Who wrote the Argonautica?
Apollonius Rhodius wrote the Argonautica in the 3rd century BC, during the Hellenistic period centered on the great Library of Alexandria.
Questions about Argonautica
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the Argonautica about?
The Argonautica tells the myth of Jason and the Argonauts sailing to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, including his relationship with the Colchian princess and sorceress Medea.
When was the Argonautica written?
Scholars date the poem to either the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 283-246 BC, or a generation later. An astronomical analysis by Jackie Murray points to the year 238 BC, placing it under Ptolemy III Euergetes, who ruled 246-221 BC.
Why is the Argonautica historically significant?
It is the only Hellenistic epic to survive complete, since even Callimachus's rival epic, the Aetia, survives only in fragments. It also influenced Roman poets, and Virgil used it as a model for the Aeneid.
How did the Argonautica influence Roman poetry?
Varro Atacinus translated the poem, Valerius Flaccus imitated it directly, it shaped Catullus and Ovid, and Virgil drew on it as a model for the Aeneid.
Where does the plot of the Argonautica take place?
The story moves from Jason's home in Iolcus through the Hellespont and the Black Sea to Colchis, then back by way of the river Ister, the Adriatic, Libya, and finally Greece.