Apollonius Rhodius the Argonautica- (Loeb Classical Library #1) (English, Greek and Ancient Greek Edition)

Apollonius Rhodius

ISBN 10: 0674990013 / ISBN 13: 9780674990012

Published by Harvard Univ Pr, 1990

About this Item

17 x 11.5 cm- This is a tight and unmarked copy-" Apollonius was a Greek grammarian and epic poet of Alexandria in Egypt and lived late in the 3rd century and early in the 2nd century BCE. While still young he composed his extant epic poem of four books on the story of the Argonauts. When this work failed to win acceptance he went to Rhodes where he not only did well as a rhetorician but also made a success of his epic in a revised form, for which the Rhodians gave him the 'freedom' of their city; hence his surname. On returning to Alexandria he recited his poem again, to applause. In 196 Ptolemy Epiphanes made him the librarian of the Alexandria Museum (the university). Apollonius's Argonautica is one of the better minor epics, remarkable for originality, powers of observation, sincere feeling, and depiction of romantic love. His Jason and Medea are natural and interesting, and did much to inspire Virgil (in a very different setting) in the fourth book of the Aeneid."-One page is dog-eared.

Seller Inventory # 21012

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Apollonius Rhodius the Argonautica- (Loeb Classical Library #1) (English, Greek and Ancient Greek Edition)
• Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr
• Publication Date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674990013
• ISBN 13: 9780674990012
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Apollonius was a Greek grammarian and epic poet of Alexandria in Egypt and lived late in the 3rd century and early in the 2nd century BCE. While still young he composed his extant epic poem of four books on the story of the Argonauts. When this work failed to win acceptance he went to Rhodes where he not only did well as a rhetorician but also made a success of his epic in a revised form, for which the Rhodians gave him the 'freedom' of their city; hence his surname. On returning to Alexandria he recited his poem again, to applause. In 196 Ptolemy Epiphanes made him the librarian of the Museum (the university) at Alexandria.

Apollonius's Argonautica is one of the better minor epics, remarkable for originality, powers of observation, sincere feeling, and depiction of romantic love. His Jason and Medea are natural and interesting, and did much to inspire Virgil (in a very different setting) in the fourth book of the Aeneid.

From the Back Cover

The aim of the series remains that of including the works of all the principal classical authors. Although this has been largely accomplished, new volumes are still being published to fill the remaining gaps, and old editions are being revised in the light of recent research or replaced.