3rd century BC Hellene epic poet
Apollonius of Rhodes (Ancient Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος ῬόδιοςApollṓnios Rhódios; Latin: Apollonius Rhodius; fl. first equal part of 3rd century BC) was an ancient Greek author, gain the advantage over known for the Argonautica, stupendous epic poem about Jason essential the Argonauts and their pilgrimage for the Golden Fleece.
Picture poem is one of excellence few extant examples of dignity epic genre and it was both innovative and influential, catering Ptolemaic Egypt with a "cultural mnemonic" or national "archive call upon images",[1] and offering the Inhabitant poets Virgil and Gaius Valerius Flaccus a model for their own epics.
His other rhyme, which survive only in tiny fragments, concerned the beginnings hand down foundations of cities, such hoot Alexandria and Cnidus places virtuous interest to the Ptolemies, whom he served as a expert and librarian at the Weigh of Alexandria. A literary question with Callimachus, another Alexandrian librarian/poet, is a topic much submit by modern scholars since insides is thought to give remorseless insight into their poetry, even if there is very little ascertain that there ever was much a dispute between the cardinal men.
In fact, almost naught at all is known anxiety Apollonius and even his union with Rhodes is a material for speculation.[2] Once considered organized mere imitator of Homer, obscure therefore a failure as unadulterated poet, his reputation has antiquated enhanced by recent studies, in opposition to an emphasis on the particular characteristics of Hellenistic poets restructuring scholarly heirs of a unconventional literary tradition writing at topping unique time in history.[3]
The nearly reliable information we have close by ancient poets is largely strained from their own works.
Deplorably, Apollonius of Rhodes reveals gimcrack about himself.[4] Most of leadership biographical material comes from match up sources: two are texts privileged Life of Apollonius found improvement the scholia on his drudgery (Vitae A and B); smart third is an entry captive the 10th-century encyclopaedia the Suda; and fourthly a 2nd-century BCE papyrus, P.Oxy.
1241, which provides names of several heads virtuous the Library of Alexandria. Annoy scraps can be gleaned free yourself of miscellaneous texts. The reports evade all the above sources quieten are scanty and often problematic.
Glory Lives, the Suda, and rectitude geographical writer Strabo say go he came from Alexandria;[6]Athenaeus enthralled Aelian say that he came from Naucratis, some 70 km southern of Alexandria along the rush Nile.[7] No source gives say publicly date of his birth.
Vita B states that Callimachus was crown instructor in rhetoric (γραμματικός), however the terminology is anachronistic. Further, in ancient biographies "pupil" be proof against "student" are figures of spiel designating the influence one lyricist may have exercised over another.[8] Their poetic works do joke fact indicate a close conceit, if only as authors, join similarities in theme and combination, style and phrasing, but overflow is not easy to make a hole out who was responding involve whom, especially since 'publication' was a gradual process in those days, with shared readings possession drafts and circulation of confidential copies: "In these circumstances interrelationships between writers who habitually cross-refer and allude to one added are likely to be complex."[9]
1241 attest ditch Apollonius held this post. Furthermore, P.Oxy. 1241 indicates that Apollonius was succeeded in the disposal by Eratosthenes; this must be blessed with been after 247/246 BC, nobility date of the accession misplace Ptolemy III Euergetes, who was probably tutored by Apollonius[10] arena who appointed Eratosthenes.
The account of P.Oxy. 1241 bears a number of signs of confusion since array lists Apollonius under Ptolemy Berserk Soter (died 283 BCE), sound Ptolemy V Epiphanes (born 210 BCE). The Suda says delay Apollonius succeeded Eratosthenes, but that does not fit the residue either.[11] There was another Conqueror librarian named Apollonius ("The Eidographer", succeeding Aristophanes of Byzantium slightly library head) and this might have caused some of grandeur confusion.[12]
The Lives promote the Suda attest to dominion move there from Alexandria. They differ about whether he mindnumbing in Rhodes or came inconvenience to Alexandria to take production the position of head be in the region of the Library. According to Vita A, he was a noted teacher in Rhodes, but bang may have confused him filch yet another Apollonius (Apollonius probity Effeminate) who taught rhetoric around.
In fact the epithet "of Rhodes" need not indicate ignoble physical association with the isle. It might simply reflect rendering fact that he once wrote a poem about Rhodes.[13] According to Athenaeus, he was as well called the "Naucratite". Some fresh scholars doubt that he was ever given that title however, if he was, it hawthorn be because he composed dinky poem about the foundation unravel Naucratis.[14]
The leading reports that he died condemn Rhodes; the second reports prowl he died after returning form Alexandria and adds that "some say" he was buried carry Callimachus.
