The Path of the Argo : Language, Imagery and Narrative in the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius

Apollonius Rhodius' influential epic poem from the Hellenistic period is here examined from a number of perspectives, with the main emphasis on thematic and narrative complexities arising from the poet's use of language. Written in an accessible style, this book breaks new ground in the critical interpretation of the poem.

In this innovative study of Apollonius Rhodius' influential epic poem from the Hellenistic period, the author aims both to offer fresh insights into popular critical issues and consider it from new perspectives. The principal, unifying concern is the poet's measured and complex use of language and the manipulation of meaning generated therewith. The first part presents a detailed analysis of the poem's constantly shifting commentary on the voyage of the Argo as articulated throughout all four books of the poem, and the conflicting strategies according to which the epic journey of the Argonauts is presented for interpretation. The second part of the book identifies hitherto unexplored descriptive, thematic and image-related rhythms within the narrative, which serve both to bind the poem together and to generate further complexities of meaning. Accessible to non-specialists, with all Greek quotations accompanied by an English translation.