The Best of the Argonauts

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

Bibliographic Data

ID9290346
AuthorsJames J Clauss (corresponding author)
Year1993
Publication date1993-12-31
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueBest of the Argonauts (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherUniversity of California Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1525/9780520313804
OpenAlexW636664069
Open LibraryOL49289316M
ISBN9780520313804
LanguageEN
Citations received60

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