Apollonius Rhodius & The Argonautica
Although his poem is one of the few complete epics to have survived from antiquity, very little is known about the life of Apollonius of Rhodes. The poet does not openly share any details about himself or his career in his extant work. There are also no clear references to the historical and political circumstances of his time. We know that Apollonius lived in Alexandria of Egypt under the first Ptolemaic kings, because his name appears among those of several other heads of the Library of Alexandria in a 2nd-cent. BC papyrus (P.Oxy. 1241). As the head of the Library, he was also the mentor of the young prince, whom scholars have identified with Ptolemy Euergetes ('Benefactor'), the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt (280-222 BC). This indicates that Apollonius was active between the early and the mid-third century BC.
Additional knowledge about Apollonius comes from later scholarly sources, such as the two biographical accounts (Vitae A and B) attached to the Scholia to the Argonautica, an entry in the Suda, a 10th-cent. Byzantine encyclopedia, and the Greco-Roman writers Strabo, Aelian, and Athenaeus. Due to the later date of these accounts, the information they contain cannot be assumed to be accurate and may sometimes be contradictory. For example, the sources differ on whether Apollonius was born in Alexandria or Naucratis, an early Greek settlement located south of Alexandria along the Nile.
The nature of Apollonius' relationship with the scholar-poet Callimachus, a notable contemporary of his in Alexandria, raises an interesting question. Whether the two were rivals at court or had a master (Callimachus)-pupil (Apollonius) relationship, they crossed paths and deeply influenced one another as writers and intellectuals. Besides the Argonautica, Apollonius wrote the Ktiseis, a poem about the foundation of cities that survives only in fragments, while Callimachus composed the Aetia, a collection of 'causes' or 'origins' stories. Similarly, in the Argonautica, Apollonius frequently returns to aetiologies, exploring the origins of names, rituals, or myths.
Apollonius' traditional name 'Rhodius', or 'of Rhodes', indicates a link with the eponymous island. One of the Lives recounts that Apollonius' unsuccessful recitation of the first drafts of the Argonautica was met with such disdain from his fellow poets in Alexandria that he moved to Rhodes to hide out and revise the poem. The new, revised version of the Argonautica was a success, and from then on, his name became associated with that of the island. The legendary flavor of this story makes it hard to believe; but, some elements could still be credible. First, the idea that Alexandrian poets held exclusive reading groups where they recited their compositions to an elite audience. Second, Apollonius' connection with the island of Rhodes seems fitting, considering that he wrote a poem about the founding of cities!
Finally, legend says that Apollonius died in Alexandria and was buried beside his colleague and friend Callimachus (Vita B). Not all sources agree on this, but the idea the two brilliant poets resting side by side forever is rather epic.
The Argonautica is an epic poem in 4 books, each about 1.500 lines long. This is no minor detail, considering that Homer's Iliad contains 24 books with a total of 15.683 lines! But Apollonius' 'short' epic poem is rich in Homeric words (such as Homeric compounds and hapax legomena, "one-time-spoken" words) and imagery. Like Homer's epics, the story centers on a group of Greek heroes, the Argonauts, and is based on a well-known myth: the voyage to the farthest reaches of the Black Sea to recover the Golden Fleece. Yet, reading Apollonius can feel like experiencing a refined version of Homeric epic tailored for a literary salon audience. The Argonautica is a sophisticated, highly learned, and condensed poem that, in many ways, differs significantly from Homer's grand display of humanity. Unlike the Homeric oral tradition, later writing techniques changed the poet’s diction, which now features a lack of repetition, formulaic phrases, and incoherence. Apollonius' balance of tradition and innovation produces a layered work of art that blends scholarship and poetry.
The Argonauts' Myth
The Argonautica tells the story of the Greek ship Argo and its crew of heroes, the Argonauts, as they journey from Greece to Colchis and back to retrieve the golden fleece from the Colchian king Aeetes. The journey is dangerous, and the Argonauts face many challenges along the way; but they also receive extraordinary helpers. The most formidable of all is Medea: a princess of Colchis and an expert in magical drugs and sorcery, who falls in love with the Argonauts' leader, Jason, and helps him succeed in obtaining the fleece. Jason eventually takes Medea with him and marries her on the way back to Greece. The doomed marriage between Jason and Medea becomes one of the greatest tragic myths of antiquity. But, this is a story for later... Apollonius' Argonautica does not focus on this; instead, the poem concludes with the incredible journey of the Argonauts across the East, Europe, and North Africa, culminating in the heroes' return to Greece.