The Argonautica | Page 3

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The Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius (fl. 3rd Century B.C.)
Originally written in Ancient Greek sometime in the 3rd Century B.C.
by the Alexandrian poet Apollonius Rhodius ("Apollonius the
Rhodian"). Translation by R.C. Seaton, 1912.
This electronic edition was edited, proofed, and prepared by Douglas B.
Killings ([email protected]), January 1997.
PREPARER'S NOTE: Words in CAPITALS are Greek words
transliterated into modern characters.
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******** SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
ORIGINAL TEXT --
Seaton, R.C. (Ed. & Trans.): "Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica"
(Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1912). Original Greek text
with side-by-side English translation.
OTHER TRANSLATIONS --
Rieu, E.V. (Trans.): "Apollonius of Rhodes: The Voyage of the Argo"
(Penguin Classics, London, 1959, 1971).
RECOMMENDED READING --

Euripides: "Medea", "Hecabe", "Electra", and "Heracles", translated by
Philip Vellacott (Penguin Classics, London, 1963). Contains four plays
by Euripides, two of which concern characters from "The
Argonautica".
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********
INTRODUCTION
Much has been written about the chronology of Alexandrian literature
and the famous Library, founded by Ptolemy Soter, but the dates of the
chief writers are still matters of conjecture. The birth of Apollonius
Rhodius is placed by scholars at various times between 296 and 260
B.C., while the year of his death is equally uncertain. In fact, we have
very little information on the subject. There are two "lives" of
Apollonius in the Scholia, both derived from an earlier one which is
lost. From these we learn that he was of Alexandria by birth, (1) that he
lived in the time of the Ptolemies, and was a pupil of Callimachus; that
while still a youth he composed and recited in public his "Argonautica",
and that the poem was condemned, in consequence of which he retired
to Rhodes; that there he revised his poem, recited it with great applause,
and hence called himself a Rhodian. The second "life" adds: "Some say
that he returned to Alexandria and again recited his poem with the
utmost success, so that he was honoured with the libraries of the
Museum and was buried with Callimachus." The last sentence may be
interpreted by the notice of Suidas, who informs us that Apollonius was
a contemporary of Eratosthenes, Euphorion and Timarchus, in the time
of Ptolemy Euergetes, and that he succeeded Eratosthenes in the
headship of the Alexandrian Library. Suidas also informs us elsewhere
that Aristophanes at the age of sixty-two succeeded Apollonius in this
office. Many modern scholars deny the "bibliothecariate" of Apollonius
for chronological reasons, and there is considerable difficulty about it.
The date of Callimachus' "Hymn to Apollo", which closes with some
lines (105-113) that are admittedly an allusion to Apollonius, may be
put with much probability at 248 or 247 B.C. Apollonius must at that
date have been at least twenty years old. Eratosthenes died 196-193

B.C. This would make Apollonius seventy-two to seventy-five when he
succeeded Eratosthenes. This is not impossible, it is true, but it is
difficult. But the difficulty is taken away if we assume with Ritschl that
Eratosthenes resigned his office some years before his death, which
allows us to put the birth of Apollonius at about 280, and would solve
other difficulties. For instance, if the Librarians were buried within the
precincts, it would account for the burial of Apollonius next to
Callimachus--Eratosthenes being still alive. However that may be, it is
rather arbitrary to take away the "bibliothecariate" of Apollonius,
which is clearly asserted by Suidas, on account of chronological
calculations which are themselves uncertain. Moreover, it is more
probable that the words following "some say" in the second "life" are a
remnant of the original life than a conjectural addition, because the first
"life" is evidently incomplete, nothing being said about the end of
Apollonius' career.
The principal event in his life, so far as we know, was the quarrel with
his master Callimachus, which was most probably the cause of his
condemnation at Alexandria and departure to Rhodes. This quarrel
appears to have arisen from differences of literary aims and taste, but,
as literary differences often do, degenerated into the bitterest personal
strife. There are references to the quarrel in the writings of both.
Callimachus attacks Apollonius in the passage at the end of the "Hymn
to Apollo", already mentioned,