The Best of the Argonauts

The Redefinition of the Epic Hero in Book 1 of Apollonius’s Argonautica

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9290346
AutoresJames J Clauss (autor correspondente)
Ano1993
Data de publicação1993-12-31
Open AccessNão
TipoBOOK
PeriódicoBest of the Argonauts (SOURCE_BOOK)
EditoraUniversity of California Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1525/9780520313804
OpenAlexW636664069
Open LibraryOL49289316M
ISBN9780520313804
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas60

This revelatory exploration of Book One of the Argonautica rescues Jason from his status as the ineffectual hero of Apollonius' epic poem. James J. Clauss argues that by posing the question, Who is the best of the Argonauts? Apollonius redefines the epic hero and creates, in Jason, a man more realistic and less awesome than his Homeric predecessors, one who is vulnerable, dependent on the help of others, even morally questionable, yet ultimately successful. In bringing Apollonius' curious and demanding poem to life, Clauss illuminates two features of the poet's narrative style: his ubiquitous allusions to the poetry of others, especially Homer, and the carefully balanced structural organization of his episodes. The poet's subtextual interplay is explored, as is his propensity for underscoring the manipulation of the poetry of others through ring composition

Art · Composition (language · EPIC · HERO · Literature · Narrative · Poetry · Style (visual arts · Classical Antiquity Studies · History · Philosophy · Classical philology