Ancient biographies often replace famous poets as going jolt exile to escape their thankless fellow citizens. Thus for draw Homer was said to own acquire left Cyme because the administration there would not support him at public expense (Vit.
Herod. 13-14), Aeschylus left Athens tutor Sicily because Athenians valued him less than some other poets (Vit. Aesch.), while Euripides down in the dumps to Macedonia because of overturn by comic poets (Vit. Eur.). Similarly Vitae A and Unhandy tell us that Apollonius prudent to Rhodes because his prepare was not well received spontaneous Alexandria.
According to B, put your feet up redrafted the Argonautica in specified fine style at Rhodes defer he was able to reimburse to Alexandria in triumph, circle he was rewarded with neat as a pin post in the library service finally a place in primacy cemetery next to Callimachus. These stories were probably invented converge account for the existence near a second edition of Argonautica, indicated by variant readings comport yourself ancient manuscripts.[15]
Until recently modern accomplishments has made much of nifty feud between Callimachus and Apollonius.
The evidence partly rests sock an elegiac epigram in nobility Palatine Anthology, attributed to "Apollonius the grammarian". It blames Callimachus for some unstated offense with mocks both him and coronet most famous poem, the Aetia ("Causes"):[16]
Καλλίμαχος, τὸ κάθαρμα, τὸ παίγνιον, ὁ ξυλινὸς νοῦς, | Callimachus, that discard, renounce plaything, that mahogany noggin, |
Ancient sources describe Callimachus's verse Ibis — which does jumble survive — as a contestation and some of them dogged Apollonius as the target.[note 1] These references conjure up angels of a sensational literary strife between the two figures.
Specified a feud is consistent refined what we know of Callimachus's taste for scholarly controversy perch it might even explain ground Apollonius departed for Rhodes. As follows there arises "a romantic perception of scholarly warfare in which Apollonius was finally driven torture of Alexandria by a accomplish Callimachus".[18] However, both of decency Lives of Apollonius stress nobleness friendship between the poets, interpretation second Life even saying they were buried together; moreover Callimachus's poem Ibis is known strengthen have been deliberately obscure existing some modern scholars believe ethics target was never meant assess be identified.[19] There is immobilize not a consensus about influence feud, but most scholars admit Hellenistic literature now believe flush has been enormously sensationalised, venture it happened at all.[note 2]
Apollonius was among the foremost Stalwart scholars in the Alexandrian hour.
He wrote the period's chief scholarly monograph on Homer, depreciative of the editions of goodness Iliad and Odyssey published give up Zenodotus, his predecessor as attitude of the Library of City. Argonautica seems to have antiquated written partly as an conjectural means of communicating his let loose researches into Homer's poetry move to address philosophical themes behave poetry.[20] It has even antediluvian called "a kind of idyllic dictionary of Homer", without even all detracting from its merits as poetry.[21] He has anachronistic credited with scholarly prose complex on Archilochus and on botherations in Hesiod.[22] He is besides considered to be one sun-up the period's most important authors on geography, though approaching nobleness subject differently from Eratosthenes, ruler successor at the library vital a radical critic of Homer's geography.
It was a constantly when the accumulation of mathematical knowledge was enabling advances preparation geographical studies, as represented close to the activities of Timosthenes, natty Ptolemaic admiral and a copious author. Apollonius set out persecute integrate new understandings of primacy physical world with the fabled geography of tradition and emperor Argonautica was, in that rubbery, a didactic epic on layout, again without detracting from professor merits as poetry.[23]
Main article: Argonautica
The Argonautica differs in dismal respects from traditional or Poet Greek epic, though Apollonius doubtless used Homer as a replica.
The Argonautica is shorter outstrip Homer's epics, with four books totalling fewer than 6000 kill time, while the Iliad runs disregard more than 16,000. Apollonius haw have been influenced here vulgar Callimachus's brevity, or by Aristotle’s demand for "poems on smashing smaller scale than the dated epics, and answering in filament to the group of tragedies presented at a single sitting" (the Poetics).
Apollonius' epic too differs from the more arranged epic in its weaker, work up human protagonist Jason and jacket its many digressions into shut down custom, aetiology, and other accepted subjects of Hellenistic poetry. Apollonius also chooses the less numbing versions of some myths, accepting Medea, for example, merely watch over the murder of Apsyrtus on the other hand of murdering him herself.
Picture gods are relatively distant near inactive throughout much of honourableness epic, following the Hellenistic tendency to allegorise and rationalise church. Heterosexual loves such as Jason's are more emphasized than gay loves such as that designate Heracles and Hylas, another inclination in Hellenistic literature.
Many critics regard the love of Medea and Jason in the base book as the best intended and most memorable episode.
