conclude that Ovid's cosmogony is simply eclectic, a magpie collection of various poetic and philosophical snippets haphazardly jumbled together, and with no significant philosophical dimension whatsoever. A more constructive approach could see Ovid's synthesis of many of the major cosmogonic works in the Graeco-Roman tradition as an attempt to match textually his all-encompassing history of the universe that purports to stretch from the first beginnings of the world up to the present day (Met. 1.3−4). Furthermore, if the beginning of the Metamorphoses is designed to be both cosmologically and intertextually all-encompassing, it is surprising that the influence of arguably the major philosophical work on cosmogony from the ancient world, Plato's Timaeus, remains to be evaluated.

The Summer Triangle and the Stymphalian Birds

In western celestial cartography there is a grouping of three birds which are the constellations of Cygnus the Swan, Aquila the Eagle, and Lyra the Lyre, all found north of the ecliptic. Within each constellation, the three bright stars of Deneb Adige in Cygnus, Altair in Aquila, and Vega in Lyra constitute what is known today as the Summer Triangle, as they are visible in the summer months and form a triangle in the night sky. Rather than just a geometrical pattern, however, this essay argues that there is a myth that draws these three magical birds together. Using extant works of art, as well as the writings of Apollonius Rhodius (Argonautica 2, c.3rd century BCE) and Pseudo- Hyginus (Fabulae 30, c.2nd century CE), amongst others, this essay focuses initially on the Greek myth of the three Stymphalian Birds (Ornithes Stymphalides) which haunted Lake Stymphalis in Arkadia and suggests that, by searching within other myths, there are alternate ways that these three sky birds may have been understood through other cultures.

El diálogo intertextual entre Las Argonáuticas de Apolonio de Rodas y las epopeyas homéricas

Apolonio de Rodas fue uno de los principales representantes de la poesía griega del período helenístico. En su única obra conservada, Las Argonáuticas, este autor estableció un significativo diálogo con la tradición literaria anterior, especialmente con las epopeyas homéricas. Debido a la desatención que durante mucho tiempo existió con respecto a la literatura helenística, así como a la ausencia de un estudio integrador acerca de la obra de Apolonio en relación con sus antecedentes épicos, este trabajo se propuso realizar un análisis de la intertextualidad (particularmente la hipertextualidad) entre Las Argonáuticas y los poemas de Homero. Los aspectos examinados permitieron concluir que el poeta helenístico conjugó en su epopeya elementos de tradición y de innovación, y estableció un creativo diálogo intertextual con el antiguo aedo, pues a la vez que asimiló magistralmente los principales recursos y motivos de la épica tradicional, incorporó características estéticas propias de su tiempo.

The Tragic Fate of the Epic Helmsman

In various Greek and Latin epic poems examples can be found of one character in particular who meets his end remarkably often: the helmsman. This article shows that the ‘death of the helmsman’ can be considered an epic motif from Homer on (where quite a few instances can be found), with imitations by Apollonius Rhodius and subsequently by the Roman epic poets (Vergil, Lucan, Silius Italicus). A parody from Greek prose by Lucian corroborates this notion. Although some of the early instances seem to have cultic origins, and can be explained through aetiology, Homer’s imitators appear to have used the motif knowingly, and to have played with it. Based on the accumulation of examples, and the nature of imitation within the epic genre, it can be argued that, to many epic poets, the death of the pilot was considered a narrative topos.

Osservazioni sul genitivo nelle Argonautiche di Apollonio Rodio

1. A Hellenistic text in Hellenistic Greek The language of Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica may be characterized as both conservative, keeping to the model of epic, mostly Homeric, language use, and as innovative both in terms of the choice, readjustment and further development of features of the epic language and of the occurrence of non-epic features either reflecting different literary genres (such as tragedy) and / or contemporary language use. Within this complex situation of imitation, v...

Ἀργὼ πᾶσι μέλουσα, παρ᾽ Αἰήταο πλέουσα – greckie źródła literackie do poznania mitu o Medei i wyprawie Argonautów po złote runo od VIII w. p.n.e. do III w. p.n.e.

The myth of Medea and the Argonauts’ voyage to the faraway Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece belongs to the earliest legends of ancient Greece. The narrative elements of the tale would change over time. For almost thirteen centuries, from Homer to the late-antique poem Argonautica Orphica, which yet again retold the heroes’ expedition to Colchis, the legend of the Colchian sorceress and the fifty brave men fascinated ancient poets, historians and tragedians. Hence the paper focuses on the Greek literary sources which conveyed the tale. A detailed discussion of the works aims to highlight the diversity and multiplicity of the myth’s versions as well as outlines the evolution of the legend, whose most celebrated and recognized literary variant is found in Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius.

Listing the Argonauts and the Warriors at Troy: Apollonius Rhodius in the Homeric Catalogues of Triphiodorus

After some initial remarks on the paratactic-catalogic structure of Triphiodorus “Ἰλίου “Ἅλωσις, the present paper discusses elements of the structure and content of the catalogues of lines 152–83 and 17–39 of Triphiodorus' poem. It is argued that, within the general Homeric background of Triphiodorus’ catalogues, echoes of Apollonius' catalogue of the Argonauts (1.23–228) can be traced in Triphiodorus’ lines. It is further demonstrated that for the presentation of Neoptolemus in lines 53–4 and in the catalogue of the Achaeans of the Horse, Triphiodorus is influenced by the description of another young warrior, Meleager, son of Oeleus, in A. R. 3.518–20. Triphiodorus does not merely imitate Apollonius, as he also does not copy Homer: the partial combination of elements taken from his two epic predecessors helps him create a novel style while he catalogues his heroes, adjusted to the specific narrative circumstances that he establishes.

