The Argonautica (also Argonautika) is a Greek epic poem written by
Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BCE. 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. Another, much less-known Argonautica,
using the same body of myth, was composed by Valerius Flaccus
during the time of Vespasian. The Argonautica differs in some
respects from traditional or Homeric Greek epic, though Apollonius
used Homer as his principal 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' advocacy of 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. Though critics have
concentrated on Homeric echoes in Argonautica, direct borrowings
from tragedy, such as Euripides' Medea, can be found. Apollonius'
epic also differs from the more traditional epic in its weaker,
more human protagonist Jason J.F. Carspecken noted his character
traits, which are more characteristic of the genre of realism than
epic, in that he was: "chosen leader because his superior declines
the honour, subordinate to his comrades, except once, in every
trial of strength, skill or courage, a great warrior only with the
help of magical charms, jealous of honor but incapable of asserting
it, passive in the face of crisis, timid and confused before
trouble, tearful at insult, easily despondent, gracefully
treacherous in his dealings with the love-sick Medea..."
Argonautica is often placed in a literary tradition that leads to
the Hellenistic novel. It is also unlike the archaic Epic tradition
in its many discursions into local custom, aetiology, 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. 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.
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