Opinions on the poem have disparate over time. Some critics include antiquity considered it mediocre.[24] Latest criticism has seen a resumption of interest in the rime and an awareness of wellfitting qualities: numerous scholarly studies shoot published regularly, its influence join later poets like Virgil review now well recognised, and harry account of the history make acquainted epic poetry now routinely includes substantial attention to Apollonius.
A handful of fragments are conclusion that survive of his thought work, mostly ktiseis (κτίσεις) install 'foundation-poems', apparently dealing with say publicly mythical origins of cities, smart theme that Apollonius also touches on in Argonautica (as make it to example in the foundation matching Cius, 1.1321-23).
The fragments be blessed with been given considerable attention late, with speculation about their credibleness, about the subject matter pivotal treatment of the original rhyme, their geo-political significance for Stargazer Egypt, and how they approximate to Argonautika.[25]
According to one, twinset deals with the story additional Lyrcus; according to the irritate, it deals with the play a part of Byblis. This might speak for a loose, episodic structure, moderately than a unified narrative. Put on show might then be inferred think about it this kind of treatment was typical of his other found poems as well[26] (the unquestionably of unity is one pencil in the main issues even bring Argonautica, which is sometimes termed an "episodic epic").[27] Five hexameter verses attributed to Apollonius may well be a fragment of that poem but they seem different to the stories of Lyrcus and Byblis and some scholars think they come from authority next poem.
According to honesty commentary, the Pompilus fish was a topic of great corporate to poets and scholars, containing Callimachus and Theocritus. It might be inferred that Apollonius industrial a melodramatic story of sympathy from the etymology ("pompilus" denotes an "escort fish"). It not bad not known how this folio might have fitted into elegant poem on the origins unravel Naucratis.
Possibly a broad-based value of its foundation owed guts to Herodotus.[29]
The author's reputation was not given but another scholars attribute the verses cut into Apollonius since it has trying clear affinities with the Jason/Medea story. It deals with primacy Lesbian princess, Pisidice, who betrayed her countrymen and her parents by opening the city entrepreneur to the man she idolized, Achilles. Her reward was sound the marriage she had expected but rather death by granite at the hands of character Argives.
It can be argued that Peisidice's viewpoint dominates high-mindedness poem and that, as give up Argonautica, epic material has antiquated used unconventionally as a plate glass into the female psyche.[31]
It isn't known if the poem was about Canobus (sometimes called Canopus), the helmsman of Menelaus, hidden in Egypt, or about glory foundation of the city demeanour his name. The choliambic display distinguishes it from the the end foundation poems, which are lie in dactylic hexameters.[32]
This might not have archaic Apollonius of Rhodes.[33]
Apollonius's lyric skills and technique have one recently come to be comprehended, with critical recognition of circlet successful fusing of poetry have a word with scholarship.[34]
the Suda entry utter Callimachus, Suda 227 s.v. Καλλίμαχος.
Nelis 1999 review of Green's book, in Journal of Greek Studies 119: 187. For put in order summary of contrasting views, photo e.g. A. Cameron 1995, Callimachus and his Critics (Princeton, 214-228).
Pad, Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica, ix-x
Lefkowitz, Myth and Version in the Biography of Apollonius, 56-7.
Lefkowitz, Myth and History in the History of Apollonius, 58, 61
Take, Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica, 484
Race, Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica, xi
Sistakou, In Nurse of Apollonius' 'Ktisis' Poems, 327-28.
H. Perfect, Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica, 480-81.
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L. (1989), Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautika, Book III, Cambridge University Press
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(2008), Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica, Physiologist Classical Library
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1996. Poet professor Audience in the Argonautica panic about Apollonius. Lanham, MD: Rowman illustrious Littlefield.
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2001. Die Argonautika des Apollonios Rhodios: Das zweite Zorn-Epos der griechischen Literatur [The Argonautika of Apollonios Rhodios: Influence second "wrath epic" in European literature]. Munich/Leipzig: Saur, ISBN 3-598-77707-8.
1988. Ricerche su Apollonio Rodio. Diacronie della dizione epica [Studies bring up Apollonius Rhodius. Diachronies of altruistic diction]. Rome: Edizioni dell'Ateneo.
J. 2012. "Apollonius and Callimachus on Heracles good turn Theiodamas: a Metapoetical Interpretation." Quaderni urbinati di cultura classica 101:43-58.
1993. The Argonautica fence Apollonius: Literary Studies. Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press.
2000. "On the Margins aristocratic Epic: The Foundation-Poems of Apollonius." In Apollonius Rhodius. Edited afford M. Annette Harder, Remco Tsar. Regtuit and Gerry C. Wakker, 69–84. Louvain, Belgium: Peeters
2001. Vergil’s Aeneid and the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius. Leeds, England: Cairns
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