Héracles e o heroísmo nas Argonáuticas de Apolônio de Rodes

Este artigo discute a inserção de Héracles nas Argonáuticas de Apolônio de Rodes e como isso se relaciona a questão do heroísmo. Serão confrontadas as caracterizações divergentes de Jasão e de Héracles, com o objetivo de discernir qual dos dois mais adequadamente ocuparia a função de líder da expedição e seria, por consequência, considerado o melhor dos argonautas. ---DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22409/cadletrasuff.2018n56a533

Разночтения в русских и английских переводах « Аргонавтики» Аполлония Родосского

Разночтения в русских и английских переводах « Аргонавтики» Аполлония Родосского

Listing the Argonauts and the Warriors at Troy: Apollonius Rhodius in the Homeric Catalogues of Triphiodorus

After some initial remarks on the paratactic-catalogic structure of Triphiodorus “Ἰλίου “Ἅλωσις, the present paper discusses elements of the structure and content of the catalogues of lines 152–83 and 17–39 of Triphiodorus' poem. It is argued that, within the general Homeric background of Triphiodorus’ catalogues, echoes of Apollonius' catalogue of the Argonauts (1.23–228) can be traced in Triphiodorus’ lines. It is further demonstrated that for the presentation of Neoptolemus in lines 53–4 and in the catalogue of the Achaeans of the Horse, Triphiodorus is influenced by the description of another young warrior, Meleager, son of Oeleus, in A. R. 3.518–20. Triphiodorus does not merely imitate Apollonius, as he also does not copy Homer: the partial combination of elements taken from his two epic predecessors helps him create a novel style while he catalogues his heroes, adjusted to the specific narrative circumstances that he establishes.

The disagreements among Russian and English translators of Apollonius Rhodius’ ‘Argonautica’

The disagreements among Russian and English translators of Apollonius Rhodius’ ‘Argonautica’

Hera and Juno in the Argonautica

The article deals with the role of the Greek goddess Hera and her Roman counterpart, Iuno, in the poetic treatments of the myth of Argonauts. The focus is put especially on Iuno’s character development in Valerius Flaccus’ adaptation of the myth. Iuno’s character in this work has already been discussed by Werner Schubert in his fundamental study (1991), in which he pointed out the remarkable approximation of Iuno fabulosa and Iuno civilis. Referring to this study, the article emphasizes rather the literary development of Iuno’s character. It is shown that Valerius Flaccus portrays the highest goddess not only as a peculiar helper (socia), as suggested by Schubert, but also as a permanent participant in an intertextual dialogue with the epic poems of Homer and Apollonius Rhodius. Valerius Flaccus’ aim here is to invert his literary predecessors’ accounts in a subtle and witted way (as Debra Hershkowitz has already presented).

The Adriatic Islands in the Periegesis of Pseudo-Scymnus: Two Remarks

This paper deals with two issues: (1) sequence of the central Dalmatian islands in the Periegesis which is different than in most other ancient sources, and (2) interpretation and evaluation of allegedly exceptional location of the island of Diomedes in the Periegesis.Comparative analyses indicate to special association of the island of Vis (Issa) with the Hyllaean Peninsula (Perieg. 413), confirmed to a certain extent by Apollonius Rhodius (Argonaut. 4.565): Vis appears as the first of the central Dalmatian islands from the north-west. Since the Periegesis explicitely mentions Timaeus (Perieg. 412), this author was most probably the first not only to mention and introduce the Hylleis and their peninusula to geographic knowledge of the time but also to emphasize connections of this peninsula with Vis which seems to be a reflection of visual connections important for ancient sailors. We can also find analogous sequence with Vis in the first place (but without the Hyllaean Peninsula) in Strabo (2.5.20; 7.5.5).The second issue relates to the island of Diomedes in the Periegesis (431 – 433) mentioned in quite unexpected context according to certain opinions: it was mentioned after Lake Lychnidos (Ohrid), which was a basis for hypothesis about the cult on the islet in Lake Prespa, far from the Adriatic. However more extensive analysis of the “Illyrian” passage indicates that all relational spatial designations refer to Illyris i.e. Illyrians meaning that there is no reason to look for the island of Diomedes outside the Adriatic (Palagruža). This work focuses on the geographical association of the island of Diomedes with the Illyrian land as the actual “anomaly” of the Periegesis, while all other sources associate the island with the nearest part of Italy, Apulia.

A kívüllét neve

Medeia by Sándor Weöres is one of the poet’s epic mythological poems of the 1950s, connecting and contrasting fragments of Medea’s disparate mythic narratives written by Euripides, Apollonius Rhodius and Ovid. The textual and narrative discontinuity and the mixture of epic, lyric and dramatic discourses in a widened context of Medea’s mythologems allow to read the poem as a simultaneous experiment to interchange the dramatic functions of the characters, dissolving and establishing the borders of their identity, and, paradoxically, to metaphorise the closure, the marginalization and the isolation of the Self. Medeia is constituted by a double time structure: besides the homogeneous time of the dream and the non-existence connecting to the inseparability of the poem’s speakers and to the visual dominance, there is the time structure of the unified centre of the unidentified first person singular, and the remembrance of the voices resulted in diverse histories. The three dominant types of the speakers’ narratives are the magic powers of the enchantress penetrated by the voices of the victims, that of the orphic Medea calling into question the function and effect of poetry and song, and the various mythologems of dragons.